Senators ask U.S. Justice Dept to probe Binance statements to Congress

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) attend a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice should investigate whether cryptocurrency exchange Binance made false statements to Congress in a written response to lawmakers this year, two Democratic U.S. senators said in a letter released on Thursday.

"This is a serious matter," Senator Elizabeth Warren and Chris Van Hollen wrote in a letter to the Justice Department, saying a bipartisan group of lawmakers in March were seeking information from the industry as they weighed potential new laws.