The U.S. Office of Special Counsel issued an extraordinary recommendation that White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway be removed from federal service for repeated Hatch Act violations, calling her conduct “egregious, notorious, and ongoing.” Special Counsel Henry Kerner, himself a Trump …
Kellyanne ConwayDonald TrumpHenry KernerOffice of Special Counsel (OSC)hatch actethics violationskellyanne conwayabuse of officetrump administration+1 more
On June 7, 2019, reports revealed that the Trump administration’s $8.1 billion emergency arms sale to Saudi Arabia included an unprecedented provision allowing Raytheon to transfer sensitive precision-guided munitions technology to Saudi Arabia for domestic bomb production. The deal authorized …
Donald TrumpRaytheonSaudi ArabiaMohammed bin SalmanMike Pompeo+1 moreraytheonsaudi-arabiatrumparms-salestechnology-transfer+2 more
Michael Wolff’s 2019 book ‘Siege’ and later interviews/podcast episodes raised various allegations and speculations around Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. These claims have been disputed and are not substantiated by official investigations or court records; treat as disputed commentary …
On May 24, 2019, the Trump administration invoked a rarely-used emergency provision of the Arms Export Control Act to bypass congressional review and ram through 22 separate arms sales worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Jordan. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared an …
Donald TrumpMike PompeoRaytheonLockheed MartinBoeing+2 moreraytheonsaudi-arabiatrumparms-salesyemen-war+3 more
President Trump ordered the recall of Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch from her post in Ukraine on April 24, 2019, with her recall becoming public on May 7, following a coordinated smear campaign orchestrated by Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani, corrupt Ukrainian prosecutor Yuriy Lutsenko, …
Marie YovanovitchDonald TrumpRudy GiulianiYuriy LutsenkoLev Parnas+2 moreinspector generalwhistleblower retaliationobstruction of justiceaccountability crisisukraine+1 more
President Donald Trump explicitly declares blanket resistance to congressional oversight, stating “We’re fighting all the subpoenas” and dismissing House Democrats as not “impartial people.” This systematic escalation represents an unprecedented challenge to legislative …
Donald TrumpWhite HouseHouse DemocratsCongressional InvestigatorsDon McGahn+2 moretrump-administrationcongressional-obstructionsubpoena-defianceconstitutional-crisissystematic-corruption+2 more
President Trump filed a federal lawsuit to block a House Oversight Committee subpoena seeking eight years of his financial records from accounting firm Mazars USA, challenging Congress’s investigative authority. The lawsuit sought to prevent the release of tax returns and financial statements, …
Donald TrumpMazars USAHouse Oversight CommitteeElijah CummingsMichael Cohen+1 moretrump-administrationfinancial-recordscongressional-subpoenalegal-challengeoversight-obstruction+1 more
The Department of Justice released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 448-page Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, the culmination of a 22-month investigation that issued more than 2,800 subpoenas, executed nearly 500 search warrants, and …
Robert MuellerDonald TrumpWilliam BarrRussian Governmentmueller investigationobstruction of justicerussia interferencepresidential accountabilityimpeachment+1 more
On April 16, 2019, President Trump vetoes S.J. Res. 7, a bipartisan congressional resolution invoking the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The veto protects Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman six months after the CIA concluded with high confidence that …
Donald TrumpMohammed bin SalmanU.S. CongressSaudi Arabia governmentdonald-trumpsaudi-arabiayemenwar-powerscongress+3 more
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
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
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 …
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
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
In the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections, President Trump began routinely describing immigration as an ‘invasion,’ bringing white nationalist conspiracy theory language into mainstream Republican politics. The ‘invasion’ rhetoric is closely linked to the Great Replacement …
Donald TrumpRepublican Partyracial-politicswhite-nationalismconspiracy-theoriesimmigrationrepublican-party+3 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
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
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 Commission (SEC)ExxonMobilDonald 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 …
Vladimir PutinDonald TrumpChuck SchumerMichael McFaulBill Browderrussiatrumphelsinkisenateputin+1 more
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
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 Agency (EPA)Faegre 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 Agency (EPA)Andrew 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 Jr.Eric 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 SessionsDepartment of Homeland SecurityImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)+2 morefamily-separationhuman-rightschild-abuseimmigrationcrimes-against-humanity
President Trump signs the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S.2155), dramatically weakening post-2008 financial regulations by raising the asset threshold for ‘systemically important financial institution’ (SIFI) designation from $50 billion to $250 …
Donald TrumpGreg BeckerSilicon Valley BankMike CrapoMark Warner+3 morederegulationbankingdodd-frankregulatory-capturelobbying+2 more
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 …
Kirstjen NielsenJeff SessionsStephen MillerDonald TrumpDepartment of Homeland Securityfamily-separationhuman-rightschild-abuseimmigrationdisinformation
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 MillerDepartment of Homeland SecurityImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)family-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 …
Trump-appointed Acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney effectively shuts down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s investigation into the Equifax data breach that exposed 147 million Americans to identity theft. After former Director Richard Cordray authorized a full-scale investigation in …
Mick MulvaneyConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)EquifaxDonald TrumpRichard Cordraycorruptionregulatory-capturecfpbtrump-administrationcorporate-impunity+2 more
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
On January 24, 2018, the Senate confirmed Alex Azar as Secretary of Health and Human Services by a vote of 55-43, installing as the nation’s top healthcare regulator a pharmaceutical executive who had overseen dramatic insulin price increases during his decade at Eli Lilly. As President of …
Alex AzarEli LillyDepartment of Health and Human ServicesRon WydenDonald Trumprevolving-doorregulatory-capturehealthcarepharmaceutical-industryinsulin-pricing+3 more
During a bipartisan meeting with senators in the Oval Office to discuss immigration, President Trump asked why the United States would want people from ‘shithole countries’ while being briefed on changes to the visa lottery system. Trump questioned why America would want immigrants from …
Donald TrumpDick DurbinU.N. Human Rights OfficeAfrican Unionracial-politicsimmigrationrepublican-partyxenophobiainstitutional-racism+2 more
On December 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) into law, enacting the most sweeping tax reform package in 30 years and permanently slashing the corporate tax rate from 35% to a flat 21%—a 40% reduction representing the largest corporate tax cut in American …
Donald TrumpPaul RyanMitch McConnellKevin BradyOrrin Hatch+5 moretax-policytrump-administrationcorporate-corruptionwealth-transferdeficit-spending+5 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
President Trump ordered an 85 percent reduction of Bears Ears National Monument from 1.35 million acres to 201,397 acres, the largest rollback of conservation protections in U.S. history. The proclamation split the monument into two noncontiguous units (Indian Creek and Shash Jáa), opening …
Donald TrumpRyan ZinkeBureau of Land ManagementNavajo NationHopi Tribe+3 moreinstitutional-captureextractive-industriesenvironmental-destructionindigenous-rightsregulatory-capture
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
President Trump installed Mick Mulvaney, his Office of Management and Budget director, as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a contested appointment that triggered a legal battle. As a congressman, Mulvaney had been a top recipient of payday lending campaign cash and once …
Mick MulvaneyDonald TrumpConsumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)regulatory-capturepredatory-lendingconsumer-protectioncorruptionpayday-lending+1 more
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