Ripple CEO Garlinghouse Slams NYT Over Alleged Bias in SEC Crypto Enforcement

Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse publicly rebuked The New York Times after a Dec. 14 investigation reported the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has eased enforcement in over 60% of crypto cases since President Trump returned to office. Garlinghouse called the piece a "crypto hit piece," saying it repeated half-truths and omitted key court rebukes of the SEC that undercut prior enforcement actions. He pointed to federal judges — including U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn — who criticized the SEC’s conduct as "arbitrary and capricious" or faulted the agency for false statements. The NYT noted that some firms benefiting from reduced enforcement, including Ripple, have ties to Trump but found no evidence of direct presidential pressure. Industry figures such as Coinbase’s Paul Grewal and Galaxy Digital’s Alex Thorn echoed Garlinghouse’s critique, saying the article lacked evidence of corruption and risked misleading readers about the legality of earlier enforcement. For traders: the dispute sharpens debate over the SEC’s enforcement legitimacy and shapes public perception of regulatory risk for Ripple (XRP). Short-term volatility in XRP could increase on reputation-driven news flow and legal narrative shifts; longer-term price direction will still hinge on court outcomes and regulatory clarity. Primary keywords: Ripple, Brad Garlinghouse, NYT, SEC enforcement, court rebukes, crypto regulation.