‘Hawk Tuah Girl’ Haliey Welch Says FBI and SEC Cleared Her After Memecoin Scandal

Haliey Welch — the viral sensation known as the “Hawk Tuah girl” — has revealed that she was investigated by both the FBI and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following the disastrous launch of a memecoin bearing her name. The token, HAWK, quickly plummeted in value and was accused of being an exit scam by blockchain analysts and commentators.

In the May 21 episode of her podcast Talk Tuah, Welch recounted how the FBI visited her grandmother’s home after the HAWK token launch. “The feds came to granny’s house and knocked on her door,” she said. “She called me, having a heart attack.” Welch said she later cooperated with federal agents, handed over her phone, and was questioned about the coin and her role in its promotion.

The memecoin launched in December and lost 90% of its value almost instantly. Blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps claimed that insider wallets and snipers had manipulated the market, raising suspicions of a coordinated rug pull. Welch said the SEC also requested access to her phone, which was handed over for two to three days during the investigation.

Haliey Welch speaking on her Talk Tuah podcast about the HAWK memecoin. Source: YouTube

Despite the intense scrutiny, Welch said both agencies eventually cleared her of any wrongdoing. Her attorney, James Sallah, confirmed to TMZ in March that the SEC closed its investigation without pursuing charges or penalties against her.

Welch explained on her podcast that she had little understanding of cryptocurrency when she agreed to promote the HAWK token. She said she was misled by people she trusted, who controlled her social media accounts and directed her to record promotional videos. She also alleged legal restrictions prevented her from naming the individuals or company involved.

“I trusted the wrong people,” Welch admitted. “It makes me feel really bad that [fans] trusted me, and I led them to something I did not have enough knowledge about.”

She recounted being unexpectedly put on a livestream with investigative YouTuber Coffeezilla on the day of the coin’s launch. “Nobody warned me about this guy at all,” she said. “He ate me the f*** up.”

A now-deleted post where Welch shared the HAWK token’s tokenomics before it launched. Source: X

Welch stated that she received only a marketing fee and “did not make a dime from the coin itself,” with most of her earnings going toward legal and public relations expenses.

Although Welch was not named as a defendant in any legal cases, a group of HAWK investors filed a lawsuit in December against the alleged creators of the token, including Alex Schultz, the Tuah the Moon Foundation, overHere Limited, and its founder Clinton So. The suit accuses them of promoting and selling HAWK as an unregistered security.

Welch concluded with a public apology to her followers, acknowledging that she should not have involved herself in a crypto project she didn’t fully understand.