The Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary on April 11, 2019, by a vote of 56 to 41 despite extensive conflicts of interest from his career as an oil and gas lobbyist. A Center for American Progress analysis determined Bernhardt had the dubious distinction of being the most …
David BernhardtDonald TrumpCabinet CorruptionEthics ViolationsDavid BernhardtInterior DepartmentConflicts of Interest+2 more
Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary despite him having the most
conflicts of interest of any Trump Cabinet nominee - 27 former clients and employers
actively lobbying the Interior Department. A former oil and gas lobbyist, Bernhardt
had so many potential conflicts he literally …
David BernhardtDonald TrumpDepartment of InteriorHalliburtonWestlands Water Districtregulatory-captureconflict-of-interestoil-and-gasinterior-departmentrevolving-door+2 more
The Trump administration claimed ‘absolute immunity’ to block all congressional oversight, with White House Counsel Pat Cipollone declaring Congress had no ’legitimate legislative purpose’ for investigations. Don McGahn defied House subpoenas despite federal judges ruling …
Donald TrumpPat CipolloneDon McGahnJohn BoltonMike Pompeo+1 moreobstructionabsolute-immunitycongressional-oversightconstitutional-crisisexecutive-power
Attorney General William Barr released a four-page letter to Congress purporting to summarize the 448-page Mueller Report’s “principal conclusions” just 48 hours after receiving it. Barr’s summary fundamentally mischaracterized the report’s findings on obstruction of …
William BarrRobert MuellerDonald TrumpRod RosensteinMueller InvestigationObstruction of JusticeAttorney General CorruptionDisinformationAccountability Crisis+1 more
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort received a combined sentence of 7.5 years (90 months) in federal prison across two separate criminal cases stemming from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, representing the longest prison term imposed on any defendant in the Mueller …
Paul ManafortDonald TrumpJudge T.S. Ellis IIIJudge Amy Berman JacksonRobert MuellerMueller InvestigationPaul ManafortSentencingJudicial BiasPresidential Pardons+2 more
William Barr’s confirmation as Attorney General represents the systematic implementation of WHIG template for crisis-accelerated institutional capture, transforming the Department of Justice from independent law enforcement into executive political weapon for constitutional crisis …
William BarrDonald TrumpSenate Judiciary CommitteeDepartment of JusticeTrump Administration+5 moredoj-politicizationwhig-template-implementationsystematic-institutional-capturecrisis-accelerated-captureexecutive-immunity-institutionalization+4 more
President Trump overrode security clearance denials for at least 25 individuals including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, despite FBI and CIA objections citing foreign influence, conflicts of interest, personal conduct, financial problems, and drug use. Kushner’s clearance was denied due to …
Donald TrumpJared KushnerIvanka TrumpJohn KellyCarl Kline+1 moresecurity-clearancesnational-securitynepotismforeign-influencewhistleblower-retaliation
A damning report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General revealed on January 17, 2019 that the Trump administration had separated thousands more children from their parents than previously disclosed, beginning as early as summer 2017—nearly a year before the …
HHS Office of Inspector GeneralDonald TrumpKirstjen NielsenJeff SessionsStephen Miller+1 morefamily-separationhuman-rightschild-abuseimmigrationcrimes-against-humanity+1 more
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi joined Ballard Partners, the powerful Trump-connected lobbying firm, as chairwoman of the Corporate Regulatory Compliance practice immediately after leaving office in January 2019. Over the next five years, Bondi would lobby on behalf of more than 30 clients …
The Donald J. Trump Foundation reached a settlement with the New York Attorney General agreeing to dissolve under court supervision and admitting to a pattern of illegal coordination with Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. The stipulation filed in New York State Supreme Court required the …
Donald TrumpTrump FoundationBarbara UnderwoodNew York Attorney GeneralTrump FoundationCharity FraudNY Attorney GeneralLegal SettlementBarbara Underwood
New York State Supreme Court Justice Saliann Scarpulla issued an order formally dissolving the Donald J. Trump Foundation and directing the distribution of its remaining $1.78 million in assets to eight legitimate charities under court and Attorney General supervision. The dissolution order came …
On December 18, 2018, federal Judge Emmet Sullivan delivered a scathing rebuke to Michael Flynn during what was scheduled to be his sentencing hearing, telling Trump’s former National Security Advisor “arguably you sold your country out” for working as an unregistered foreign agent …
Michael FlynnJudge Emmet SullivanRobert MuellerDonald TrumpMueller InvestigationMichael FlynnSentencingForeign AgentTurkey Lobbying+2 more
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke resigned while under at least 18 federal investigations
for corruption, conflicts of interest, and ethics violations. Scandals included:
involvement in a Montana land deal benefiting himself and Halliburton chairman,
using wildfire funds for personal travel, chartered …
Ryan ZinkeDonald TrumpDepartment of InteriorDavid Bernhardtcorruptioninterior-departmentpublic-landsethics-violationcabinet-scandal+2 more
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and longtime fixer, pleaded guilty on November 29, 2018, to making false statements to Congress about the Trump Organization’s negotiations to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. This was Cohen’s second guilty plea in 2018 …
Michael CohenDonald TrumpDmitry PeskovRobert MuellerMueller InvestigationTrump Tower MoscowCongressional LiesMichael CohenRussia Business Dealings+1 more
On November 20, 2018, President Trump issues an extraordinary written statement titled “Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Standing with Saudi Arabia” that explicitly rejects CIA findings and defends Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite the intelligence community’s …
Donald TrumpMohammed bin SalmanCIAKing SalmanGina Haspeldonald-trumpsaudi-arabiajamal-khashoggiciaintelligence+4 more
On October 23, 2018, three weeks after Jamal Khashoggi’s murder inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, President Trump publicly acknowledges the killing was orchestrated by Saudi Arabia but makes clear he will not hold Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable. Despite calling Saudi …
Donald TrumpMohammed bin SalmanMike PompeoSaudi Arabia governmentdonald-trumpsaudi-arabiajamal-khashoggiaccountabilitymohammed-bin-salman+2 more
On October 11, 2018, just nine days after Saudi agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, President Trump declared on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he would not cancel arms sales to Saudi Arabia despite the killing and mounting evidence of Saudi war …
Donald TrumpRaytheonLockheed MartinBoeingMohammed bin Salman+1 moreraytheonlockheed-martinsaudi-arabiatrumpkhashoggi+3 more
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s entourage booked approximately 500 rooms at
Trump International Hotel in New York during his U.S. visit, generating significant
revenue at a time when the hotel was experiencing declining bookings. The stay
occurred just days before the October 2, 2018 murder …
Mohammed bin SalmanSaudi Arabia governmentTrump International Hotel New YorkDonald TrumpJamal Khashoggisaudi-arabiaforeign-paymentsemolumentskhashoggi-murdertrump-hotel+2 more
Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney and fixer, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to eight felony counts, including campaign finance violations that he stated were committed “in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal …
Michael CohenDonald TrumpStormy DanielsKaren McDougalMueller InvestigationCampaign Finance ViolationsHush MoneyMichael CohenPresidential Accountability+1 more
Jared Kushner’s underwater 666 Fifth Avenue property received a $1.28 billion bailout from Brookfield Property Partners, where Qatar Investment Authority held a 7-9% stake, just months after Trump reversed U.S. support for the Saudi-led Qatar blockade. The Kushners had desperately sought …
Jared KushnerQatar Investment AuthorityBrookfield Property PartnersCharles KushnerDonald Trump+1 moreforeign-influenceconflict-of-interestcorruptionmiddle-east-policyfinancial-bailout
On August 2, 2018, the Trump administration’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped its two-year investigation into how ExxonMobil factors climate change regulations into its calculations of asset values. The SEC informed the energy giant in a letter dated Thursday that it would …
Securities and Exchange CommissionExxonMobilDonald TrumpRex Tillersonclimate-denialexxonknewregulatory-captureaccountability-failuretrump-administration
In a rare moment of unanimous Senate action, lawmakers voted 98-0 to approve a resolution rejecting Vladimir Putin’s proposal to interrogate U.S. officials—a direct and powerful rebuke of President Trump’s consideration of the Russian offer during the Helsinki summit. The vote …
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One day after facing fierce bipartisan condemnation for siding with Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies, President Donald Trump attempted damage control with an implausible claim that he had simply misspoken a single word during the Helsinki press conference. The walkback was widely …
Donald TrumpVladimir Putinrussiatrumphelsinkielection-interferenceintelligence-agencies
In one of the most shocking moments in modern American presidential history, President Donald Trump publicly sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his own intelligence agencies during a joint press conference in Helsinki, Finland. Standing next to Putin before a global audience, Trump …
Donald TrumpVladimir PutinDan CoatsJohn BrennanJohn McCainrussiatrumpintelligence-agencieselection-interferencehelsinki
On July 9, 2018, Donald Trump named Andrew Wheeler as Acting EPA Administrator following Scott Pruitt’s resignation amid 14 federal corruption investigations. Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist who had represented Murray Energy—one of America’s largest coal companies—embodied …
Andrew WheelerDonald TrumpEnvironmental Protection AgencyFaegre Baker DanielsMurray Energy+1 moreregulatory-captureepafossil-fuelsclimate-denialrevolving-door+1 more
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned facing at least 14 federal investigations
into corruption, ethics violations, and misuse of taxpayer funds. Scandals included:
spending $43,000 on a soundproof phone booth, first-class travel costing over
$100,000, using staff for personal errands like finding …
Scott PruittDonald TrumpEnvironmental Protection AgencyAndrew Wheelercorruptioneparegulatory-captureethics-violationcabinet-scandal+2 more
After weeks of international condemnation and bipartisan criticism, President Trump signed an executive order on June 20, 2018 ostensibly ending the family separation policy his administration had deliberately implemented. The order came after intense public pressure, including from many …
Donald TrumpKirstjen NielsenJeff SessionsStephen Millerfamily-separationhuman-rightschild-abuseimmigrationdisinformation
New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed a comprehensive lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Donald Trump, and his three eldest children (Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka) alleging “persistently illegal conduct” spanning more than a decade. The lawsuit documented a …
Barbara UnderwoodDonald TrumpDonald Trump JrEric TrumpIvanka Trump+1 moreTrump FoundationCharity FraudNY Attorney GeneralSelf-DealingCampaign Finance+1 more
The Trump administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ family separation policy forcibly removed over 5,500 children from their parents at the border, detaining them in cages at facilities described as ‘concentration camps’ by historians. Children as young as 4 months were taken, …
Donald TrumpStephen MillerJeff SessionsDHSICE+2 morefamily-separationhuman-rightschild-abuseimmigrationcrimes-against-humanity
President Trump abruptly reversed U.S. sanctions on Chinese telecom giant ZTE just days after China agreed to provide $500 million in loans to an Indonesian theme park featuring Trump properties. ZTE had been banned from buying U.S. components after violating sanctions on Iran and North Korea. Trump …
Donald TrumpZTE CorporationChinaTrump OrganizationIndonesiacorruptionchinanational-securityemoluments-clausebribery
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen explicitly acknowledged in a May 10, 2018 NPR interview that the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy would necessarily separate families, defending the practice as equivalent to standard law enforcement. Yet within weeks, Nielsen would …
Trump administration exempted Argentina from steel and aluminum tariffs in May 2018 while Trump Organization was seeking trademark approvals in Argentina. After securing two trademarks in November 2019, the administration abruptly reinstated tariffs on Argentina weeks later, citing dubious …
Donald TrumpTrump OrganizationArgentinatariffsconflict-of-interesttrump-organizationargentinaquid-pro-quo+1 more
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel issued a final order on April 10, 2018 concluding the Trump University litigation and authorizing distribution of the $25 million settlement to approximately 3,730 victims who would receive at least 90 percent of their money back. The finalization came more than a …
On April 6, 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “zero tolerance” policy for unauthorized border crossings that was explicitly designed to separate children from their parents as a deterrent to asylum seekers and migrants. The policy marked a deliberate escalation from …
Jeff SessionsDonald TrumpStephen MillerDHSICEfamily-separationhuman-rightschild-abuseimmigrationcrimes-against-humanity
T-Mobile executives spent over 95,000 at Trump International Hotel while seeking approval for their 6 billion merger with Sprint, with more than 52 overnight stays documented. The spending coincided with the merger review period when T-Mobile needed approval from Trump’s Justice Department and …
President Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on March 28, 2018, after an Inspector General report found he improperly accepted tickets to Wimbledon tennis matches and allowed taxpayers to pay for his wife’s travel on an 11-day European trip in July 2017 costing at least …
David ShulkinVivieca Wright SimpsonMerle BariDonald TrumpCabinet CorruptionEthics ViolationsDavid ShulkinVAInspector General+1 more
President Donald Trump announces his nomination of Gina Haspel to serve as CIA Director, making her the first woman nominated for the position despite her direct involvement in the CIA’s torture program and destruction of interrogation videotapes. Haspel ran the CIA’s “Cat’s …
Gina HaspelDonald TrumpMike PompeoCIAJohn Kiriakoutortureciatrumpblack-sitesimpunity+2 more
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel sent a report to President Trump recommending disciplinary action against White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway for violating the Hatch Act during television interviews where she promoted Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore and attacked Democratic candidate Doug …
Academic study of over 7,000 tariff exemption requests finds firms with political connections to Trump, especially those donating to Trump or Republican causes, had significantly higher approval rates, while those linked to Democrats were more often denied. Internal government audits describe the …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationVeljko FotakHye Seung Grace LeeWilliam Megginson+1 moretariffscorruptioncrony-capitalismtrade-policypolitical-favoritism
The New York Times reported on January 25, 2018, that President Donald Trump had ordered White House Counsel Don McGahn in June 2017 to direct Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to remove Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and that McGahn had refused and threatened to resign rather than carry out …
Donald TrumpDon McGahnRod RosensteinRobert MuellerObstruction of JusticeMueller InvestigationWhite House CounselPresidential Abuse of PowerDon McGahn+1 more
Rusal America, a subsidiary of Russian metals giant controlled by oligarch Oleg Deripaska (sanctioned for election interference), received aluminum tariff exemption from Commerce Department in July 2018. Warren’s congressional inquiry exposed the improper approval, forcing Commerce Department …
Donald TrumpElizabeth WarrenRussian oligarchTrump Administrationtariffsrussiasanctionscorruptionoligarchs
Cook’s ‘charm offensive’ through multiple dinners and meetings with Trump 2018-2019 secured Apple exemptions from China tariffs on iPhones and core products. Cook dined at Trump Tower, Bedminster golf course, attended White House state dinner, gave Trump Mac Pro plant tour. Apple …
Donald TrumpTim CookApple Inc.tariffsfavoritismapplecorporate-influencecrony-capitalism
The FCC, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, votes 3-2 along party lines to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, marking a major victory for telecommunications industry interests over consumer protections. Pai, a former Verizon attorney appointed by Trump, argued the regulations represented government …
Ajit PaiDonald TrumpVerizon CommunicationsMignon ClyburnComcast+2 moreregulatory-capturefccnet-neutralityajit-paitelecommunications+2 more
The FCC, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, votes 3-2 along party lines to repeal Obama-era net neutrality rules, marking a major victory for telecommunications industry interests over consumer protections. Pai, a former Verizon attorney appointed by Trump, argued the regulations represented government …
Ajit PaiDonald TrumpVerizon CommunicationsMignon ClyburnComcast+2 moreregulatory-capturefccnet-neutralityajit-paitelecommunications+2 more
Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI regarding his conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition. Flynn became the first White House official and the highest-ranking Trump administration member …
Michael FlynnRobert MuellerSergey KislyakDonald TrumpTransition TeamMueller InvestigationObstruction of JusticeRussia ContactsGuilty PleaFlynn-Kislyak+2 more
The Paradise Papers, a massive leak of 13.4 million documents from offshore law firm Appleby and corporate services provider Estera, exposed how global elites used legal loopholes to avoid taxes. The investigation revealed offshore interests of over 120 politicians and world leaders, including Queen …
ApplebyEsteraQueen Elizabeth IIWilbur RossRussian Oligarchs+2 moreparadise-papersoffshore-financetax-havensoligarchsfinancial-transparency
Jared Kushner made an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia in October 2017, staying up until 4 AM with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Days later, MBS launched mass arrests of 200+ Saudi royals and officials, seizing $100 billion in assets. MBS reportedly told confidants that Kushner was ‘in …
Jared KushnerMohammed bin SalmanSaudi ArabiaDonald TrumpJamal Khashoggiclassified-informationforeign-influencesaudi-arabiaintelligence-breachkhashoggi-murder
On October 26, 2017, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency—but the declaration provided no new funding and stopped short of the national emergency designation Trump had promised in August. The move was widely criticized as a hollow gesture that failed to match the …
Donald TrumpEric HarganDepartment of Health and Human Servicesopioid-crisishollow-gesturestrump-administrationpublic-healthunderfunding
George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, secretly pleaded guilty on October 5, 2017, to making false statements to FBI agents about his contacts with individuals connected to the Russian government. The guilty plea, which became public on …
George PapadopoulosJoseph MifsudRobert MuellerDonald TrumpMueller InvestigationRussia ContactsGuilty PleaCampaign OfficialsTrump Pardons+1 more
Whitefish Energy, a Montana company with only two full-time employees from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s hometown, received a $300 million no-bid contract to restore Puerto Rico’s power grid after Hurricane Maria. The contract prohibited government auditing of costs while charging $462 …