President Trump issued comprehensive federal pardons to 77 individuals involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, including his former attorney Rudy Giuliani, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Sidney Powell, John Eastman, Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, Jeffrey …
Donald TrumpRudy GiulianiMark MeadowsSidney PowellJohn Eastman+12 morepardons2020-electionaccountabilityfake-electorsinstitutional-capture+4 more
Cornell University announced a $60 million settlement with the Trump administration to restore more than $250 million in federal research funding that had been withheld amid investigations into alleged civil rights violations related to antisemitism. The agreement requires Cornell to pay $30 million …
President Trump stated he would ’love’ a third presidential term and suggested running as vice president in 2028 as a workaround to the 22nd Amendment’s two-term limit. Trump refused to clearly disavow the unconstitutional idea when pressed by reporters. The comments follow Steve …
Donald TrumpSteve Bannonauthoritarianismconstitutional-violationinstitutional-capturepower-consolidation
NPR filed suit alleging the Corporation for Public Broadcasting unlawfully canceled a $36 million satellite contract after President Trump attacked NPR and demanded defunding of public media. CPB executives privately acknowledged political pressure motivated the cancellation and consulted GOP …
Corporation for Public BroadcastingCPB executivesDonald TrumpNPRcorruptioninstitutional-capturemedia-suppressionweaponization-of-government
After urgent calls from Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, President Trump scrapped plans to deploy federal troops to San Francisco. The reversal came after a 25-minute call with Mayor Daniel Lurie, demonstrating how billionaire access …
Jensen HuangMarc BenioffMayor Daniel LurieSam AltmanTrumpabuse-of-powerconflicts-of-interestcorruptioninstitutional-captureoligarchy
MAGA-aligned lobbying firms, led by Ballard Partners (founded by Trump fundraiser Brian Ballard), have quadrupled revenue as corporations seek influence on tariffs, healthcare, and China policy through Trump’s inner circle. Major clients including Harvard, TikTok, and Fortune 500 companies pay …
Brian Ballardcorporate clientsPam BondiSusie WilesTrump Administrationconflicts-of-interestcorruptioninstitutional-capturelobbyingpay-to-play
Conservative lawyer Mike Davis announced a federal grand jury in Florida will convene in January to investigate an alleged decade-long ‘conspiracy’ against Trump involving Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco, Chris Wray, and Jack Smith. Court filings confirm the grand jury’s existence, …
Chris Wrayfederal grand juryJack SmithLisa MonacoMerrick Garland+3 morecorruptioninstitutional-capturepolitical-persecutionrule-of-law-erosionweaponization-of-government
Binance paid $450,000 to lobbying firm Checkmate Government Relations, run by Donald Trump Jr.’s ally Ches McDowell, in the months before Trump pardoned convicted money-launderer Changpeng Zhao. The lobbying campaign coincided with Binance forming a high-level task force to negotiate with …
Former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James filed coordinated motions challenging the constitutional authority of interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan to prosecute their cases, with both challenges consolidated before Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of the District of …
James ComeyLetitia JamesLindsey HalliganJudge Cameron McGowan CurrieErik Siebert+1 moredoj-weaponizationinstitutional-capturerule-of-law-erosionconstitutional-crisisappointments-clause+1 more
President Trump pardoned Binance co-founder Changpeng Zhao (‘CZ’), who had served four months in prison for enabling money laundering violations and pleading guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act. The pardon came after Binance’s extensive lobbying efforts, including hiring …
Donald TrumpChangpeng ZhaoBinanceWorld Liberty FinancialMGX+2 moresystematic-corruptionpresidential-pardonsfinancial-crimescrypto-corruptioninstitutional-capture+1 more
The Department of War accepted a $130 million anonymous donation from billionaire Timothy Mellon on October 23, 2025, to help pay U.S. service members during the government shutdown. Trump announced the donation at the White House, describing Mellon as a ‘great patriot’ and ‘friend …
Timothy MellonTrumpDepartment of DefensePentagonoligarchyprivatizationconflicts-of-interestinstitutional-capture
Reclusive billionaire Timothy Mellon donated $130 million to the Pentagon to help pay military salaries during the Trump administration’s government shutdown. The donation, accepted under the Pentagon’s gift authority, raises serious legal concerns about violating the Antideficiency Act, …
President Trump approved demolition of the 123-year-old White House East Wing to construct a 90,000-square-foot personal ballroom, with project costs escalating from $250 million to $300 million. The East Wing houses the First Lady’s offices, the Office of Social Secretary, and the historic …
Donald TrumpTreasury DepartmentWhite House Staffcorruptionabuse-of-powerself-dealinginstitutional-capture
President Trump appointed Heather Honey and Marci McCarthy—prominent 2020 election conspiracy activists—to senior DHS roles overseeing federal election integrity efforts. Both appointees actively promoted false claims about the 2020 election and participated in attempts to overturn legitimate …
Donald TrumpHeather HoneyMarci McCarthyDHSinstitutional-captureelection-interferencecorruptionconflicts-of-interestauthoritarianism
Trump officials negotiated with quantum computing firms (IonQ, Rigetti, D-Wave) to trade federal funding for government ownership stakes, mirroring state control models used by authoritarian regimes. Commerce official Paul Dabbar and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick led negotiations to embed …
Paul DabbarHoward LutnickTrump Administrationquantum computing companiescorruptionstate-captureconflicts-of-interestinstitutional-captureauthoritarian-economics
The Trump administration capped refugee admissions at 7,500 with nearly all slots reserved for Afrikaners (white South Africans), bypassing UN refugee processes and standard persecution criteria. The fast-tracking of white refugees while excluding people of color from war-torn regions demonstrates …
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth introduced a ’next generation’ Pentagon press corps dominated by far-right outlets including The Gateway Pundit, Infowars, and LindellTV after mainstream journalists rejected restrictive access rules requiring loyalty pledges. Over 30 major news outlets …
Pete HegsethPentagonmainstream media outletsfar-right mediainstitutional-captureweaponization-of-governmentmedia-suppressionauthoritarianismpropaganda
During the fourth week of the October 2025 government shutdown affecting over 700,000 federal employees, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that approximately 70,000 Department of Homeland Security law enforcement officers—including ICE deportation officers, CBP border patrol agents, Secret Service …
Kristi NoemDepartment of Homeland SecurityImmigration and Customs EnforcementCustoms and Border ProtectionSecret Service+2 moregovernment-shutdowninstitutional-captureimmigration-enforcementaccountability-crisisbudget-reconciliation+1 more
President Trump fired Parisa Salehi, Export-Import Bank inspector general, as part of broader oversight elimination that has removed or sidelined approximately two dozen inspectors general. The administration has defunded watchdog councils responsible for coordinating independent oversight across …
Donald TrumpParisa SalehiInspectors Generalinstitutional-capturecorruptionpower-consolidationaccountability-elimination
President Trump is seeking $230 million in taxpayer funds from the Justice Department as ‘compensation’ for past federal investigations into his conduct. The payout would be approved by former Trump defense lawyers now occupying senior DOJ positions, creating severe ethical conflicts …
Donald TrumpDOJformer Trump defense lawyerscorruptionconflicts-of-interestinstitutional-captureself-dealingabuse-of-power
The Campaign Legal Center requested investigation into Tom Homan and Mark Hall for possible ethics violations after revelations that both officials had prior financial connections to firms now seeking multimillion-dollar detention contracts with DHS. The request raises concerns about conflicts of …
Tom HomanMark HallCampaign Legal CenterDHSprivate detention contractorsconflicts-of-interestcorruptioninstitutional-captureself-dealing
President Trump hosted defense and technology executives at a White House ballroom fundraiser for his $250 million renovation project, with major donors including Lockheed Martin, Amazon, Meta, Google, and Palantir. Google’s $22 million settlement with Trump for social media suspension …
Donald TrumpGoogleAmazonMetaLockheed Martin+2 morecorruptionconflicts-of-interestpay-to-playinstitutional-captureself-dealing
Reuters revealed that 39 officials spanning the White House, DOJ, CIA, FBI, and intelligence agencies coordinate Trump’s systematic retaliation against perceived enemies from the Russia probe and January 6 investigations through a secret ‘Interagency Weaponization Working Group.’ …
North Carolina Republicans advanced mid-decade congressional redistricting explicitly designed to eliminate the seat of Black Democratic Representative Don Davis and secure another House seat for the GOP. State Senator Ralph Hise openly acknowledged the partisan motivation, making no attempt to …
North Carolina Republican PartySen. Ralph HiseRep. Don Daviscorruptionvoter-suppressionracial-discriminationinstitutional-captureelection-manipulation
Former Social Security Administration chief data officer Charles Borges revealed that Elon Musk’s DOGE operatives uploaded hundreds of millions of Americans’ personal data from SSA systems to an unsecured cloud server, creating a massive security breach. Borges resigned after facing …
Immigration and Customs Enforcement increased its weapons budget to over $71 million—a 700% surge—including acquisitions of guided missile warheads and explosive components. The massive militarization of immigration enforcement signals preparation for violent mass operations rather than traditional …
The Federal Trade Commission deleted blog posts warning consumers about AI fraud, algorithmic bias, and corporate surveillance published under former Chair Lina Khan. The purge potentially violates federal record-keeping laws and shields tech companies from regulatory accountability. FTC’s …
Elizabeth Yusi, assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia’s Norfolk office, was terminated along with her deputy Kristin Bird for resisting Trump administration pressure to bring mortgage fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James. Yusi authored an internal …
Elizabeth YusiKristin BirdLetitia JamesTrumpDepartment of Justiceweaponization-of-governmentinstitutional-capturepolitical-retaliationobstruction-of-justice
The Senate approved Douglas Troutman, chief lobbyist for the American Cleaning Institute, to lead EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. Troutman previously fought California’s hazardous ingredient disclosure laws on behalf of chemical manufacturers, representing …
Douglas TroutmanAmerican Cleaning InstituteSenateEPAinstitutional-captureregulatory-captureconflicts-of-interestcorruption
Federal prosecutor Elizabeth Yusi was purged from her position after refusing President Trump’s demand to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James without evidence of criminal conduct. Trump loyalist Lindsey Halligan—a former Trump personal attorney with no prosecutorial …
Elizabeth YusiDonald TrumpLetitia JamesLindsey HalliganDOJweaponization-of-governmentinstitutional-capturepolitical-persecutioncorruption
ProPublica investigation revealed that Trump’s budget director Russell Vought controls federal funding and employment decisions to systematically dismantle agencies and purge staff deemed insufficiently loyal. Vought, a self-described Christian nationalist, wields unchecked power over the …
Russell VoughtDonald TrumpElon MuskOMBcorruptioninstitutional-capturepower-consolidationauthoritarianismunelected-influence
President Trump replaced the federal hiring freeze with an executive order mandating that political appointees approve all new government hires through ‘strategic hiring committees,’ converting civil service into a partisan screening mechanism. The order transforms federal employment …
Donald TrumpPolitical AppointeesFederal Agenciesinstitutional-capturecorruptionabuse-of-powerauthoritarianism
President Trump publicly named Jack Smith, Andrew Weissmann, and Lisa Monaco as targets for federal prosecution while Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel stood silently beside him, signaling their complicity. The public targeting of former prosecutors and Justice Department …
Donald TrumpPam BondiKash PatelJack SmithAndrew Weissmann+1 morecorruptioninstitutional-captureweaponization-of-governmentabuse-of-powerrule-of-law-erosion
President Trump signed an executive order titled ‘Ensuring Continued Accountability in Federal Hiring’ on October 15, 2025, extending the federal hiring freeze and requiring all federal hiring decisions to be approved by ‘Strategic Hiring Committees’ consisting of senior …
Donald TrumpWhite HouseOffice of Personnel Managementexecutive-powerexecutive-ordersinstitutional-capturesystematic-corruption
Trump officials announced plans to remake the IRS to investigate liberal donors and nonprofit organizations, including specifically targeting George Soros and affiliated groups. The scheme involves replacing agency lawyers with political loyalists under the guise of ’terrorism financing’ …
Donald TrumpScott BessentGary ShapleyIRSGeorge Soroscorruptioninstitutional-captureweaponization-of-governmentpolitical-persecutionabuse-of-power
Florida officials concealed a $608 million federal funding request for an immigration detention facility nicknamed ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ misleading courts about federal involvement to bypass environmental safeguards and legal challenges. The DeSantis administration’s secrecy …
Within 48 hours in mid-October, Trump purged thousands of federal workers, threatened massive China tariffs, and ordered prosecution of New York’s attorney general despite prosecutors’ objections. Business leaders responded with donations and silence rather than resistance, demonstrating …
Donald TrumpNew York Attorney GeneralFederal WorkforceBusiness Leadersinstitutional-capturesystematic-corruptionauthoritarianismconstitutional-crisis
Budget chief Russell Vought is systematically using government shutdown authority to cancel contracts, freeze billions in congressionally approved funds, and secretly withhold ‘$5 billion in foreign aid through pocket rescissions,’ completely bypassing Congressional oversight. This …
Russell VoughtOffice of Management and BudgetCongressinstitutional-captureexecutive-overreachconstitutional-crisiscongressional-authority-subversion
Dominion Voting Systems was sold to Liberty Vote, led by former GOP elections director Scott Leiendecker. The new ownership pledged alignment with Trump’s contested election directives that have been deemed unconstitutional by courts. The sale of a major voting systems company to partisan …
Scott LeiendeckerDominion Voting SystemsLiberty VoteTrump Administrationelection-integrityinstitutional-capturesystematic-corruptionvoting-systems
Paul Ingrassia, Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel (which oversees federal whistleblower protections and discrimination cases), faced allegations of sexually harassing a colleague during a DHS trip by allegedly canceling her hotel room. The irony of nominating someone …
Paul IngrassiaOffice of Special CounselTrump Administrationinstitutional-captureworkplace-harassmentwhistleblower-protection-erosionappointee-misconduct
The Justice Department indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution, alleging she misled a bank by stating a Norfolk, Virginia property would be a second home rather than an investment property, saving …
The FBI terminated two special agents involved in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s January 6 investigation after they reviewed Republican lawmakers’ phone records as part of the probe. A third agent may face similar action. The firings represent systematic retaliation against law enforcement …
Kash PatelFBIJack SmithFBI Special Agentsinstitutional-capturefbi-weaponizationaccountability-dismantlingjanuary-6-aftermath
On October 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia indicted New York Attorney General Letitia James on charges of bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution. The indictment alleges that James misrepresented a Norfolk, Virginia home she purchased in …
Letitia JamesDepartment of JusticeDonald TrumpPam BondiU.S. Attorney's Office Eastern District of Virginia+1 moredojindictmentpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-capturebank-fraud+1 more
A public Truth Social post from Trump intended as a private message to Attorney General Pam Bondi exposed direct presidential control over specific criminal prosecutions. The post explicitly demanded investigations of political enemies, revealing Trump’s hands-on direction of Justice …
Donald TrumpPam BondiDOJdoj-weaponizationinstitutional-capturepolitical-prosecutionrule-of-law-erosion
Turkish President Erdoğan publicly stated that Trump promised to end the Halkbank sanctions-evasion prosecution despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing the case to proceed. The state-run Turkish bank faced accusations of laundering billions of dollars for Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. …
Donald TrumpRecep Tayyip ErdoğanHalkbankDOJdoj-weaponizationforeign-influencesanctions-violationsinstitutional-capture
The White House withdrew Brian Quintenz’s nomination to lead the Commodity Futures Trading Commission after conflicts with crypto billionaires Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, leaving the critical financial regulatory agency with only an acting chair and effectively leaderless. The withdrawal …
Brian QuintenzTyler WinklevossCameron WinklevossWhite HouseCFTC+1 moreregulatory-capturecrypto-corruptionbillionaire-influenceinstitutional-capture
The Justice Department reassigned prosecutors from North Carolina to lead the case against James Comey following internal upheaval after Trump appointee Lindsey Halligan pushed through the indictment over career prosecutors’ objections. The reassignment followed the purge of two senior …
On October 7, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in a contentious oversight hearing marked by sharp Democratic criticism of the Justice Department’s targeting of President Trump’s political opponents. The hearing came one day before former …
Pam BondiSenate Judiciary CommitteeDepartment of JusticeDick DurbinRichard Blumenthal+1 moredojcongressional-oversightpolitical-prosecutioninstitutional-captureweaponization+1 more
Blackstone CEO and Trump ally Stephen Schwarzman emerged as key broker between Harvard University and the White House over billions in frozen federal research funds. Schwarzman negotiated terms for restoring the funding, conditioning it on Harvard’s institutional adoption of Trump …
Stephen SchwarzmanBlackstoneHarvard UniversityWhite HouseTrump Administrationinstitutional-captureacademic-freedom-erosionbillionaire-influencesystematic-corruption
Two senior prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia were purged after Trump allies targeted their past work and they resisted pressure to charge political enemies. One national security attorney was removed within hours after right-wing activists flagged his résumé; another resisted pressure …
Lindsey HalliganJames ComeyLetitia JamesEastern District of VirginiaCareer Prosecutorsinstitutional-capturedoj-weaponizationrule-of-law-erosionpolitical-prosecution