Gerald Connolly

Trump Team Targets Politically Connected Startup Ramp for $700B Government Payments Overhaul

| Importance: 9/10

The Trump administration is fast-tracking a $25 million pilot contract for Ramp, a politically connected FinTech startup backed by Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, and JD Vance allies, to manage the $700 billion SmartPay government expense card program. Ramp, valued at $13 billion, has deep ties to …

Donald Trump Peter Thiel Elon Musk J.D. Vance Gerald Connolly +2 more trump-administration government-contracts fintech peter-thiel regulatory-capture +1 more
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Trump Administration Fires Prosecutors in Coordinated DOJ Purge

| Importance: 9/10

Acting Attorney General James McHenry systematically fired multiple Justice Department officials who worked on Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigations into Trump’s election interference and classified documents case. In termination letters, McHenry argued the officials could not be …

James McHenry Donald Trump Jack Smith Jamie Raskin Gerald Connolly doj-weaponization prosecutorial-independence trump-administration retaliation rule-of-law +1 more
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Trump Purges Inspectors General Investigating Musk's Businesses

| Importance: 9/10

President Trump executed a coordinated mass firing of approximately 17 inspectors general across federal agencies on February 7, 2025, in an unprecedented action that effectively dismantled critical government oversight mechanisms. The purge targeted inspectors general conducting sensitive …

Donald Trump Elon Musk Robert Storch Phyllis Fong Sergio Gor +4 more kleptocracy oversight-obstruction inspector-general-purge institutional-capture government-accountability +2 more
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