President Trump hosted a private dinner for 220 top investors of his $TRUMP memecoin at his Virginia golf club, with attendees having spent a combined $148 million on the digital token. The event drew both high-profile crypto investors and significant public protest, highlighting the controversial …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationSandy CarterLamar OdomElizabeth Warren+1 morecryptogovernment-contractspolitical-monetizationmemecoin
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has launched an investigation into journalism watchdog Media Matters on behalf of Elon Musk for coordinating an advertiser boycott of X
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationmedia-controlregulatory-capture
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sold stocks in 34 companies worth up to $650,000 just before Trump’s market-moving tariff announcement, representing a pattern of potential insider trading among Trump administration officials. The sales occurred on February 11, two days before the tariff …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationSean DuffyTransportation Departmentregulatory-capturestock-salestrump-administrationfinancial-exploitation
The Trump administration’s Department of Justice agreed to pay $5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Ashli Babbitt, the January 6 rioter fatally shot while attempting to breach the Capitol. The settlement, which resolves a $30 million suit, drew criticism from …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationCapitol PoliceTom Mangergovernment-contractsjustice-weaponizationjanuary-6-aftermathlegal-settlement
Vietnam approved a Trump Organization plan to invest $1.5 billion in golf courses, hotels, and other real estate projects in the country as it negotiates tariff rates with the Trump administration
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
The FBI’s Washington Field Office disbanded its ‘CR15’ public corruption squad, a unit critical to investigating potential misconduct in the Trump administration. This move follows broader cuts to the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and represents a significant …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationKash PatelChuck GrassleyJack Smith+1 morecorruptioninstitutional-capturefbijustice-departmentpolitical-investigations
Trump administration moves to revert to weak Trump-era overtime threshold ($35,568) from Biden’s $58,656 rule, stripping overtime protections from 4.3 million workers per Economic Policy Institute. Project 2025 also proposes calculating overtime over 2-4 week periods instead of weekly, and …
Trump AdministrationDepartment of Laborovertime-protectionslabor-rightsregulatory-rollbackproject-2025worker-protections
Attorney General Pam Bondi sold between $1 million and $5 million worth of Trump Media shares on April 2, 2025, coinciding with Trump’s major tariff announcement. The stock sale, part of an ethics divestment, occurred when Trump Media’s stock was near its lowest point, dropping over 10% …
Donald TrumpPam BondiTrump Administrationmedia-controlgovernment-contractsstock-tradingethics-violation
While Trump touted multi-billion dollar foreign investments in the US during his state visits across the Persian Gulf, a sizable portion of those investments were steered towards Trump family businesses like the Trump Organization and World Liberty Financial
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationcryptoforeign-influencegovernment-contracts
DOGE operative Chris Young worked to undermine the CFPB, which has jurisdiction over Tesla and X, while simultaneously earning between $100,001 and $1 million annually as a political adviser to Elon Musk, raising significant conflict of interest concerns
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationChris YoungElon MuskRussell Voughtregulatory-capturegovernment-contractsconflict-of-interestdepartment-of-government-efficiency
An extensive financial investigation revealed a sophisticated insider trading scheme involving the $MELANIA memecoin. 24 crypto wallets purchased $2.6 million in tokens just moments before the public launch, with one wallet tied to cryptocurrency entrepreneur Hayden Davis generating a $39 million …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationHayden DavisMelania Trumpcryptogovernment-contractsinsider-tradingfinancial-fraud
GD Culture Group, a small Nasdaq-traded technology company with ties to China, announced plans to purchase up to $300 million in Bitcoin and $TRUMP cryptocurrency. The investment comes amid financial challenges for the company, including a Nasdaq delisting warning and a $14.1 million net loss in …
Donald TrumpGD Culture GroupTrump Administrationcryptoforeign-influenceregulatory-capturegovernment-contractsfinancial-manipulation
Warren Stephens’s, the US ambassador to the UK, family-owned investment firm holds at least $250 million worth of stock in agricultural and food companies that will benefit from the US-UK trade deal Trump announced this week
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump’s bitcoin mining firm, American Bitcoin, went public through an all-stock merger with Gryphon Digital Mining. Trading on Nasdaq under the ticker ‘ABTC’, the company is valued at over $7.5 billion, representing a significant expansion of the Trump …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationEric Trumpcryptotrump-familyfinancial-capturemarket-manipulation
The Trump administration has effectively stalled or dropped over 40 regulatory cases against Elon Musk’s companies, totaling potential fines exceeding $2.3 billion. This pattern suggests a systemic approach to regulatory capture, with multiple federal agencies seemingly protecting Musk’s …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationElon MuskSECregulatory-capturegovernment-contractstech-industryadministrative-state
Trump held talks with Qatar to accept a $400 million Boeing 747 as a replacement for Air Force One–which he plans to keep as part of his presidential library after leaving office
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
Trump is using his super PAC, which has raised more than $400 million, to consolidate even more control over the Republican party–stocking congressional Republican special interest groups with loyalists
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
Trump planned to sign an executive order discouraging prosecution of regulatory offenses, effectively allowing him to pick and choose which laws businesses need to comply with instead
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationregulatory-capturejustice-weaponization
The SEC settled a long-running enforcement action against Ripple Labs, agreeing to return $75 million of a $125 million fine and keeping $50 million, amid significant criticism from SEC Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw about undermining investor protections.
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationBradley GarlinghouseChristian LarsenCaroline Crenshawcryptoregulatory-capturegovernment-contractssecenforcement-action
Large institutional investors have increased their stakes in Trump Media to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, despite the firm posting massive losses in 2024, in a possible attempt to curry favor with the president
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
The Trump administration proposed executive orders and budget cuts to eliminate environmental research and monitoring for rocket launches and atmospheric pollution, a move that would primarily benefit private space companies like SpaceX by reducing regulatory oversight and potential future …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationElon MuskSpaceXkleptocracyspace-industryenvironmental-deregulationproject-2025
The Trump administration has rapidly transformed the Securities and Exchange Commission through targeted staff reductions, with approximately 15% of staff already departed and plans for further contract cuts. The administration has implemented a $50,000 voluntary separation offer and imposed a …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationSEC Chairmanregulatory-capturegovernment-contractsinstitutional-transformationworkforce-reduction
The Federal Aviation Administration granted SpaceX a significant expansion of launch permissions, increasing Starship launch capacity from 5 to 25 annually at the Boca Chica, Texas site. The FAA issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) after a Tiered Environmental Assessment, allowing up to …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationElon MuskSpaceXFAAkleptocracyspacexregulatory-capturetechnological-infrastructure
Over the last two weeks, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have traveled the world, announcing real estate, cryptocurrency, and other ventures involving billions of dollars that enrich not only themselves, but also the president
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationcryptogovernment-contracts
President Trump’s $TRUMP memecoin raised $350 million, with top token holders gaining exclusive access to White House dinners. The project created a controversial ‘access-for-tokens’ model, raising significant ethical concerns about monetizing presidential access and potential …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationJustin SunSean CastenAdam Smithcryptogovernment-contractspolitical-fundraisingethics-violationinfluence-trading
The Trump administration initiated unprecedented legal actions challenging judicial independence, including multiple court orders blocking administrative actions and mounting tensions between the executive and judicial branches. Multiple federal courts issued restraining orders against sweeping …
Trump said he will pressure CEOs the same way he put the screws to Jeff Bezos after Amazon announced it would indicate the cost of tariffs in customer billing, if their business decisions are seen as unfriendly to his administration
A House Judiciary Committee review revealed that Trump’s pardons eliminated $1.3 billion in restitution from white-collar criminals and January 6 defendants. Notable cases include Todd Chrisley’s $17.7 million tax fraud pardon, Carlos Watson’s $36.7 million investor fraud clemency, …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationHouse Judiciary Committee DemocratsLiz Oyerpardongovernment-contractsjustice-weaponizationwhite-collar-crimejudicial-abuse
The Trump administration’s Justice Department agreed to pay nearly $5 million to settle a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Ashli Babbitt, the January 6 rioter shot by Capitol Police while attempting to breach the House chamber. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger expressed …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationMichael ByrdTom MangerAshli Babbitt+1 moreregulatory-capturegovernment-contractsjustice-weaponizationlegal-settlementcapitol-riot
The Trump family net worth has increased by $2.9 billion on the back of their several cryptocurrency ventures, including memecoin launches from the president and first lady and deals with foreign crypto firms, as the administration rolled back industry regulations
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationcryptoforeign-influencegovernment-contracts
The Trump administration proposed a $6 billion cut to NASA’s budget in 2025, strategically redirecting $1 billion towards Mars exploration while eliminating multiple ongoing scientific missions. This move aligns with Elon Musk’s SpaceX interests and represents a significant shift in …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationNASA LeadershipSpaceXElon Muskkleptocracybudget-cutsspace-explorationnasatrump-administration+1 more
In 2025, the Trump Administration has established sophisticated mechanisms for business-government coordination, including the American Growth Partnership and the Executive Branch private club. The latter, co-founded by Donald Trump Jr. and charging a $500,000 membership fee, provides wealthy CEOs …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationBusiness LeadersDonald Trump Jr.Tim Cook+3 morekleptocracytrump-administrationregulatory-capturebusiness-government-coordinationpay-to-play
World Liberty Financial co-founder Zach Witkoff–who is also Steve Witkoff’s son–announced state-backed Emirati investment firm MGX would use Trump’s stablecoin, USD1, for a $2 billion transaction with Binance. Binance, a crypto-exchange platform, has been monitored by the US government since the …
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationcryptogovernment-contractsethics-violation
Trump’s cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Financial, made $550 million through secret payments from foreign entities, including a $2 billion investment from an Abu Dhabi state-backed firm and $75 million from Chinese investor Justin Sun, raising significant conflict of interest concerns.
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationJustin SunTahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyancryptoforeign-influenceregulatory-capturegovernment-contractsconflict-of-interest
In a strategic move, Sali Berisha, an indicted Albanian opposition leader, hired Continental Strategy, a Trump-linked lobbying firm led by Chris LaCivita, to advise his party’s 2025 parliamentary election campaign. Berisha hopes to leverage these connections to potentially overturn US …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationSali BerishaChris LaCivitaKatie Wilescorruptioninternational-consultingpolitical-manipulation
Tether, a cryptocurrency firm previously under fraud investigation, has gained significant political leverage in the Trump administration’s expanding crypto regulatory environment. By hiring former Trump crypto official Bo Hines and strategically positioning itself to benefit from the new …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationBo HinesHoward LutnickTether Leadershipcryptocorruptionregulatory-capturetrump-administrationdigital-assets
Paramount’s board–which is pursuing a merger deal with Skydance that would need DOJ’s signoff–cleared the path to settle Trump’s lawsuit that accuses 60 Minutes of “deceptively” editing its pre-election interview with Kamala Harris
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
A draft bill from the House Judiciary Committee would expand Trump’s executive power by curtailing the FTC’s antitrust enforcement capabilities, aligning with broader efforts to consolidate presidential control over independent agencies
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationElon MuskHouse Judiciary Committeeregulatory-captureexecutive-powerantitrust
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is investigating 39 separate instances where the Trump administration potentially violated the Impoundment Control Act by illegally withholding over $430 billion in congressional appropriations from various federal agencies. The investigations span multiple …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationRuss VoughtGovernment Accountability OfficeRosa DeLauro+1 moregovernment-contractslegislative-captureconstitutional-crisisbudget-manipulation
Senator Elizabeth Warren marked Trump’s 100th day in office by reading a comprehensive list of 100 documented acts of corruption into the Congressional Record. The list included the mass firing of 18 Inspectors General, the Trump family’s $320+ million cryptocurrency scheme, systematic …
Elizabeth WarrenU.S. SenateDonald TrumpTrump Administrationelizabeth-warrencongressional-recordcorruption-documentationfirst-100-daysgovernment-oversight+1 more
Gavin Kliger, a Trump Administration Department of Government Efficiency aide, helped orchestrate massive layoffs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) while holding significant stock in companies the agency regulates. Kliger managed approximately 90% of over 1,400 employee …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationGavin KligerDOGEregulatory-capturecfpbtrump-administrationconflict-of-interest
Donald Trump Jr. visited Romania on April 28, 2025, as part of the ‘Trump Business Vision 2025’ tour, arriving just before the country’s rescheduled presidential election. The visit was strategically timed to counter Chinese influence in Eastern Europe, promote US business …
Donald Trump Jr.Trump AdministrationJ.D. VanceElon Muskkleptocracytrump-administrationinternational-businesselection-influence
President Trump’s $TRUMP memecoin generated nearly $900,000 in insider trading fees through a dinner contest where top 220 buyers spent over $140 million to secure an invitation. CIC Digital, a Trump Organization affiliate, receives trading revenue, raising significant ethical questions about …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationCIC DigitalAustin Ryancryptotrumpfinancial-captureregulatory-arbitrage
Trump eliminated the independent board overseeing Hatch Act violations by removing Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger and replacing OSC leadership with partisan appointees like Doug Collins and Jamieson Greer. The administration rescinded prior enforcement policies, weakening accountability for …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationHampton DellingerPaul IngrassiaDoug Collins+2 morekleptocracytrump-administrationdemocratic-erosionhatch-actinstitutional-capture
The Trump administration ordered the Department of Justice to investigate ActBlue, alleging potential illegal fundraising practices including straw donor and foreign contribution concerns. Key allegations include 237 donations from foreign IP addresses during the 2024 election cycle and claims of …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationAttorney General Pam BondiActBluekleptocracytrump-administrationpolitical-interferencefundraisingelection-integrity
President Trump announced a private dinner for the top 220 holders of his memecoin, causing the token’s price to spike 58% within an hour. The event raised significant concerns about potential market manipulation and foreign influence, prompting calls for DOJ and congressional investigations …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationCryptocurrency InvestorsSean CastenAdam Smith+4 morecryptomarket-manipulationpresidential-conflictsforeign-investment
In Q1 2025, Trump-affiliated lobbying firms like Ballard Partners and Mercury Public Affairs experienced a massive surge in profits, with Ballard Partners increasing revenues from $4.4M to $14.4M. The firms added over 120 new clients, including major corporations like JPMorgan Chase, Chevron, and …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationBrian BallardSusie WilesPam Bondiregulatory-capturelobbyingtrump-administrationpolitical-influence
A comprehensive study reveals that politically connected firms significantly benefited from Trump administration tariff exemptions, with companies making Republican political contributions receiving preferential treatment in a deliberately obscure process.
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationReyes HoldingsBallard Partnersregulatory-capturepolitical-favoritismtrade-policycorporate-lobbying
In a significant regulatory shift, Trump-allied Paul Atkins was sworn in as SEC chairman on April 22, 2025, replacing Gary Gensler. The transition signals a potential transformation in cryptocurrency and financial regulatory approaches, with Atkins indicating an immediate willingness to implement …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationPaul AtkinsGary GenslerMark Uyedacryptoregulatory-capturesectrump-administrationfinancial-regulation
Trump’s inauguration donor pool included $50 million in contributions from corporations under investigation or facing federal enforcement, 17 of which have seen their cases halted
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationgovernment-contracts