Trump Second-Term Corruption Tracker: Every Allegation, Ranked

#1DOJ settles Trump's own $10B IRS suit with a $1.776B fund and audit bar

Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns, and his Justice Department settled. The family received an apology and no payment, while a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” was created at Blanche’s direction, CBS News reported. An addendum barred IRS audits of Trump, his family and their companies, per ABC News. Judge Williams ruled the suit was brought to provide “judicial legitimacy” for a settlement with no viable basis, CNBC reported. Blanche formally rescinded the fund order on Aug. 2, 2026, in a push for his confirmation as attorney general, NPR reported; the Senate confirmed him on Aug. 8.

Money involved

$1.776B "Anti-Weaponization Fund" (CBS); $10B originally sought

Status

Court finding (Judge Williams found the suit was brought to give "judicial legitimacy" to a settlement with no viable basis (July 13 2026); Trump appealed. Blanche rescinded the fund order on Aug 2 2026.)

Official action

Judge Williams' July 13 2026 order, including a Florida Bar referral of a Trump lawyer; Trump appealed to the 11th Circuit (July 31 2026). Sens. Cornyn and Tillis pressed DOJ over the fund during Blanche's AG confirmation; Blanche rescinded the fund order on Aug 2 2026.

Response

DOJ: "There was no collusion in this case, and the partisan judge who speculated otherwise has disregarded decades of precedent."

Latest

Aug 8 2026: the Senate confirmed Blanche as attorney general, 50-49, after he rescinded the fund order.

Score 13/13: money 4/4 · evidence 4/4 · official action 3/3 (court ruling) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#2Abu Dhabi fund settles $2 billion Binance deal in Trump family stablecoin

MGX, an Abu Dhabi state-owned fund, settled a $2 billion investment in Binance using USD1, the stablecoin of the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial, CNBC reported. Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in October 2025, and the Associated Press noted Zhao’s ties to World Liberty. CNBC reported that some lawmakers suggested the deal may have influenced the pardon; that is their claim. In July 2026 Commerce said it would “favorably review” chip licences for MGX, per CNBC, which said there is no evidence the transactions influenced that decision.

Money involved

$2 billion Binance investment settled in USD1, per CNBC

Status

Documented (The transaction is documented; any link to the Zhao pardon is alleged by lawmakers)

Official action

Sen. Warren's Aug 5 2026 letter to Commerce raised the MGX transaction; no probe confirmed. (The Zhao pardon is covered in its own entry.)

Response

Binance CEO Richard Teng said the use of USD1 was MGX's decision: "We didn't partake in that decision." Binance and Trump have denied the pardon was connected to the transaction; Trump told CBS of Zhao, "I don't know who he is."

Latest

July 2026: Commerce said it would favorably review chip export licences for MGX.

Score 10/13: money 4/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#3Pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao amid World Liberty ties

Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program, AP reported. Before the pardon, a UAE fund used $2 billion of World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin, from the Trump family’s crypto venture, to buy a stake in Binance. CNBC, citing the Wall Street Journal, reported that World Liberty benefited from Binance’s listing of USD1. House Judiciary Democrats claim the pardon shows the family benefits from “pay-for-pardon schemes” (staff report).

Money involved

$2B Binance stake paid in USD1 (AP)

Status

Documented (Business ties and pardon are on record; any quid pro quo is denied and unverified.)

Official action

Named in House Judiciary Democrats' Aug 2026 staff report. No official probe found.

Response

Leavitt said Zhao was prosecuted despite "no allegations of fraud or identifiable victims." Binance CEO Richard Teng denied the exchange promoted the Trump-linked stablecoin before the pardon.

Latest

Aug 2026: cited in the House Judiciary Democrats' report; no official action found.

Note: The pay-for-pardon characterization is House Democrats' claim.

Score 10/13: money 4/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#4Fort Bliss detention camp: a $1.2B award to a small firm, then a no-bid replacement

According to AP, the Army awarded a contract worth up to $1.2 billion for the nation’s largest immigration detention complex, at Fort Bliss, to Acquisition Logistics LLC, a small business with no listed experience running a correction facility that had never won a federal contract worth more than $16 million. Its bid was chosen from among 12 others, Stars and Stripes reported. In March 2026, ICE terminated the contractor after scrutiny of living conditions, AP reported, and moved to a no-bid contract with Amentum, NBC News reported. Federal contract records code the Amentum award as not competed.

Money involved

Up to $1.2 billion (original Army award, per AP); Amentum's replacement contract shows $657.6M obligated (USAspending)

Status

Documented (Award, termination and no-bid replacement are in contract records; no impropriety finding)

Official action

A losing bidder, Gemini Tech Services, protested the award at GAO, and a legal appeal was pending in federal court (Aug 2025; outcome not found). ICE terminated the contractor (March 2026).

Response

The Army declined to discuss the deal, citing litigation. Acquisition Logistics' CEO did not respond to AP; Amentum and Acquisition Logistics did not respond to NBC. ICE did not say why it terminated the contract.

Latest

Amentum's no-bid contract runs to Nov 30, 2026 (USAspending).

Note: Contract-record figures (USAspending, queried Oct 21, 2026) are obligations, not cash paid; the Army and ICE task orders may overlap and should not be summed. Reports put the original award at up to $1.2 billion (AP, Aug 2025; NBC) or up to $1.3 billion (AP, March 2026).

Score 10/13: money 4/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#5Federal cases against Musk's companies dropped or stalled during DOGE

NBC News found that the Justice Department dropped a case against SpaceX, the Labor Department cancelled a planned civil rights review of Tesla, and Trump fired the Agriculture Department’s inspector general, whose office had been investigating Neuralink. More than 40 other agency matters showed no public action for months, NBC reported. Senate investigations subcommittee Democrats estimated that Musk’s companies faced at least $2.37 billion in potential liability as of January 2025. The SEC sued Musk in January 2025 over his Twitter stake disclosure, alleging he underpaid by at least $150 million, AP reported.

Money involved

At least $2.37B in potential liability (Senate PSI minority staff estimate)

Status

Closed or dropped (DOJ dropped its SpaceX hiring case; Labor cancelled its Tesla review. Other matters stalled, per NBC.)

Official action

Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations minority staff analysis (April 2025). No IG review of the dropped cases found.

Response

Musk had long called the DOJ case political (NBC). A White House spokesperson told NBC: "All administration officials will comply with conflict of interest requirements."

Latest

May 2025: NBC's review of dropped and stalled matters. No later development found.

Note: The $2.37 billion figure is the subcommittee minority staff's estimate of potential liability, not money paid.

Score 9/13: money 4/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#6UAE royal's $500 million World Liberty stake, then U.S. AI-chip access

A vehicle backed by UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bought a $500 million stake in World Liberty Financial in a deal signed by Eric Trump days before the inauguration, the Wall Street Journal reported, as relayed by CNBC. Trump’s 2025 disclosure shows $263 million going to Trump family entities, CNBC reported. In July 2026 Commerce eased UAE export controls and said it would “favorably review” chip licences for Tahnoon’s MGX; CNBC says there is no evidence the investment influenced that. Rep. Greg Stanton says envoy Witkoff joined chip talks with Tahnoon present.

Money involved

$500 million for a 49% stake, per the WSJ as relayed by CNBC

Status

Documented (The deal is reflected in Trump's own disclosure; any link to chip-export decisions is alleged and disputed)

Official action

Sen. Warren letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick (Aug 5 2026); Rep. Stanton questioned Secretary Rubio about Witkoff at a June 2026 hearing; no probe confirmed

Response

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly to the WSJ: "[t]here are no conflicts of interest." World Liberty: "No one at World Liberty works for the U.S. government and there are no conflicts of interest." Secretary Rubio, asked about Witkoff: "I have never seen any evidence that he's made any decisions or advocated for any position that's to his personal benefit."

Latest

Aug 27 2026: the WSJ reported that a Tahnoon-backed entity also owns 49% of the holding company for WLF's new trust bank.

Note: The Wall Street Journal's original reporting is paywalled; it is cited as relayed by CNBC.

Score 9/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#7Noem's $220 million DHS ad campaign and the firms that got it

According to AP, DHS cited “an unusual and compelling urgency” to skip a fully competitive process for its “Stronger Borders” ad campaign. ProPublica reported that $143 million went to a Delaware LLC created days before the award, and that a subcontractor is run by the husband of DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. ProPublica, citing federal records, reported that a second firm, People Who Think, received $77 million; Democratic senators called it a no-bid contract, NBC News reported. Bloomberg found most of the money was placed through firms with long-standing Trump-campaign ties. An administration official told AP the campaign was among the reasons Noem was fired in March 2026.

Money involved

About $220 million ($143M + $77M), per NBC, AP and federal contract records

Status

Under investigation (DHS inspector general investigation of Noem-era contracting, per CNN's sources; Secretary Mullin said in June 2026 the OIG had multiple active investigations (Reuters). No findings published.)

Official action

Noem fired March 5, 2026. Sens. Welch and Blumenthal wrote to all three firms (March 2026). DHS inspector general review of Noem-era contracting reported by CNN and Reuters.

Response

DHS told ProPublica it does its contracting "by the book" and that career officials run the process. Noem told senators Trump approved the spending in advance; Trump said: "I didn't know about it."

Latest

June 3, 2026: Secretary Mullin said DHS had cancelled most Noem-era contracts that were not yet signed and could not easily terminate finalized ones; he said the inspector general had multiple active investigations (Reuters).

Note: Reports differ on the total: about $220 million (NBC, AP, contract records) versus $240 million (Bloomberg). The Strategy Group says it received only a small fraction of the money.

Score 9/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#8SpaceX's defense awards while Musk ran DOGE, and after

SpaceX won a $5.9 billion Space Force contract on April 4, 2025, while Elon Musk was advising the government, and House Oversight Democrats called the conflicts “illegal,” according to their statement. Reuters reported, as relayed by Rolling Stone, that SpaceX was a front-runner for Golden Dome missile-defense work. Rep. Greg Casar, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and 40 other members of Congress later asked the Pentagon inspector general to review Musk’s involvement in Golden Dome contracts. In May 2026, SpaceX won a $4.16 billion Space Force sensing agreement, Military Times reported. The White House told NBC News Musk had committed to recusing himself from conflicts.

Money involved

$5.9B Space Force award (April 2025); $4.16B SB-AMTI agreement (May 2026)

Status

Alleged (Conflict-of-interest claim is alleged; the awards are documented. No IG finding.)

Official action

House Oversight Democrats' records demand (April 2025); Rep. Casar and Sen. Warren led a letter asking the DoD IG to review (May 2025). No IG response found.

Response

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt: "President Trump has stated he will not allow conflicts, and Elon himself has committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts." SpaceX and Musk declined to comment to Reuters.

Latest

May 29, 2026: $4.16B SB-AMTI award, described by the Space Force as a competitive multi-vendor agreement.

Note: The SB-AMTI agreement was described by the Space Force as competitive, with a multi-vendor pool.

Score 8/13: money 4/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#9CSI Aviation's deportation-flight orders and its GOP-figure owner

House Homeland Security Democrats wrote in May 2025 that ICE had spent more than $1 billion on charter contracts with CSI Aviation and that one subcontractor, GlobalX, flew 74 percent of ICE’s removal flights; that is the members’ claim. NPR station KUNM reported that CSI previously held a no-bid contract for the flights, according to the Project on Government Oversight, and that Trump held a 2024 campaign rally in a CSI hangar. The Killeen Daily Herald reported the main task order nearly tripled to $562 million.

Money involved

$1.29B obligated on the Nov 2025 call order, plus $562M on the March 2025 task order (USAspending)

Status

Alleged (Awards are documented in contract records; the favoritism claim is unproven)

Official action

Letter from House Homeland Security Committee Democrats to CSI Aviation (May 2025).

Response

CSI did not respond to multiple requests for comment (Killeen Daily Herald). No company response found elsewhere.

Latest

The call order ran to Oct 31, 2026 (USAspending).

Note: POGO calls the arrangement no-bid, but the federal contract record codes the March 2025 task order as "FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION" under a GSA schedule with one offer received.

Score 8/13: money 4/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#10"Alligator Alcatraz": no-bid contracts and a $608M federal reimbursement request

Florida built the “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention center under an emergency order that lets the state suspend competitive bidding, and some multimillion-dollar contracts went to political donors to DeSantis and other Republicans, AP reported. The facility closed in June 2026 after more than $1 billion in no-bid contract work, WGCU reported. Florida sought $608.4 million in federal reimbursement from FEMA, the Marco Eagle reported. These were state contracts under a federal immigration partnership.

Money involved

More than $1B in no-bid contract work (WGCU); $608.4M federal reimbursement sought

Status

Documented (Emergency no-bid awards and donor ties documented; no impropriety finding)

Official action

None on the contracting. Separate environmental litigation over the site.

Response

DHS attorneys, in court filings: "Florida is constructing and operating the facility using state funds on state lands under state emergency authority." FDEM spokesperson Stephanie Hartman said contracts were removed from the state website because they included "proprietary information that shouldn't have been uploaded" (AP).

Latest

Aug 27, 2026: two of the facility's contractors responded to a Florida Highway Patrol request for information on new detention facilities (WGCU).

Note: This is Florida state contracting, not a federal award; the federal link is the reimbursement request.

Score 8/13: money 4/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#11Trump-chaired Board of Peace: $1 billion seats, money in a private account

Members of Trump’s “Board of Peace,” which oversees Gaza reconstruction, receive a permanent seat if they pay $1 billion, a U.S. official told CNN. The Financial Times later found that the World Bank account set up for the funds had received no contributions, while donations from the UAE and Morocco went into a J.P. Morgan account the board can access directly, the FT’s reporter told NPR. As of June 2026 none of the money was being spent inside Gaza, she said. No personal enrichment has been alleged.

Money involved

$1 billion per permanent seat, per a U.S. official to CNN

Status

Documented (Account findings come from FT reporting relayed on NPR; misuse is not alleged)

Official action

None found

Response

The board told the FT that multiple accounts were set up and donors happened to prefer the J.P. Morgan account. A U.S. official told CNN "there will not be exorbitant salaries and massive administrative bloat."

Latest

June 1 2026: FT reporting on the accounts, discussed on NPR.

Score 8/13: money 4/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#12Salus and Daedalus: deportation contracts to firms run by a Noem PAC donor

DHS gave Salus Worldwide Solutions, a new firm, a contract for “self-deportation” flights and stipends worth nearly $1 billion, which a rival’s lawsuit called an “unlawful, rushed and noncompetitive award,” The Washington Post reported. Mother Jones and POGO reported that a DHS official said the process created an appearance of favoritism toward Salus, and that founder William Walters gave $10,000 to a PAC tied to Kristi Noem; a federal judge upheld the award and found no evidence of bad faith. The Post reported DHS also signed a nearly $140 million deal to buy 737s from Daedalus Aviation, whose leaders also run Salus. Walters, in a letter to Congress filed in court, said Lewandowski never asked Salus for a consulting arrangement or other favor.

Money involved

Salus contract up to $915M (Mother Jones; $748.1M obligated per USAspending); Daedalus aircraft contract $463.6M obligated (USAspending)

Status

Documented (Awards and ties are documented; the Court of Federal Claims upheld the Salus award as legal. The favoritism allegation is disputed.)

Official action

CSI Aviation's bid protest was denied by the Court of Federal Claims, which found no evidence of bad faith. Rep. Bennie Thompson demanded cancellation and says Salus is part of the DHS OIG review (his claim).

Response

Walters, in a letter to Congress filed in court: Lewandowski never asked him for "a consulting arrangement or any other type of favor or benefit in exchange for a contractual award from DHS." Salus called NBC's report linking it to Lewandowski "defamatory." DHS said the planes would save money.

Latest

May 2026: Salus contract extended six months; a separate $5.7M ICE aircraft-maintenance order went to Salus (USAspending).

Note: The Post put the original six-737 deal at nearly $140 million (Dec 2025); later purchases brought the Daedalus contract to $464 million for 10 planes, according to the NYT as relayed by Mediaite, in line with the $463.6 million obligated in federal contract records.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#13$TRUMP memecoin: about $636 million to Trump and dinners for top holders

A Trump Organization affiliate and a partner company together own 80% of the $TRUMP memecoin supply, CBS News reported. Trump’s 2025 disclosure showed roughly $636 million tied to the memecoin business, according to Bloomberg Government. Holders compete for access: a Nov. 22 gala at a Trump golf club will seat the 185 largest holders, and CBS found at least 52 of the top 100 listed wallets moved funds through exchanges that bar U.S. customers. Earlier holder dinners were held in May 2025 and April 2026.

Money involved

About $636 million tied to the memecoin business in 2025, per Bloomberg Government's reading of Trump's disclosure

Status

Documented (Income appears in Trump's own disclosure; ownership is stated on the project's website)

Official action

None found

Response

A White House official: "a private event, not a government function, and there is no promise of official government action in exchange for attending." The Trump Organization did not respond to CBS.

Latest

Oct 14 2026: leaderboard contest under way for the Nov. 22 gala.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#14White House aide pushed $620 million Pentagon loan to Trump Jr.-backed firm

The request for a $620 million Pentagon loan to magnet maker Vulcan Elements was made by White House adviser Peter Navarro, a friend of Donald Trump Jr., ProPublica reported, citing Defense Department records; Navarro’s role was not publicly disclosed. Trump Jr.’s firm 1789 Capital had taken a stake in Vulcan months earlier. House Oversight Democrats say the White House then directed the Pentagon to treat the loan as a top priority; that is their claim. 1789 Capital says it played no role.

Money involved

$620 million Office of Strategic Capital loan, per ProPublica

Status

Alleged (White House initiation reported by ProPublica; no probe confirmed as opened)

Official action

Garcia/Huffman document demand to Vulcan (Aug 11 2026); Garcia/Huffman/Heinrich inquiry into minerals equity deals (Feb 2026); Democratic senators sought a Pentagon accounting, and a House Democratic attempt to subpoena Trump Jr. was blocked by Republicans (ProPublica)

Response

White House: "The President’s entire team, including Senior Counselor Navarro and officials at the Department of War, is working together and with private industry to secure America’s critical mineral supply chain at Trump Speed." 1789 Capital said it played no role in the loan. Trump Jr.'s spokesperson said he did not speak to Navarro about Vulcan and "has no knowledge about how this deal came together." The Pentagon: "No company receives preferential treatment."

Latest

Aug 11 2026: Reps. Garcia and Huffman demanded documents from Vulcan.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#15ALT5 Sigma's $750 million WLFI deal: about $500 million to the Trump side

Nasdaq-listed ALT5 Sigma sold $750 million in stock to investors and traded shares to World Liberty Financial for $750 million worth of WLFI tokens, CNBC reported in a June 2026 investigation. Citing World Liberty’s own disclosures, CNBC said the president and undisclosed family members were entitled to roughly $500 million of the proceeds. The tokens then lost value, wiping $348 million off ALT5’s balance sheet in the first quarter of 2026. CNBC later noted that ALT5’s shares had plunged after the deal.

Money involved

About $500 million to the Trump family, per CNBC citing WLF disclosures

Status

Documented (Deal terms appear in SEC filings and WLF disclosures; reports of an SEC probe are unverified)

Official action

No confirmed SEC or other official action; the watchdog Democracy Defenders Fund asked the SEC to investigate in April 2026 and got no response, and the SEC declined to comment (CNBC)

Response

Trump Organization (Kimberly Benza): "Neither Eric nor Don have any involvement in ALT5, nor have any visibility to the company." White House (Anna Kelly): "There are no conflicts of interest." AI Financial called the questions "unfounded accusations and speculation." WLF CEO Zach Witkoff has said he has "never talked to" the president about business.

Latest

June 2026: AI Financial's market value was about $89 million against $412 million of WLFI holdings (CNBC).

Note: Both sources are CNBC.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#16Qatar's $400 million 747 accepted for use as Air Force One

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accepted a luxury Boeing 747 from Qatar “despite questions about the ethics and legality of accepting an expensive gift from a foreign nation,” NPR reported in an Associated Press story that valued the jet at $400 million. In May 2026 the Air Force said it had finished modifying the plane, the Associated Press reported, without disclosing the cost; lawmakers had suggested it could top $1 billion. Trump has said the jet would later go to his presidential library, but NBC News reported in August 2026 that its fate is now unclear.

Money involved

Jet valued at $400 million (AP, carried by NPR); modification cost undisclosed

Status

Documented (Acceptance is on the record; the legality of the gift is disputed)

Official action

None found; no court ruling or IG finding

Response

Trump has defended the gift as a way to save tax dollars (AP).

Latest

Aug 2026: Trump's son said an older Air Force One will be displayed at the library, leaving the Qatari jet's fate unclear (NBC).

Note: The date the jet entered service was not confirmed; NBC (Aug 2026) describes it as the plane Trump "has used as Air Force One." NPR and WTOP carried the same AP story.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#17White House ballroom: $333 million from donors, $77 million anonymous

A leaked spreadsheet shows $333 million from private donors to Trump’s White House ballroom, with at least $77 million from donors who asked for anonymity, The Washington Post reported. Apple and Nvidia each pledged $25 million, per CNBC. The Post reported that Isabela Herrera pledged $2.5 million months before Trump pardoned her father, banker Julio Herrera Velutini. Under the Park Service agreement, the White House identifies donors and refers them to the Trust for the National Mall, CBS News reported. A Post reporter told NPR that almost all donors are subject to federal regulation, adding, “We have no evidence of a quid pro quo.”

Money involved

$333 million committed by private donors (some still paying in installments), per The Washington Post

Status

Documented (Donor records obtained by the Post; no official finding of a quid pro quo)

Official action

Democratic lawmakers demanded donor details from the administration and the Trust; the demands were rebuffed (Washington Post). Separately, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ordered a halt to above-ground construction until the project gets congressional approval and called the funding arrangement a "Rube Goldberg contraption"; an appeals court allowed construction to continue (CBS).

Response

White House spokesman Davis Ingle described donors as "a wide array of great American companies and generous individuals, all of whom are contributing to make the People’s House better for generations to come." Nvidia said its support is "independent of any business interests."

Latest

Oct 15 2026: The Washington Post published the donor list.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#18DHS bought five planes from a Noem PAC donor's firm at reported markups

The New York Times reported, as relayed by NewsNation, that DHS bought five planes from Daedalus Aviation: a converted Boeing 737 for $108 million, two Gulfstreams for $106 million and two 737s at $45 million each. According to HuffPost, relaying the Times, Daedalus had bought the converted 737 months earlier for less than $90 million. Daedalus head William Walters gave $10,000 to a PAC that supported Noem; the company said he did not know of the link. In August 2026, the Times had reported that the no-bid Daedalus contract totaled $464 million for 10 planes that largely sat unused, Mediaite reported. CNN reported that Noem’s and Mullin’s camps each say the deal happened on the other’s watch.

Money involved

About $304 million in total purchases (sum of NYT-reported prices); markup not quantified

Status

Documented (Purchase prices reported from documents by the NYT; whether the deal was improper is disputed)

Official action

Sens. Patty Murray and Chris Murphy wrote to DHS demanding "a full accounting" of the Daedalus planes (Aug 2026, per Mediaite); Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Peter Welch and Adam Schiff wrote to DHS seeking communications between Daedalus and current and former DHS leaders (Aug 25, 2026, per Raw Story relaying the NYT). No inspector-general review confirmed.

Response

Noem called the Times report "dishonest." Mullin's camp: "these planes were purchased prior to Secretary Mullin's arrival at DHS." Noem's camp: "the purchase was finalized under Secretary Mullin's leadership."

Latest

Oct 21, 2026: CNN reported the two camps are blaming each other.

Note: The NYT original was not available to us; details come from NewsNation and HuffPost relaying it. The $304 million total is our arithmetic from the reported prices. Walters also chairs Salus (see the Salus/Daedalus entry).

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#19Pentagon takes 35% of a Venezuelan businessman's oil firm under secret terms

After Maduro’s capture, the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital agreed to take a 35% stake in North American Blue Energy Partners, the White House disclosed, NPR reported. ProPublica obtained the agreement and reported that it gives little information about the owners of the Barbados-registered parent company; the firm’s CEO, Alejandro Betancourt, has faced money-laundering investigations in three countries; a NABEP spokesperson says he has never been charged with any crime. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi asked whether Trump’s family, allies or donors benefit, citing donor Harry Sargeant III’s $300 million sale of his stake. No Trump-family benefit has been shown.

Money involved

$300 million: Sargeant's sale of his NABEP stake, per Rep. Krishnamoorthi

Status

Documented (Deal terms are documented; any favoritism or private benefit is alleged and unverified)

Official action

Rep. Krishnamoorthi letter to Trump (Sept 2026); letter from four ranking Senate Democrats to Rubio, Hegseth and Energy Secretary Wright (ProPublica); no probe

Response

White House (Taylor Rogers): "This historic deal marks a major step toward stabilizing Venezuela’s economy after years of hyperinflation and almost no new investment, while more than doubling the United States’ oil reserves." NABEP: "neither Mr. Betancourt nor Mr. Alvarado has ever been charged with any crime in any country, and any claims against them are baseless."

Latest

Autumn 2026: ProPublica published the agreement's terms.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#20Trump's $230 million claims against his own Justice Department

Trump said in October 2025 that he “could be” seeking $230 million from his own Justice Department as compensation for past investigations into him, CNN reported. CNN noted that approval would rest with Todd Blanche, his former attorney, or Stanley Woodward, both then senior DOJ officials. The administrative claims, filed in 2023 and 2024, were dropped in May 2026 as part of the settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, according to CBS News. No payment on the claims has been reported.

Money involved

About $230 million claimed; no payment reported

Status

Closed or dropped (Dropped by Trump's legal team as part of the May 2026 IRS settlement)

Official action

No official action on the claims themselves found; 93 Democratic members of Congress tried to intervene in the related IRS lawsuit whose settlement dropped them (CBS)

Response

Trump: "I don’t know about the numbers. I don’t even talk to them about it… But I’m not looking for money. I’d give it to charity or something."

Latest

May 2026: claims dropped in the IRS settlement (CBS).

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#21Coast Guard's purchase of two Gulfstream G700 jets for DHS leaders

Military Times reported, citing House Appropriations Committee Democrats, that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem was spending $200 million on two Gulfstream G700 jets for the Coast Guard, though an earlier funding request said the service needed only one plane costing $50 million. Military Times said The New York Times put the cost closer to $172 million, based on records from a public procurement website. Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood wrote to Noem asking her to explain the gap. Noem said Congress had appropriated the money in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Money involved

$172M-$200M (NYT figure; House Appropriations Democrats' figure, both via Military Times)

Status

Documented (Purchase documented; whether it was proper is disputed. No IG outcome found.)

Official action

Reps. Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood wrote to Noem asking for an explanation (Oct 2025). No IG outcome found.

Response

Noem: "Congress appropriated the dollars and paid for them in the [One] Big Beautiful Bill [Act]." Coast Guard acting commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday told a House subcommittee in May 2025 the service needed to replace a plane it had used for more than 20 years.

Latest

Oct 2025: no later development found.

Note: Rests on one outlet (Military Times). Reports differ on cost: $172M (NYT) vs. $200M (House Appropriations Democrats). Not established whether these are the Gulfstreams in the Daedalus plane purchase.

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#22Ambani family invests in Texas refinery startup part-owned by Trump Jr.

Donald Trump Jr. secretly acquired a stake in America First Refining, a Texas startup that then received a nine-figure investment from India’s Reliance Industries, ProPublica reported, citing records and seven people familiar with the company. The investment coincided with Reliance’s owners, the Ambani family, securing U.S. policy relief, ProPublica reported. A foreign official said the startup suggested an investment would help with White House access; ProPublica found no evidence Trump Jr. knew of that pitch. Reliance also paid the Trump Organization a $10 million development fee in 2024, per Trump’s financial disclosure.

Money involved

A nine-figure Reliance investment (at least $100 million), per ProPublica

Status

Documented (Trump Jr.'s spokesperson confirms he is a passive minority investor but calls the story's premise false; Reliance denies preferential treatment; the White House-access pitch is reported, not established)

Official action

None found

Response

Trump Jr. spokesperson: he "has no operational involvement in AFR and is simply a passive minority investor"; "The entire premise of this story relating to Don is false." America First Refining: "The claims in this story are false." The White House said "there are no conflicts of interest." Reliance said it did not receive "any unique or preferential treatment."

Latest

June 9 2026: ProPublica published its report.

Note: Rests on one outlet

Score 8/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#23Media settlements paid toward Trump's library and ballroom

Meta agreed to pay $25 million and X roughly $10 million to settle Trump’s lawsuits, CNBC reported. Paramount agreed to a $16 million settlement covering Trump’s future library and the plaintiffs’ legal fees while its Skydance merger awaited FCC approval, CBS News reported, and YouTube directed $22 million toward the White House ballroom, per CBS. The library fund was dissolved by Florida in 2025 after missing a mandatory report, and Democratic lawmakers say it may have held up to $63 million, NPR reported. Where that money went is unclear.

Money involved

About $75.5 million from Meta, X, Paramount and YouTube, including legal fees and $2.5 million to YouTube co-plaintiffs (sum of reported figures, CBS and CNBC)

Status

Documented (Settlements are documented; the whereabouts of library-fund money is a lawmakers' question, not a finding)

Official action

Letters from Sens. Warren and Blumenthal and Rep. Stansbury to ABC, Meta, X and Paramount (March 2026)

Response

Paramount maintained the suit was completely without merit (CBS). The White House did not respond to NPR about the status of the settlement money.

Latest

March 2026: lawmakers asked ABC, Meta, X and Paramount where the library-fund money went (NPR).

Note: ABC's $15 million settlement (Dec 2024) predates the second term and is not counted in the total.

Score 8/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#24Joseph Schwartz pardoned after paying lobbyists about $1.1 million

Joseph Schwartz, convicted of tax crimes, paid lobbyists nearly $1.1 million in 2025 to seek clemency, including $960,000 to JM Burkman & Associates, according to disclosures reported by NOTUS. Trump pardoned him in November 2025. In March 2026 lobbyist Joshua Nass was arrested on attempted-extortion charges, CNN reported; his only 2025 lobbying payment was from Schwartz, though court filings do not name the alleged victims. Nass is presumed innocent. A White House official told CBS News the case was over-prosecuted.

Money involved

About $1.1M paid to pardon lobbyists in 2025 (NOTUS)

Status

Documented (Fees and pardon are on record. Lobbyist Joshua Nass is charged with attempted extortion; filings do not name the victim.)

Official action

Federal attempted-extortion complaint against lobbyist Joshua Nass (E.D.N.Y., Mar 2026). Schwartz himself faces no new action.

Response

A White House official called Schwartz's case "an example of over prosecution." Nass could not be reached.

Latest

Mar 2026: Nass charged; no later outcome found.

Score 8/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#25Ambassador Kimberly Guilfoyle and the $100,000 credit card request

According to CNN, former Trump donor Eric Deters said Kimberly Guilfoyle texted him asking for $100,000 to pay off an American Express card days before her Senate confirmation; he called it “a quid pro quo” and said he never sent the money. CBS News reported that White House officials were told the texts were authentic. The Wall Street Journal also reported improper gifts and services and an offer to use her influence, AP reported. The White House asked her to resign on Oct. 13, 2026. Her lawyers say the money was owed for earlier speaking work.

Money involved

$100,000 requested; not paid, per Deters

Status

Documented (Denied by Guilfoyle; she resigned at the White House's request on Oct 13, 2026)

Official action

The White House asked her to resign, and she did on Oct 13, 2026. CNN, citing a source, reported that the State Department inspector general is investigating; the OIG does not confirm or deny investigations. Rep. Gregory Meeks wrote to Secretary Rubio (Oct 1, 2026), and Meeks, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Robert Garcia called for an investigation. No criminal probe reported.

Response

Guilfoyle: "These allegations are false, and I intend to vigorously defend my name, my reputation, and my integrity." Her lawyers: "Asking a client to pay for work already done is not corruption."

Latest

Oct 13, 2026: resigned after the White House asked her to.

Note: The WSJ series began in late September 2026; the $100,000 texts were reported during Secretary Rubio's trip to Athens in early October.

Score 8/13: money 1/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#26DOJ drops the Eric Adams corruption case; judge says it "smacks of a bargain"

The Justice Department moved to drop the corruption case against New York Mayor Eric Adams. Acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon alleged the request amounted to a quid pro quo for Adams’s cooperation on immigration enforcement, CBS News reported. Judge Dale Ho dismissed the case with prejudice, writing that “everything here smacks of a bargain,” according to AP. NOTUS, citing two sources, reported that Emil Bove told public-integrity prosecutors to sign off on the dismissal “or you’re all fired.” Bove denied at his confirmation hearing that he threatened the lawyers.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Court finding (Dismissed with prejudice Apr 2 2025; the judge cited the appearance of a bargain. Whether an actual quid pro quo occurred is disputed.)

Official action

Judge Ho dismissed the case with prejudice; multiple prosecutors resigned rather than file the motion.

Response

Adams said he is "solely beholden to the 8.3 million New Yorkers that I represent". DOJ cited the prosecution's impact on his ability to support federal immigration efforts. Bove denied threatening Public Integrity Section lawyers.

Latest

Apr 2 2025: dismissal with prejudice is final.

Score 8/13: money 0/4 · evidence 4/4 · official action 3/3 (court ruling) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#27ICE's warehouse detention purchases, paused for review after Noem's exit

According to AP, the federal government had spent a combined $1.074 billion buying 11 warehouses in eight states for immigration detention by April 2026, as part of ICE’s plan to expand detention capacity. After Kristi Noem’s firing, DHS paused new warehouse purchases and began reviewing all Noem-era contracts, including warehouses already bought, AP reported. In June 2026, Secretary Markwayne Mullin said DHS had cancelled most of the Noem-era contracts that had not yet been signed, Reuters reported, but that finalized contracts could not easily be terminated. No finding of impropriety has been published.

Money involved

$1.074 billion for 11 warehouses as of April 1, 2026 (AP)

Status

Documented (Purchases and the pause are documented; no impropriety finding)

Official action

Internal DHS review of Noem-era contracts; most unsigned contracts cancelled (June 2026). Mullin said the DHS inspector general had multiple active investigations (Reuters).

Response

A DHS spokesperson said Mullin "re-evaluated the contract processes to make sure DHS is serving the American taxpayer efficiently" (Reuters).

Latest

June 3, 2026: Mullin said most pending Noem-era contracts were cancelled.

Score 7/13: money 4/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#28First U.S.-run Venezuelan oil sale routed through Vitol, whose senior trader is a Trump donor

The U.S. brokered a deal for Venezuelan oil to be sold through Swiss traders Vitol and Trafigura, and says the first sale brought $500 million, NPR reported. Venezuela says it received $300 million, and Secretary Rubio told the Senate the remaining $200 million is in a bank account in Qatar. House Oversight Democrats say campaign finance records show Vitol’s John Addison gave $6 million toward Trump’s campaign and asked the firms for answers. Any favoritism is the Democrats’ allegation.

Money involved

About $500 million first sale, per the U.S. government (NPR)

Status

Alleged (The sale and donations are documented; favoritism is alleged by House Democrats)

Official action

Rep. Garcia letter to Vitol and Trafigura (Jan 29 2026)

Response

Trafigura: "At the request of the US government, Trafigura and Vitol are providing logistical and marketing services to facilitate the sale of Venezuelan oil." Vitol did not respond to NPR. White House (Taylor Rogers): "This was a historic deal President Trump brokered with the Venezuelan interim authorities that benefits both the American people and the Venezuelan people." Rubio called the traders a "short-term mechanism."

Latest

Feb 4 2026: NPR reported the sale proceeds and Rubio's Senate testimony.

Note: The $6 million donation figure is House Oversight Democrats' reading of campaign finance records.

Score 7/13: money 3/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#29ICE detention expansion through no-bid deals with GEO Group and CoreCivic

AP found that ICE modified dozens of existing agreements and used no-bid contracts to add detention beds, including reopening Delaney Hall in Newark and a facility in Dilley, Texas, without explaining why new competitive contracts were not sought. Financial details were blacked out for those and more than 50 other agreements, AP reported. AP reported that GEO Group and CoreCivic have donated millions of dollars, largely to Republican candidates and groups. The Miami Herald reported that GEO gave more than $500,000 backing Trump’s 2024 campaign and $500,000 to his inauguration, then landed contracts worth up to $500 million after Jan. 20, 2025.

Money involved

GEO contracts worth up to $500M since Jan 20, 2025 (Miami Herald analysis)

Status

Documented (Contracting method and donations are on the record; no official finding of impropriety)

Official action

None specific to these awards. Leavenworth, Kansas sued CoreCivic over reopening a facility without city approval (AP).

Response

ICE did not respond to AP. GEO told the Herald that detainees receive "robust access" to services and did not respond to questions about cultivating relationships with government figures.

Latest

Dec 2025: GEO received a new $121 million DHS contract (NBC News). See the Lewandowski entry for GEO's account of his alleged pay request.

Note: The donation and $500 million figures rest on the Miami Herald; AP covers the contracting method.

Score 7/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#30Musk's xAI: a $200M Pentagon AI contract and Grok for federal agencies

The Pentagon’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office awarded AI contracts capped at $200 million each to xAI and three other companies, UPI reported, noting ethics concerns because Musk spent nearly $300 million on Trump’s election campaign. The award came a week after Grok posted antisemitic content. In September 2025, the General Services Administration announced an agreement making xAI’s Grok models available to federal agencies for $0.42 per organization for 18 months. Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized the award online, citing Grok’s posts praising Hitler, UPI reported. Anthropic, Google and OpenAI received contracts with the same cap.

Money involved

Up to $200M (Pentagon contract ceiling); $0.42 per agency (GSA)

Status

Documented (Awards documented; the conflict concern is alleged)

Official action

None confirmed.

Response

xAI said the award is part of "a suite of frontier AI products." The official Grok account said the offending posts were removed. GSA praised xAI for "dedicating engineers."

Latest

Sept 25, 2025: GSA announced the xAI OneGov agreement, valid until March 2027.

Note: UPI reports the ethics concern; the GSA release is the agency's own statement.

Score 7/13: money 3/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#31Trump's foreign licensing income hits $59.5 million, mostly from the Gulf

Trump reported $59.5 million in foreign real estate licensing income for 2025, up 71% from 2024 and nearly tenfold from 2023, a CNBC analysis of his disclosure found. Nearly two-thirds came from Gulf projects, including $25.8 million tied to Saudi Arabia’s Dar Al Arkan and $11.3 million from Dubai developer Damac. CNBC said $5.25 million came from a Qatar golf project that sits inside a development led by a company set up by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund. The Associated Press reported a new $1 billion Trump project in Saudi Arabia. CNBC found no evidence any payment influenced policy.

Money involved

$59.5 million in foreign licensing income in 2025, per CNBC's analysis of Trump's disclosure

Status

Documented (Figures come from Trump's own financial disclosure; Foreign Emoluments Clause questions are unresolved)

Official action

None found

Response

The Trump Organization told CNBC it operates "completely separate from the presidency" and uses an outside ethics adviser. Dar and Damac did not respond. The White House said "the only special interest guiding" Trump's decisions is "the best interest of the American people."

Latest

Aug 10 2026: CNBC published its analysis.

Score 7/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#32Amazon pays $40 million for the "Melania" documentary

Amazon paid $40 million for the rights to the documentary “Melania” and committed another $35 million for marketing, “eye-poppingly high sums for a documentary,” CNN reported. Citing the Wall Street Journal, CNN said the first lady’s cut is more than 70% of the $40 million, or at least $28 million. CNN reported that rival studios speculated Amazon was trying to curry favor with the administration; that is industry speculation, not a finding. The film opened in late January 2026 well short of turning a profit, according to CNN.

Money involved

$40 million rights fee, at least $28 million to Melania Trump (WSJ via CNN)

Status

Documented (The payment is reported; the favor-seeking motive is industry speculation)

Official action

None found

Response

Amazon's Kevin Wilson: "we are confident in the long-term value this rollout will deliver to customers both in theaters, and for years to come on Prime Video." Amazon: "we licensed the film for one reason and one reason only — because we think customers are going to love it." Trump, asked whether Bezos was seeking favor: "I'm not involved. That was done with my wife."

Latest

Feb 1 2026: opening-weekend box office reported; nothing later verified.

Note: Rests on one outlet

Score 7/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#33GPB Capital's David Gentile freed 12 days into a seven-year sentence

Trump commuted the seven-year fraud sentence of former GPB Capital CEO David Gentile, who began serving on Nov. 14, 2025 and was released Nov. 26, according to the Bureau of Prisons via NBC News. House Judiciary Democrats say the commutation wiped out a $15.5 million forfeiture and allege a related inquiry into how his release was arranged was closed (staff report); that claim is not independently confirmed. A White House official said GPB had disclosed to investors that their capital might be used to pay distributions, and disputed the Biden-era DOJ’s description of the scheme.

Money involved

$15.5M forfeiture erased (House Judiciary Democrats' claim)

Status

Documented (Commutation is on record; claims of improper influence are House Democrats' allegations only.)

Official action

Covered in House Judiciary Democrats' Aug 2026 staff report; no other action found.

Response

A White House official: "Even though this was disclosed to investors the Biden Department of Justice claimed this was a Ponzi scheme."

Latest

Aug 2026: House Judiciary Democrats' report.

Note: The forfeiture figure and the closed-inquiry claim come only from House Democrats.

Score 7/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#34Vietnam fast-tracks $1.5 billion Trump golf resort during tariff talks

A $1.5 billion Trump Organization-branded golf resort near Hanoi “moved through approvals unusually quickly as Hanoi sought closer economic relations with Washington and worked to secure a lower tariff rate,” Bloomberg reported in June 2026, adding that eviction notices had been sent to farmers on the site. Trump reported $5 million in income tied to the project, which advanced while Vietnam negotiated to avoid a threatened 46% U.S. tariff, according to CNBC. CNBC found no evidence that any licensing payment influenced an administration decision.

Money involved

$5 million in 2025 income to Trump (CNBC), from a $1.5 billion project

Status

Documented (Approvals, evictions and Trump's income are on the record; any link to tariff talks is not established)

Official action

None found

Response

Project executive Dang Nguyen Nam Anh said compensation and land clearance "are actively progressing" (Bloomberg). The Trump Organization says it operates "completely separate from the presidency" (CNBC).

Latest

June 26 2026: enforcement of eviction notices against farmers was due to begin; the project is behind schedule, with the first phase due in late 2027 (Bloomberg).

Score 7/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#35The paid pardon-lobbying market around Trump's clemency process

Federal lobbyists disclosed more than $2.1 million in 2025 from people seeking clemency from Trump, NOTUS reported, likely an undercount. CBS News reported that brokers charge fees as high as $3 million, sources said. A Reuters investigation, relayed by the Spokesman-Review, found 96% of second-term clemencies went to people who did not meet longstanding DOJ guidelines. Paying a lobbyist to seek a pardon is legal, NPR noted. House Judiciary Democrats claim in a staff report that the pardons wiped out nearly $1.7 billion owed in restitution and fines.

Money involved

More than $2.1M in disclosed 2025 pardon-lobbying fees (NOTUS); fees up to $3M per client (CBS sources)

Status

Documented (Fees and process are on record; the claim that pardons are sold is denied and unverified.)

Official action

Sen. Peter Welch and Rep. Dave Min wrote to the White House, Justice Department and Secret Service (June 15 2026) asking them to preserve records on 17 clemency recipients; House Judiciary Democrats staff report (Aug 2026). No IG or Republican-led probe found.

Response

White House Counsel Will Scharf: "President Trump performs his constitutional duties in an ethically sound manner"; spokesperson Abigail Jackson called the Welch/Min letters "nothing more than a sad messaging attempt". Ed Martin denied a transactional pardon economy exists.

Latest

Sept 13 2026: CBS 60 Minutes report; Ed Martin had left DOJ earlier that month.

Note: The $1.7B figure is a House Judiciary Democrats' claim.

Score 7/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#36Nikola founder Trevor Milton pardoned after $1.8M in pro-Trump donations

Trump pardoned Trevor Milton, convicted of securities and wire fraud. Milton and his wife had donated more than $1.8 million to a Trump re-election fund less than a month before the 2024 election, according to FEC records cited by AP. AP reported he was defended by Brad Bondi, brother of then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, a hire House Judiciary Democrats also cite (staff report). A Reuters review found his pardon was among those that did not meet DOJ guidelines (Spokesman-Review).

Money involved

More than $1.8M donated to a Trump re-election fund (FEC via AP)

Status

Documented (Donations and pardon are on record; any link is denied and unverified.)

Official action

Named among 17 clemency recipients in Welch/Min record-preservation letters to the White House, DOJ and Secret Service (June 15 2026); House Judiciary Democrats staff report (Aug 2026).

Response

Trump said the pardon was "highly recommended by many people." A Milton spokesperson told Reuters the prosecution was politically motivated.

Latest

June 15 2026: Welch/Min letters; the White House called them "nothing more than a sad messaging attempt".

Score 7/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#37Trump Media sells traders early access to Truth Social posts

Trump Media said trading firms pay $60,000 to $100,000 a month for a Truth Social data feed that delivers posts, including the president’s, split seconds faster than the public sees them, CNN reported. Trump’s posts often move markets, and the president’s company profits from the feed. Two media organizations sued Trump in federal court over the service, calling it “extraordinary, corrupt, and unconstitutional,” NPR reported; that is the plaintiffs’ allegation. The lawsuit is pending.

Money involved

$60,000 to $100,000 a month per trading firm (CNN); total not disclosed

Status

Documented (The service is described in company statements; a lawsuit is pending)

Official action

Federal lawsuit filed in New York by The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation (Aug 12 2026); Sens. Warren and Schiff asked the SEC to investigate (July 2026)

Response

Trump Media said monetizing platform data is commonplace among tech companies and that the president's posts are spread across the internet by many platforms and outlets (NPR). The White House did not respond.

Latest

Aug 31 2026: the plaintiffs asked the court for a preliminary injunction (per the Freedom of the Press Foundation); no ruling found.

Score 7/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#38Corey Lewandowski, contractor pay requests, and the DHS inspector general probe

NBC News reported, citing a senior DHS official and three people familiar with the talks, that Corey Lewandowski told GEO Group’s founder during the transition that he wanted to be paid for protecting and growing GEO’s DHS contracts. NBC said it is not clear whether he received any money. CNN reported that the DHS inspector general opened a broad investigation into contracting that includes Noem’s and Lewandowski’s involvement. ABC News reported the probe covers adviser Kara Voorhies’ role in FEMA contracting, and NOTUS reported she played an “outsized role” in reviewing DHS contracts.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Under investigation (DHS inspector general probe reported by CNN and ABC; the OIG does not confirm or deny it. The fee allegations are denied.)

Official action

DHS OIG investigation (per CNN and ABC sources; a court filing says Voorhies' devices are with the OIG). House Oversight Democrats wrote to GEO Group (March 23, 2026). The Republican-led House Homeland Security Committee is also investigating DHS contracting under Noem and Lewandowski (NOTUS).

Response

Lewandowski's representative: "This is absolutely false and did not happen — Mr. Lewandowski never demanded any payment or compensation from the Geo Group, at any time." Salus' lawyer called the related accounts "entirely false."

Latest

July 10, 2026: The Wall Street Journal reported, as relayed by Mediaite, that DHS investigators found evidence suggesting Lewandowski may have improperly influenced contract awards and were weighing a criminal referral, which was not expected imminently; his representative disputed the allegations.

Note: Lewandowski has not been charged. The July 2026 criminal-referral report comes from the WSJ as relayed by Mediaite; the WSJ original was not available to us.

Score 7/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#39Mass firing of inspectors general; judge says law likely violated

The administration dismissed more than a dozen inspectors general on the fourth full day of Trump’s second term, AP reported. Judge Ana Reyes said Trump likely violated the law governing their removal but declined to reinstate eight who sued, per AP. By October 2025 Trump had fired nearly 20 watchdogs, Government Executive reported. The FY2027 budget proposes cutting Cabinet inspector-general funding by 12% on average from 2024 levels, according to the Partnership for Public Service‘s own analysis.

Money involved

Not quantified (12% average proposed cut to Cabinet IG budgets, per Partnership for Public Service)

Status

Court finding (Judge Reyes found the firings likely violated the IG Act but did not reinstate the IGs (Sept 2025).)

Official action

Lawsuit by eight IGs (D.D.C.); Reyes ruling Sept 24 2025. No appellate ruling found.

Response

Government lawyers said the president can remove inspectors general "without any showing of cause"; White House spokesman Kush Desai said the administration is committed to finding qualified people "aligned with the president's vision".

Latest

Apr 2026: FY2027 budget proposes OIG cuts.

Score 7/13: money 0/4 · evidence 4/4 · official action 3/3 (court ruling) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#40Herrera Velutini pardon, MAGA Inc. donations and Alina Habba's $50M job

Trump pardoned banker Julio Herrera Velutini and his co-defendants in a Puerto Rico bribery case, CBS News reported, citing Justice Department records. His daughter gave $3.5 million to MAGA Inc. while the case was pending, according to public records cited by CBS.

The New York Times reported on Oct. 20, 2026 that a company created by the daughter guaranteed Alina Habba more than $50 million over four years, and that the pardon came two weeks after she started, as relayed by CNN and MS NOW. Habba, the Justice Department and the White House deny any link to the pardon (Daily Beast). No one has been charged.

Money involved

More than $50M guaranteed to Habba over four years (NYT, via CNN and MS NOW); $3.5M to MAGA Inc. (CBS)

Status

Denied, unverified (Pardon, donations and contract are reported; any link to the pardon is denied and unverified. No charges, no official probe.)

Official action

Pardons recorded by the DOJ Pardon Attorney (Jan 2026); the case appears in House Judiciary Democrats' Aug 2026 staff report. No probe of the Habba contract found.

Response

Habba: any link to the pardon "is false and defamatory"; the Justice Department said she "did not speak to anyone about a pardon"; a White House official: "Alina Habba had nothing to do with this presidential pardon." In January the White House told CBS the donations had nothing to do with the pardon.

Latest

Oct 20-21 2026: NYT investigation published; Habba denied it on X.

Note: The New York Times original was paywalled; its findings are cited through CNN, MS NOW and the Daily Beast. Habba, the DOJ and the White House deny any link to the pardon. CBS spells the daughter's name Isabel; other reports use Isabela.

Score 6/13: money 2/4 · evidence 1/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#41Freedom 250 events on the Mall produced by the Jan. 6 rally firm

Federal contracts have sent “tens of millions of dollars” to Event Strategies, the firm that helped stage Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 rally, NPR reported. Mother Jones, citing USAspending, reported nearly $40 million in awards since January 2025, and said the firm runs Freedom 250’s events on the National Mall while one partner also serves as Trump’s events producer. NOTUS found the state fair’s recommended vendor was tied to a Trump ambassador. House Natural Resources Committee ranking Democrat Jared Huffman alleged at a hearing that $100 million of taxpayer money was “siphoned off”; that is his claim.

Money involved

Nearly $40 million in federal awards to Event Strategies since January 2025, per Mother Jones citing USAspending

Status

Alleged (Contract flows are on USAspending; the self-dealing allegation comes from House Democrats and has not been established)

Official action

House Natural Resources Democrats' 55-page minority report (July 2 2026); no IG probe confirmed

Response

Freedom 250 spokesperson Danielle Alvarez called the report "categorically false" and a "partisan smear"; Freedom 250 said it was not aware of Freeman's connection to Popolo. Caporale did not respond.

Latest

July 2 2026: House Natural Resources Democrats published their report (NPR); no further official action found.

Note: No-bid figures for Event Strategies come from NYT reporting seen only through secondary coverage.

Score 6/13: money 2/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#42No-bid Reflecting Pool contracts: Trump's chosen pool firm and a donor's company

The National Park Service awarded the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool resurfacing without competitive bidding, invoking an urgency exemption, the New York Times found; Trump said he chose a firm that had worked at his Virginia golf club. CBS News reported that a second no-bid contract went to a company whose owner is listed as the trust of J.J. Cafaro, who gave $250,000 to Trump Victory in 2020. Trump later wrote that Interior chose “a contractor I did not know,” per PolitiFact on PBS. After algae and peeling, a third firm was hired, and CNN put the total cost above $14 million.

Money involved

More than $14 million total cost as of summer 2026, per CNN

Status

Documented (No-bid awards, donor ownership and Trump's statements are on the record; whether anything was improper is disputed)

Official action

No IG probe of the contracts confirmed. In a related vandalism case, the U.S. Attorney's office called the renovation "hasty and botched" in a court filing (CNN).

Response

White House (Taylor Rogers): "This contract was awarded by the Department of Interior; the White House did not play any role in the selection process." Trump: "I didn't give out the contract, 'Interior' did, to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before."

Latest

Late Aug 2026: Interior hired a third firm, American Ag Energy, for $2.7 million (up to $8.8 million with options), CNN reported Sept 3.

Note: Reports differ on the Atlantic Industrial Coatings contract: $6.9 million (NYT) versus $14.7 million in federal records (CBS).

Score 6/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#43Crypto enforcement scaled back; SEC settles with WLFI buyer Justin Sun

The Justice Department disbanded its team of crypto-crime prosecutors, according to a memo reviewed by AP. The SEC paused its 2023 fraud case against Justin Sun in February 2025, Reuters reported; Sun, who bought $45 million of World Liberty Financial tokens, settled in March 2026, with one of his companies paying $10 million and no admission of wrongdoing, according to NBC News. Bloomberg also reported the settlement. Reuters described Sun as perhaps the most prominent buyer of the World Liberty token, which Trump partly owns. The White House said the president acts solely in the public’s interest.

Money involved

$10M SEC settlement; Sun bought $45M of WLFI tokens (NBC/Reuters)

Status

Documented (Policy and SEC settlement are on record; Sun's case was resolved by the SEC.)

Official action

NCET disbanded (Apr 2025); SEC dismissal and settlement (Mar 2026). No outside probe found.

Response

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers: "The President is and always has been motivated solely by what is best for the American people."

Latest

Apr 21 2026: Sun sued World Liberty Financial.

Score 6/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#44$1 million-a-seat MAGA Inc. dinners with the president

Trump spoke at a $1 million-a-person dinner at Mar-a-Lago in April 2025, according to an invitation reviewed by CBS News; for a second $1 million-a-head dinner in Washington on April 24, donors could “co-host” for $2.5 million or “host” for $5 million. The invitation said Trump attends as a guest speaker and is not soliciting donations. Such super PAC fundraising is legal; it is listed here because it sells in-person access to a sitting president. MAGA Inc. donors include Isabela Herrera, who gave $3.5 million before Trump pardoned her father, the Associated Press reported.

Money involved

$1 million per seat, per CBS News; total MAGA Inc. raising not verified

Status

Documented (Legal political fundraising; flagged as a pay-for-access concern)

Official action

None

Response

The invitation's fine print says Trump is "attending as a guest speaker and not soliciting donations."

Latest

Jan 2026: AP reported Herrera's $3.5 million MAGA Inc. donation alongside her father's pardon. 2026 dinners not verified.

Note: Dinner pricing rests on one outlet; 2026 events were not verified.

Score 6/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#45George Santos commutation erases restitution owed partly to donors

Trump commuted former Rep. George Santos’s seven-year sentence about three months in and erased his $373,000 restitution obligation, CBS New York reported. Santos had admitted stealing part of that money from donors through credit card fraud. No donor-for-clemency link is alleged; the item is listed because the commutation cancelled money owed to people he defrauded. House Judiciary Democrats list $373,750 in restitution and $205,003 in forfeiture (staff report). Santos said he will not make restitution unless required by law, CBS New York reported.

Money involved

About $373,000 in restitution erased (CBS)

Status

Documented (Commutation and erased restitution are on record.)

Official action

Listed in House Judiciary Democrats' Aug 2026 staff report; no other action.

Response

Santos apologized on CNN ("I'm so sorry to the American people") and said he will not make restitution unless required by law (CBS New York). No White House comment on the restitution was found.

Latest

No 2026 development found.

Score 6/13: money 1/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#46Pre-trial pardon of Tim Leiweke after OVG's $250,000 inaugural gift

Trump pardoned former Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, charged in an arena bid-rigging case, before trial. OVG had donated $250,000 to Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, Sportico reported. House Judiciary Democrats say Leiweke hired former Rep. Trey Gowdy to lobby for clemency (staff report). The pardon came five months before the case’s May 4 trial date. OVG said it was happy Leiweke could put the matter behind him. No link between the donation and the pardon has been shown, and no White House comment was found.

Money involved

$250,000 inaugural donation by OVG (Sportico)

Status

Documented (Donation and pardon are on record; any link is unverified.)

Official action

Covered in House Judiciary Democrats' Aug 2026 staff report; no other action found.

Response

No response found from the White House. OVG said it was "happy for Tim that he can now put this matter behind him." Leiweke told TheWrap: "The president has given us a new lease on life."

Latest

No 2026 development found beyond the House Democrats' report.

Note: Sportico and TheWrap are trade outlets; the House Democrats' report is the members' claim.

Score 6/13: money 1/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#47Tom Homan and the $50,000 recorded in an FBI undercover operation

MS NOW and The New York Times reported in September 2025 that undercover FBI agents recorded Tom Homan accepting $50,000 in cash in 2024, while he was a private citizen, after he indicated he would help them win government contracts in a second Trump term. According to CNN, relaying the Times, the Justice Department closed the case over doubts it could prove Homan agreed to a specific act, and because he held no government post at the time. The White House denied that Homan took the money. MS NOW reported that Attorney General Pam Bondi later dodged questions about where the cash went.

Money involved

$50,000 in cash, per MS NOW, the NYT and CNBC

Status

Closed or dropped (Closed by FBI Director Patel and Deputy AG Blanche, who said prosecutors found "no credible evidence of any criminal wrongdoing" (2025))

Official action

Sen. Jacky Rosen asked the DOJ Inspector General to review the probe (letter sent Jan 29, 2026); Rep. David Min asked the Treasury IG whether the payment was reported for tax purposes (Sept 2025); Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Jamie Raskin asked the DHS and Defense IGs to examine contractors' ties to officials including Homan (Dec 2025). No IG review has been publicly confirmed.

Response

Homan: he "didn't take 50,000 from anybody" (MS NOW). White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt: "Homan never took the $50,000 that you're referring to." A White House spokesperson called it "a blatantly political investigation."

Latest

Feb 2, 2026: Sen. Rosen's request to the DOJ Inspector General; MS NOW reported it is unclear whether any IG has opened an inquiry.

Note: Homan has not been charged. The recording has not been released.

Score 6/13: money 1/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#48Putin-linked Russian businessman paid for Trump Jr.'s wedding celebrations

Umar Kremlev, a Russian businessman close to Vladimir Putin, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding weekend in the Bahamas, including a private island rental and fireworks, ProPublica reported, as described on PBS NewsHour. Bettina Trump confirmed it as a gift from a “dear friend.” Republican Sen. John Curtis said it “stinks” and asked for a probe, the Associated Press reported. Kremlev later said Trump Jr. had repaid him, Scripps News reported; the amount and date are not public.

Money involved

Hundreds of thousands of dollars, per ProPublica (not precisely quantified)

Status

Documented (Confirmed by the couple; whether it was improper is disputed)

Official action

Sen. Curtis asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Trump Jr. (Sept 22 2026); the committee confirmed receipt but set no hearing

Response

Bettina Trump: Kremlev "very generously hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us AFTER our wedding." President Trump: "It's totally allowed… But, as I understand it, he paid them back."

Latest

Oct 2026: Kremlev said in Istanbul that Trump Jr. had repaid him.

Score 6/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#49RFK Jr. changed his ethics agreement on Gardasil litigation fees

Before his confirmation, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told senators he would transfer his interest in fees from litigation against the maker of the Gardasil vaccine to an adult son, AP reported. Four Democratic senators say he instead quietly moved the stake to his former employer, the law firm Wisner Baum, which they say contradicts his sworn commitments. According to NPR, Kennedy said the fees went back to Wisner Baum and not to his family, including the son who works at the firm. HHS says any claim that he kept a financial interest after taking office is false.

Money involved

Not quantified (settlement amount undisclosed)

Status

Documented (The change in his ethics disclosures is documented; whether it was improper is disputed)

Official action

Letter from Sens. Warren, Wyden, Blumenthal and Alsobrooks (Sept 2026).

Response

HHS spokesperson: "Any claim that Secretary Kennedy maintained a financial interest in this litigation after taking office is false."

Latest

Sept 24, 2026: the senators' letter (reported by AP on Sept 25). Watchdogs are awaiting his annual financial disclosure.

Score 6/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#50Emoluments challenges: House resolutions and a Miami library-land suit

Rep. Jamie Raskin introduced two resolutions in April 2026, claiming Trump’s UAE business ties violate the Foreign Emoluments Clause and that settling his own $10 billion claim would violate the Domestic Emoluments Clause (House Judiciary Democrats). The second, H.Res. 1185, urges the Justice Department to refuse to settle Trump’s claims. The Constitutional Accountability Center, an advocacy group, says it sued over Florida’s transfer of Miami land for Trump’s presidential library as a domestic emolument. No court has ruled.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Alleged (Resolutions referred to committee; lawsuit pending; no ruling.)

Official action

H.Res. 1185 and companion resolution referred to House Judiciary; Sistrunk Seeds v. Trump pending (S.D. Fla.).

Response

No response found.

Latest

Sept 2026: defendants moved to dismiss (Aug) and plaintiffs filed their opposition; no ruling found.

Note: House resolutions are the members' claims; the lawsuit is described from the plaintiff group's own page.

Score 6/13: money 0/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#51FBI Director Kash Patel's use of the FBI jet for personal travel

CBS News reported that Government Accountability Office investigators are expected to examine Kash Patel’s flight records, including whether he reimbursed the government for personal trips on the FBI jet. CNN reported the FBI defended a February 2026 trip to Italy that coincided with the Olympic hockey medal round as long-planned official business. The New York Times reported, as relayed by the Philadelphia Inquirer, that Patel and his girlfriend watched a concert from a suite that sold for $35,000 to $50,000; Patel declined to say who paid. Sen. Dick Durbin asked the DOJ inspector general to investigate.

Money involved

Not quantified (concert suite sold for $35,000-$50,000, per the NYT)

Status

Documented (GAO review per Sen. Durbin (GAO has not publicly confirmed); DOJ IG investigation requested but not confirmed)

Official action

Sen. Durbin asked GAO to review Patel's aircraft use (May 2025) and followed up with GAO and the DOJ OIG (Feb 2026); Reps. Jamie Raskin and Sydney Kamlager-Dove wrote to Patel (Dec 2025).

Response

Patel said his use of FBI aircraft was less than that of his predecessors. The FBI declined to comment on the GAO inquiry; a spokesperson said Wilkins was "an invited guest" of the concert performers.

Latest

May 16, 2026: NYT report on the concert trip. No GAO report found as of Oct 2026.

Note: FBI directors are required to use bureau aircraft and must reimburse personal trips at coach fare. The concert details rest on the NYT as relayed by the Inquirer.

Score 6/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#52Foreign-bribery (FCPA) enforcement paused; first case dropped

Executive Order 14209 directed the attorney general to stop opening new Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations during a review period unless an exception was made (executive order). NBC News reported the department pulled back on enforcement of foreign bribery and lobbying laws. DOJ then dismissed charges against two former Cognizant executives accused of authorizing a $2 million bribe in India, the first dismissal under the new policy, according to a Baker Donelson legal alert.

Money involved

$2M alleged bribe in the dropped Cognizant case

Status

Documented (Policy is on record; the Cognizant case was dropped by DOJ.)

Official action

Executive order and case dismissal; no outside review found.

Response

The executive order says FCPA enforcement had been "stretched beyond proper bounds and abused in a manner that harms the interests of the United States."

Latest

Apr 2025: DOJ dismissed the Cognizant executives' FCPA charges, the first dismissal under the new policy.

Score 5/13: money 2/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#53GAO review of FHFA Director Bill Pulte's mortgage-fraud referrals

According to HousingWire, the Government Accountability Office accepted a request to examine whether FHFA Director Bill Pulte and other staff misused their authority and resources when making criminal mortgage-fraud referrals against public figures. The Washington Examiner reported the referrals targeted President Trump’s political opponents. In October 2026, Mother Jones reported that Pulte announced deep cuts to the FHFA inspector general’s office, which is reportedly investigating Pulte’s own alleged conduct; the office’s acting principal deputy inspector general said about 40 investigators would be laid off. This is a misuse-of-office allegation, not a personal-enrichment one.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Under investigation (GAO accepted the review request (Nov 2025))

Official action

GAO review; FHFA inspector general reportedly investigating Pulte's conduct.

Response

Pulte said in a press release that the inspector general's office was more expensive than comparable offices at other agencies; FHFA's press office did not respond to Mother Jones' questions.

Latest

Oct 2026: Pulte announced cuts to the FHFA inspector general's office.

Note: The core fact is a GAO spokesperson's statement to HousingWire, a trade outlet. Targets of the referrals reportedly include Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Eric Swalwell and Fed Governor Lisa Cook.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#54Trump's portfolio traded energy and defense stocks during the Iran war

Trump’s filings with the Office of Government Ethics show purchases and sales of stock in energy companies directly affected by the war in Iran, as well as trades in Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics and RTX in June 2026, CNN reported. His money managers made 1,152 trades on his behalf in July alone, according to his next disclosure, and Trump declined to place his assets in a blind trust, CNN reported. Whether any trade was improper has not been alleged by an official body.

Money involved

Not quantified; trades reported in disclosure ranges

Status

Documented (Trades appear in OGE filings; whether they are improper is disputed)

Official action

None found

Response

Davis Ingle: "Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence, or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are being bought or sold… There are no conflicts of interest."

Latest

Sept 22 2026: July disclosure showed 1,152 trades.

Note: Both sources are CNN.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#55Trump family crypto firm wins conditional federal bank charter

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency gave preliminary conditional approval for a national trust bank charter to World Liberty Financial, the Trump family’s crypto firm, CNN reported. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Trump was now “the first President in history to approve, operate and supervise his own bank.” Citing the Wall Street Journal, CNBC reported that an entity backed by UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon owns 49% of the bank’s holding company and a Trump family entity owns 38%. The bank must meet further conditions before opening.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Charter approval is public; ownership split comes from WSJ reporting)

Official action

OCC preliminary conditional approval; Sen. Warren objected and Senate Democrats announced a bill to bar charters for banks owned or controlled by the president or his family (CNN)

Response

White House (Anna Kelly): "All of President Trump’s investment holdings are held in fully discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions." WLF: "World Liberty Financial is running towards regulation and continuous oversight, not away from it."

Latest

Aug 27 2026: WSJ reported the 49% UAE-backed ownership of the holding company.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#56GAO finds parts of DOGE's $110 billion savings claim incorrect or unsupported

The Government Accountability Office found that DOGE’s “Wall of Receipts” reported $110 billion in savings across contracts, grants and leases, but that some estimates were incorrect or lacked supporting evidence. No termination action was taken on 2,503 of the contracts, representing $27.4 billion of the reported savings, GAO said, and DOGE did not provide enough information to verify the method behind 96 percent of its grant savings. GAO said DOGE did not respond to its requests for interviews. ABC News reported that the site remained online after DOGE formally ended, claiming $215 billion in total savings.

Money involved

$110B claimed; $27.4B tied to contracts with no termination action (GAO)

Status

Documented (GAO audit finding, GAO-26-108615 (Aug 6, 2026))

Official action

GAO audit report GAO-26-108615.

Response

GAO: "DOGE did not respond to our request for interviews or clarification." ABC News said Musk and the White House did not immediately respond.

Latest

Aug 6, 2026: GAO report published.

Note: Reports differ on when DOGE ended: ABC says July 4, 2026; NBC reported it ended operations in Nov 2025.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#57Office of Special Counsel head fired; replacement nominee withdraws

Trump fired Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel, the whistleblower-protection and Hatch Act agency. Dellinger sued, citing a law that allows removal only for inefficiency, neglect of duty or malfeasance, Federal News Network reported. He dropped the case after the federal appeals court in Washington sided with the administration, per AP. Trump’s nominee to replace him, Paul Ingrassia, withdrew in October 2025, saying he lacked enough Republican votes, NPR reported. The Senate later confirmed Charles Baldis, OSC’s chief counsel, as Special Counsel, according to an OSC release.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Firing, lawsuit and withdrawal are on record.)

Official action

Dellinger lawsuit; the D.C. Circuit sided with the administration and he dropped the case (Mar 2025).

Response

Ingrassia: "I do not have enough Republican votes at this time."

Latest

Aug 7 2026: OSC announced the Senate confirmed Charles Baldis, its chief counsel, as Special Counsel.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#58Kushner's Affinity Partners invests alongside Gulf sovereign funds

Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners helped finance the $55 billion Saudi-led takeover of Electronic Arts, which closed in August 2026, CNBC reported. In December 2025 Affinity was also a financing partner in Paramount’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, which carried an aggregate $24 billion commitment from sovereign funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, according to CNBC and NBC News; Affinity later withdrew. Rep. Greg Stanton said 99% of Affinity’s money came from foreign nationals, including Gulf sovereign funds, while Kushner serves as an unpaid envoy; Secretary Rubio said he had seen no conflict. No official finding of impropriety has been made.

Money involved

Not quantified (Affinity's share of the $55 billion EA deal was not disclosed)

Status

Documented (Deals are public; no official finding of impropriety)

Official action

Rep. Stanton questioned Secretary Rubio about Kushner at a June 2026 hearing; no probe confirmed

Response

Affinity on leaving the WBD bid: "With two strong competitors vying to secure the future of this unique American asset, Affinity has decided no longer to pursue the opportunity." Secretary Rubio: Kushner is "not compensated" and he had never seen a conflict from him.

Latest

Aug 2026: the EA take-private closed (CNBC).

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#59Paul Walczak pardoned weeks after his mother's $1M-a-plate dinner

The New York Times, republished by the Boston Globe, reported that Trump pardoned Paul Walczak, who had pleaded guilty to tax crimes, after his mother Elizabeth Fago attended a $1 million-per-person fundraising dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Trump signed the pardon less than three weeks after the dinner. House Judiciary Democrats say the crimes included $10.9 million in payroll taxes withheld from employees (staff report). A White House official told the Times Walczak was targeted over his family’s politics. The pardon also spared him an 18-month sentence imposed days earlier.

Money involved

$1M-per-person Mar-a-Lago dinner his mother attended (NYT); about $4.4M restitution erased

Status

Documented (Timeline is reported; any link is denied and unverified.)

Official action

Named in the House Judiciary Democrats' Aug 2026 staff report; no other action found.

Response

A White House official said Walczak was "targeted by the Biden administration over his family's conservative politics."

Latest

Aug 2026: included in House Judiciary Democrats' staff report.

Note: Rests on one outlet (NYT, republished by the Globe).

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#60Ex-Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández pardoned before election

Trump pardoned former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was serving a 45-year sentence in a U.S. drug-trafficking case. The pardon, promised days before Honduras’s presidential election, was seen by some as helping Nasry Asfura, the candidate of Hernández’s National Party, AP reported. House Judiciary Democrats say Hernández cultivated allies in Trump’s orbit (staff report). No payment to Trump is alleged. Trump said he acted at the request of people in Honduras, and the pardon cancelled fines and forfeitures that House Democrats put at $8 million and $15.5 million.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Pardon is on record; influence claims are House Democrats' allegations.)

Official action

Covered in House Judiciary Democrats' Aug 2026 staff report; no other action.

Response

Trump said: "I was asked by Honduras, many of the people of Honduras."

Latest

No 2026 development found.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#61Trump sons' drone firm pitches Gulf states under Iranian attack

A drone maker backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. is trying to sell interceptors to Gulf countries while they are under attack by Iran and dependent on the U.S. military led by their father, the Associated Press reported in April 2026. Co-founder Brett Velicovich told the AP the company was “doing many demos across the Middle East right now.” No sale to a Gulf government has been confirmed, and no official action has been taken. The value of any potential contracts was not reported.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (The sales drive is reported; no sale confirmed)

Official action

None found

Response

Powerus has denied any conflicts. Eric Trump: "I am incredibly proud to invest in companies I believe in. Drones are clearly the wave of the future." The Trump Organization did not respond to AP.

Latest

April 2026: AP report on Gulf demos.

Note: Rests on one outlet

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#62Pakistan's leaders host Trump family crypto firm's CEO for stablecoin pact

Pakistan’s most powerful leaders, including the prime minister and the army chief, gathered in Islamabad in January 2026 to welcome Zach Witkoff, chief executive of the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial, Bloomberg reported. The occasion was a non-binding stablecoin agreement that Bloomberg described as exploratory and without a major financial commitment, adding that the guest list made it look “more like a state visit.” The memorandum was signed with SC Financial Technologies, a World Liberty affiliate run by Witkoff, to explore using the USD1 stablecoin for payments, Reuters reported. No official body has alleged an improper exchange.

Money involved

Not quantified; Bloomberg says no major financial commitment

Status

Documented (The event is documented; no improper exchange has been alleged by an official body)

Official action

None found

Response

WLF spokesman David Wachsman: the pact "could help ensure that the U.S. dollar will remain the world's reserve currency," and WLF receives no financial compensation from it. White House counsel David Warrington: Steve Witkoff "has not and does not participate in any official matters that could impact his financial interests."

Latest

Mar 29 2026: Bloomberg feature published.

Note: Bloomberg's page is mostly paywalled; Reuters confirms the agreement.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#63DOJ admits DOGE staff at Social Security shared data and signed a voter-data pact

In a court filing, the Justice Department said DOGE team members at the Social Security Administration shared data through Cloudflare, a third-party service, and that SSA cannot determine exactly what was shared or whether it still exists, NBC News reported. DOJ said one DOGE team member signed a “Voter Data Agreement” with an advocacy group whose stated aim was to find voter fraud and overturn election results in certain states. According to FedScoop, the agreement was not reviewed through the agency’s procedures, and SSA made two Hatch Act referrals after discovering it. The Justice Department said it was unclear whether any personal information was given to the group.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Government admission in a court filing; Hatch Act referrals pending)

Official action

Two Hatch Act referrals to the Office of Special Counsel (Dec 2025); ongoing litigation (AFL-CIO and other labor groups, D. Md.).

Response

No response found beyond the government's own court filing.

Latest

January 2026: DOJ's "notice of corrections" filing. No OSC outcome found.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#64NLRB whistleblower says DOGE staff may have taken sensitive data

Daniel Berulis, an IT staffer at the National Labor Relations Board, filed a whistleblower disclosure with Congress claiming that DOGE staffers compromised the agency’s computer networks and may have taken sensitive data, NPR reported. He said he tracked data leaving the agency’s case system and an unusual spike in outbound traffic. The NLRB said its own review found no breach of agency systems. Following NPR’s reporting, the NLRB inspector general opened an investigation into DOGE’s interaction with the board. No result of that investigation has been published.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Under investigation (NLRB inspector general investigation; no published result)

Official action

NLRB OIG investigation (May 2025); House Oversight Democrats wrote to the inspectors general.

Response

NLRB spokesperson Tim Bearese said the agency "determined that no breach of agency systems occurred."

Latest

No OIG report found as of Oct 21, 2026.

Note: Rests on one outlet (NPR). FedScoop first reported the IG probe, but that report was not available to us.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 2/3 (official probe or lawsuit) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#65G20 summit booked at Trump's own Doral resort

The United States plans to host the 2026 Group of 20 summit of world leaders at President Trump’s Doral resort near Miami, CBS News reported, with the gathering scheduled for Dec. 14-15, 2026. Foreign delegations and U.S. agencies would therefore be doing business at a property the president owns. The White House said Trump Doral would host the summit “at-cost” and receive no profit from the State Department or any foreign government. No contract figures, room-block terms or cost reporting have been published that would let that claim be checked.

Money involved

Not quantified; no contract figures found

Status

Documented (The plan is announced; the no-profit claim is unverified)

Official action

None found

Response

White House: Trump Doral will host "at-cost, and will receive no profit from either the State Department or a foreign government."

Latest

Summit scheduled for Dec 14-15 2026; no newer cost reporting checked.

Score 5/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#66Rep. Henry Cuellar pardoned before trial in foreign-bribery case

Trump pardoned Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, ending a case in which the indictment accused them of accepting at least $598,000 in bribes from two foreign entities, NBC News reported. Earlier, prosecutors had moved to drop the FARA-related counts under Attorney General Bondi’s February 2025 memo, according to a Mayer Brown legal review. No donation link is alleged; the item is listed as a public-corruption case ended by clemency.

Money involved

At least $598,000 in alleged bribes (indictment, per NBC)

Status

Closed or dropped (Case ended by presidential pardon, Dec 2025)

Official action

None beyond the pardon; DOJ had moved to dismiss the FARA-related counts in July 2025.

Response

Asked whether any deal was cut with the White House, Cuellar said "No."

Latest

No 2026 development found.

Score 4/13: money 1/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#67Sean Duffy's family road-trip show and its industry sponsors

NPR reported that production costs for Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s family road-trip series were covered by a nonprofit, The Great American Road Trip Inc., whose sponsors include Toyota, Boeing and United Airlines, companies with ties to the department he runs. The watchdog group CREW filed a complaint with the department’s inspector general alleging violations of federal gift and travel rules; that is CREW’s claim. The Detroit News also reported on the scrutiny. Duffy said career ethics and budget officials approved his participation.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Alleged (Complaint filed with the DOT inspector general; no IG action confirmed)

Official action

CREW complaint to the DOT inspector general (May 11, 2026). No IG action confirmed.

Response

Duffy said "career ethics and budget officials" approved his participation and travel "in accordance with federal rules." A DOT spokesperson said its regulatory decisions are "guided by career safety professionals, the law, and the facts."

Latest

May 2026. No IG outcome found.

Note: Only the Detroit News headline was available to us; the substance rests on NPR.

Score 4/13: money 0/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#68Lutnick's sons' firm Cantor Fitzgerald and tariff-refund trades

WIRED reported in July 2025, citing internal documents, that Cantor Fitzgerald, now run by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s sons, explored buying companies’ rights to potential tariff refunds, a position that would pay off if the tariffs he championed were struck down. According to Newsweek, a Cantor representative reportedly said, in a letter reviewed by WIRED, that the firm would pay 20 to 30 percent of the duties companies had paid. After the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs in February 2026, Rep. Jamie Raskin asked the Lutnicks for a “full public accounting,” Newsweek reported. Cantor says salespeople explored the trades but the firm never executed any; Raskin wrote that documents WIRED reviewed said the firm had “already put a trade through.”

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Denied, unverified (Cantor says no tariff-refund trades were executed)

Official action

Sens. Wyden and Warren wrote to Cantor (Aug 2025); Rep. Raskin wrote to Howard and Brandon Lutnick (Feb 2026).

Response

Cantor: "In July 2025, certain Cantor salespeople explored brokering tariff trades, but Cantor never executed any transactions." A Cantor spokesperson called the WIRED report false.

Latest

Feb 2026: Raskin's letter. No resolution found.

Note: Rests on one outlet (Newsweek, relaying WIRED). The WIRED original and the lawmakers' letters were not available to us.

Score 4/13: money 0/4 · evidence 1/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#69FAA weighed moving a $2.4B Verizon contract to Musk's Starlink

The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration was considering giving Starlink Verizon’s $2.4 billion FAA communications contract, prompting conflict-of-interest concerns about Elon Musk’s role, Fortune reported. Bloomberg reported that Musk approved 4,000 Starlink terminals shipped to the FAA for testing, according to CBS News. Sen. Tammy Duckworth wrote that Musk’s conflicts risked undermining public trust. Musk later acknowledged his mistake in criticizing Verizon, CBS reported. No evidence was found that Starlink was ever awarded the Verizon contract.

Money involved

$2.4B (value of the Verizon contract at stake); no Starlink award found

Status

Alleged (Conflict-of-interest concern; no contract transfer documented)

Official action

Letters from Sen. Duckworth (Feb 28, 2025), Sen. Markey, and Reps. Clyburn and DeLauro.

Response

Duffy: "I was very conscious of anyone who comes in — I don't want to see conflicts of interest." He said Musk does not set agency policy. Musk acknowledged he was wrong to criticize Verizon.

Latest

No development found after March 2025.

Score 4/13: money 0/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 1/3 (congressional letters) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#70Grenell accused of diverting a Kennedy Center gift; he denies it

CNN, citing Axios and The New York Times, reported that Alina Habba alleges Richard Grenell misallocated millions her husband, investor Turhan Mildon, meant as a donation to the Kennedy Center. CNN said the money was reportedly wired to a Texas defense and security equipment company that Grenell says he once consulted for. The Times also reported a text in which Grenell allegedly said he wanted Mildon to be the “American face down in V” (Venezuela). The Daily Beast, relaying the Times, reported that Trump ordered White House counsel to look into the claims. Grenell denies asking for or receiving any money.

Money involved

Disputed: about $5.6M, per Habba's side (Daily Beast, relaying the NYT); unverified

Status

Alleged (Competing allegations between two Trump allies; denied by Grenell)

Official action

Trump reportedly asked White House Counsel Will Scharf to review the claims (Daily Beast relaying the NYT). No official probe confirmed.

Response

Grenell: "I've never asked for one cent to be sent somewhere else pretending it was for the Kennedy Center, and I've never received any payment from him." He called the allegations absurd (CNN).

Latest

Oct 2026: Trump reportedly ordered White House counsel Will Scharf to look into Habba's claims (Daily Beast, relaying the NYT).

Note: Rests on CNN and the Daily Beast, both relaying Axios and the NYT, whose originals were not available to us. Dollar figures come from Habba's side and are unverified.

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#71Russia talks widen to a Lukoil deal tied to Kushner and Witkoff associates

U.S.-Russia talks on ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal for Lukoil’s foreign assets that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives tied to envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, The New York Times reported. Putin raised the deal with both men at the Kremlin on Sept. 5, 2026. The Times reported that the buyers include Todd Boehly, who gave $1 million to MAGA Inc., and a fund controlled by the UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoon, who also controls a fund that bought into the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial. The deal needs U.S. and Kremlin approval.

Money involved

Not quantified; purchase price not set

Status

Alleged (Conflict of interest raised by critics; deal pending U.S. and Russian approval)

Official action

None found

Response

A Witkoff spokesperson said he "takes no salary and travels the world on his own plane, at his own expense, working on behalf of President Trump to negotiate peace and bring hostages home to their families."

Latest

Oct 3 2026: NYT report published; no decision on the deal.

Note: Rests on one outlet

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 2/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 1/2 (donors, allies or favored firms)

#72Trump says he would consider pre-emptive pardons for his officials

In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said he is considering pre-emptively pardoning members of his administration before the end of his second term, NBC News reported. Asked about it, he said, “Yeah, sure I’d do that.” NBC also noted that The Wall Street Journal reported in April that Trump had repeatedly promised top officials pardons before he leaves office. No such pardons had been reported as of Oct. 21, 2026.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (His own statement; no such pardons reported as of Oct 21 2026)

Official action

None.

Response

It is Trump's own statement: "Yeah, sure I'd do that."

Latest

Oct 1 2026: Time interview reported.

Note: Rests on one outlet (NBC News, relaying Time and the WSJ).

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#73Government ethics office director removed; no confirmed successor yet

The Office of Government Ethics, which oversees executive-branch conflicts of interest, posted notice in February 2025 that Trump was removing its director, David Huitema, Federal News Network reported. In June 2026, according to an OGE release, Trump nominated Michael Chamberlain as director and named acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling acting director.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Removal and nomination are on record.)

Official action

Chamberlain nomination pending (June 2026); no other action found.

Response

The White House did not respond to inquiries about Huitema's firing.

Latest

June 23 2026: Chamberlain nominated; Sonderling named acting director.

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#74DOJ Public Integrity Section cut from 36 lawyers to two

The Justice Department section that prosecutes corrupt officials had 36 full-time attorneys when Trump took office and two by September 2025, NOTUS reported. NBC News reported the unit would no longer directly handle investigations or prosecutions. In 2026 NOTUS reported the department cancelled election-integrity training and deleted a 281-page guide to prosecuting election offenses. TRAC counted 23 new official-corruption prosecutions in June 2026; filings so far in 2026 were down 6% from the same period a year earlier. The Justice Department told NOTUS it “takes public corruption seriously”; a White House spokeswoman said the administration is restoring integrity and trust in institutions. No inspector-general review has been reported.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Staffing cuts and policy changes are reported by multiple outlets.)

Official action

No IG review or other official action found.

Response

DOJ: "The Department of Justice takes public corruption seriously and continues to investigate and prosecute these cases rigorously." White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson: "the Trump Administration is restoring integrity and trust in our institutions."

Latest

June 2026: TRAC bulletin shows 23 new official-corruption prosecutions.

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#75Report that Hegseth's broker sought a defense-fund investment before Iran strikes

The Financial Times reported, as relayed by Al Jazeera, that a Morgan Stanley wealth manager for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth contacted BlackRock about a multimillion-dollar investment in a defense-related fund in the weeks before the U.S. war with Iran. The investment reportedly did not go ahead because the fund was not yet available for purchase. The Pentagon demanded a retraction and called the report fabricated. The FT said it stands by its reporting.

Money involved

"Multimillion-dollar" (not specified)

Status

Denied, unverified (Pentagon denies it; the FT stands by its report)

Official action

None confirmed.

Response

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell: "This allegation is entirely false and fabricated. Neither Secretary Hegseth nor any of his representatives approached BlackRock about any such investment."

Latest

March 31, 2026: the Pentagon demanded a retraction; the FT stood by its report. No later development found.

Note: Rests on one outlet (the Financial Times, as relayed by Al Jazeera, which could not independently confirm it). The FT original was not available to us.

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 1/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 2/2 (Trump, family or the official)

#76Foreign-agent (FARA) enforcement narrowed; influence task forces disbanded

On her first day, Attorney General Pam Bondi ended the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force and directed prosecutors to focus criminal foreign-agent enforcement on conduct resembling traditional espionage rather than registration violations, AP reported. NBC News described it as a pullback on the law requiring foreign agents to register. A Mayer Brown legal review found DOJ continued most pending FARA cases but dropped FARA-related counts against Rep. Henry Cuellar. AP reported the same memo ended a Biden-era task force that sought to seize Russian oligarchs’ assets.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Memo and policy are on record.)

Official action

None.

Response

The attorney general said ending the Foreign Influence Task Force would "free resources to address more pressing priorities, and end risks of further weaponization and abuses of prosecutorial discretion" (per Mayer Brown).

Latest

Jan 2026: Mayer Brown review; no reversal found.

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)

#77FBI folds its Washington public-corruption squad, CR-15

The FBI folded CR-15, the Washington Field Office public-corruption squad, NBC News reported. An FBI official said the change was part of a broader reorganization and that public-corruption cases would still be pursued. NBC News later reported that Trump aides had forced out most of the Public Integrity Section lawyers and disbanded the squad. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who had criticized the unit, called the shutdown “good news.” No reconstitution has been reported, and no official review of the change was found.

Money involved

Not quantified

Status

Documented (Reorganization confirmed by an FBI official.)

Official action

None.

Response

An FBI official said "public corruption cases would still be pursued."

Latest

No reconstitution reported.

Score 3/13: money 0/4 · evidence 3/4 · official action 0/3 (none) · who benefits 0/2 (institutional)