Matthew Whitaker: Trump's acting attorney general once backed a time-travel cryptocurrency

Matthew Whitaker served on the advisory board of World Patent Marketing, which also once marketed a toilet for 'well-endowed men'

Matthew Whitaker, Donald Trump's interim replacement for Attorney General, once backed a time-travel cryptocurrency, according to a report.

Time Travel X sought bitcoin donations in 2016 in order to "make time travel a reality" and was backed by Florida-based firm World Patent Marketing.

The now defunct company paid Whitaker at least $10,000 in 2014, according to court filings seen by Mother Jones, in order to serve on its advisory board as it attempted to market the cryptocurrency project, as well as a series of other bizarre inventions.

The Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint against the World Patent Marketing last year, citing people who had ended up in debt or lost their life savings as a result of their involvement with the firm. In May, a Florida court ordered the company to shut down and pay a $25 million settlement.

Mr Whitaker appeared in promotional videos for World Patent Marketing, as well as provided quotes of endorsement in press materials.

"As a former US Attorney, I would only align myself with a first class organisation," he said in a 2014 press release issued by World Patent Marketing.

"World Patent Marketing goes beyond making statements about doing business 'ethically' and translate those words into action."

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker in Des Moines, Iowa, 14 November, 2018 (REUTERS)

The Time Travel X endeavour appears to have also had the backing of Dr Ronald Mallett, a theoretical physicist and faculty member of the University of Conneticut.

"For years, Dr Mallett has conducted research on time travel based on Einstein’s Theory of Relativity," a video published in 2016 by World Patent Marketing (WPM) explained.

"WPM’s founder and successful entrepreneur Scott Cooper has built a financial instrument to fund Dr. Mallett’s research. Time Travel Technologies gives you the opportunity to fund the research that will help to make time travel possible."

The Independent reached out to Dr Mallett for a comment on Time Travel X but is yet to receive a response.

Whitaker, who was appointed acting attorney general by President Trump on Wednesday, could also not be reached for comment through the US Department of Justice.