On September 26, 2025, Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform led a coalition of 35 conservative organizations—including Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity—in sending a letter to President Trump urging him to let enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits expire in December …
Grover NorquistAmericans for Tax ReformClub for GrowthAmericans for ProsperityDavid McIntosh+2 moreinstitutional-captureregulatory-capturetax-policyhealthcarekleptocracy+2 more
Trump convened an Oval Office meeting on Gaza’s future with Jared Kushner, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. During discussions, Trump floated expelling Palestinian residents and redeveloping Gaza into a luxury resort, …
MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC, raised $177 million in the first half of this year from donors who have exchanged their patronage for access to the president–and, at times, policy outcomes, pardons, and ambassadorships
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
Trump Mobile, led by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., launched a comprehensive wireless service offering a $499 smartphone, $47.45 monthly plan, and bundled services including telehealth and car insurance. The venture operates on Liberty Mobile’s network and targets conservative consumers with …
Eric TrumpDonald Trump Jr.Pat O'BrienDon HendricksonEric Thomaskleptocracytrump-administrationtelecommunicationsbrand-expansionmonetization
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
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
Qatar gave Donald Trump a $400 million Boeing 747 as a replacement for Air Force One, which Trump plans to keep as part of his presidential library after leaving office. The gift was certified as legal by Attorney General Pam Bondi, herself a former lobbyist for Qatar.
Donald TrumpQatarPam Bondipam-bondicorruptionqatarkleptocracyair-force-one+1 more
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
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
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
Donald Trump Jr. launched ‘Executive Branch’, an exclusive private club in Georgetown for ultra-wealthy Trump allies, with a $500,000 membership fee and founding members including tech moguls David Sacks, Chamath Palihapitiya, and the Winklevoss twins.
Donald Trump Jr.Christopher BuskirkOmeed MalikAlex WitkoffZach Witkoffkleptocracytrump-administrationpolitical-networkingprivate-club
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
Antonio Gracias and Valor Equity Partners are selling access to tightly controlled shares in Musk’s private companies like SpaceX and xAI. The deal involves a limited partnership holding $250 million in xAI shares and $750 million in SpaceX shares, with a minimum $1 million investment …
For the first time in White House history, the Easter Egg Roll is sold to corporate sponsors, with tech giants Meta, Amazon, and YouTube purchasing sponsorships ranging from $75,000 to $200,000, raising significant ethical concerns about monetizing public events.
Donald TrumpMelania TrumpAmazonMetaYouTube+1 morekleptocracytrump-administrationexecutive-powercorporate-influencemonetization
The Trump administration lifted US sanctions against Antal Rogán, a top Hungarian government official previously sanctioned for corruption, signaling a significant shift in diplomatic approach toward Hungary and potentially demonstrating geopolitical leverage.
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationAntal RogánViktor OrbánMarco Rubiokleptocracysanctionsforeign-policytrump-administration
Former Democratic donor and Silicon Valley investor Chamath Palihapitiya bragged on a podcast that his donations to Trump now grant him direct access to top White House officials, including the deputy chief of staff, citing a recent call made on behalf of a friend affected by tariffs
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationkleptocracycorruption
Hours before announcing a 90-day tariff pause that sent markets soaring, Trump posted “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT” on Truth Social; the S&P 500 jumped 9.5%, with Trump Media stock skyrocketing 22.7%, netting Trump—via his 53% stake—over $400 million in a day
Donald TrumpTrump Administrationcorruptionkleptocracy
Elon Musk’s America PAC launched a controversial campaign offering Wisconsin voters $100 to sign a petition against ‘activist judges’, directly targeting the April 1 Wisconsin Supreme Court election. The campaign involves a $1 million voter outreach strategy, including $100 per …
Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened Tesla vandals with severe federal charges, characterizing the property destruction as potential ‘domestic terrorism’. The investigation targets coordinated attacks on Tesla vehicles and infrastructure across multiple states, with potential 20-year …
The Trump administration fired hundreds of FAA air traffic control staff while bringing in three SpaceX engineers as Special Government Employees, raising significant regulatory capture concerns. These engineers were allowed to review air traffic control systems despite potential conflicts of …
Donald TrumpElon MuskSean DuffyBrady GlantzTheodore Malaska+1 morekleptocracyregulatory-capturetech-industryfaatrump-administration
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 TrumpElon MuskRobert StorchPhyllis FongSergio Gor+4 morekleptocracyoversight-obstructioninspector-general-purgeinstitutional-capturegovernment-accountability+2 more
On February 5, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the immediate dissolution of the KleptoCapture Task Force, a critical anti-corruption initiative established in 2022 to enforce sanctions on Russian oligarchs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The shutdown marks a significant …
Pam BondiDonald TrumpMerrick GarlandGary KalmanAaron Zelinsky+2 moreinstitutional-captureanti-corruptionkleptocracysanctionsrussia+2 more
Trump launched a cryptocurrency memecoin right before his inauguration to make millions of dollars, then increased the value of those coins by signing executive orders making crypto a priority. He also launched a meme coin for Melania Trump.
Donald TrumpMelania Trumptrump-memecoincorruptiontrump-coinfinancial-conflictsmarket-manipulation+11 more
North Carolina’s SB 382, deceptively framed as “disaster relief,” transferred power to appoint State Board of Elections members from Democratic Governor Josh Stein to Republican State Auditor Dave Boliek, effective May 2025. Unprecedented power grab enacted after Democrats won …
North Carolina LegislatureJosh Stein (Governor-elect)Roy Cooper (Governor)Dave Boliek (State Auditor)power-grabelection-boardinstitutional-capturelame-ducknorth-carolina+2 more
Brennan Center for Justice documented record-breaking dark money spending of $1.9 billion in 2024 federal election cycle, nearly doubling previous record. Dark money groups contributed $1.3 billion to super PACs, more than prior two election cycles combined, often routed through shell companies to …
Dark money groupsFidelityCharles SchwabVanguardProject 2025 groups+1 moredark-moneycampaign-financeproject-2025electoral-corruptiondonor-advised-funds+1 more
U.S. Supreme Court allowed Virginia to purge over 1,600 voters within federally protected 90-day “quiet period” before 2024 election in 6-3 emergency decision, overturning lower court rulings in Beals v. Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights. Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive …
U.S. Supreme CourtGlenn Youngkin (Governor)Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rightsvoter-purgesupreme-courtnvra-violationnaturalized-citizensvoter-suppression+2 more
Georgia State Election Board with Republican majority including Janelle King, Janice Johnston, and Rick Jeffares passed multiple illegal rules between July and September 2024 coordinated with Republican National Committee. Rules included hand-count ballot requirements, “reasonable …
Georgia State Election BoardJanelle KingJanice JohnstonRick JeffaresRepublican National Committee+1 moreelection-boardregulatory-captureelection-sabotagegeorgiaillegal-rules+2 more
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists releases its Cyprus Confidential investigation exposing Wyoming as America’s premier secrecy jurisdiction, having overtaken Delaware for the most corporate registrations per capita. Analysis by corporate data firm OpenCorporates shows …
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)ConnectedSkyWyoming LegislatureOpenCorporatesTransparency Internationalwyomingtax-havenmoney-launderingllcshell-companies+5 more
January 6th Committee investigation found tech platforms systematically bent rules to avoid penalizing conservative content out of fear of political reprisals. Internal documents revealed Facebook maintained “white lists” exempting conservative accounts (Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., …
Twitter/XFacebook/MetaHouse January 6th CommitteeEric TrumpDonald Trump Jr.+2 moreplatform-captureconservative-biasregulatory-capturesocial-media-manipulationpolitical-favoritism+2 more
House January 6th Committee’s second hearing revealed Trump raised $250 million post-election through fraudulent “Official Election Defense Fund” that never existed. Committee found Trump’s team sent up to 25 fraudulent fundraising emails daily, raising $100 million in first …
Donald TrumpTrump CampaignSave America PACHouse January 6th CommitteeZoe Lofgren+1 morefraudcampaign-financekleptocracyjanuary-6-committeebig-lie+2 more
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released the Pandora Papers, the largest offshore data leak in history, containing 11.9 million files from 14 financial services companies across multiple jurisdictions. The investigation exposed the secret offshore affairs of 35 …
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)King Abdullah II of JordanAndrej BabišSebastián PiñeraVolodymyr Zelensky+3 morecorruptionoffshore-financetax-avoidancepandora-paperskleptocracy+2 more
Environmental lawyer Jeffrey Clark attempted to use the Department of Justice to overturn the 2020 election by sending false fraud letters to swing states. Clark drafted a letter falsely claiming DOJ had identified ‘significant concerns’ about the election and urging Georgia to convene a …
Jeffrey ClarkDonald TrumpJeffrey RosenRichard DonoghueDepartment of Justiceconstitutional-crisisinstitutional-capturecoup-attemptjanuary-6kleptocracy+6 more
Russian aluminum giant Rusal announces a $200 million investment in Kentucky’s Braidy Industries aluminum mill project, taking a 40 percent equity stake just three months after the Trump administration lifts sanctions on the company. Rusal was sanctioned in April 2018 because its major …
RusalOleg DeripaskaEn+ GroupBraidy IndustriesMitch McConnell+2 morecorruptionkentuckyrussiasanctions-evasionpolitical-influence+3 more
Malaysian authorities charged former Prime Minister Najib Razak with criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund scandal. On July 4th, 2018, Najib appeared in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, pleading not guilty to …
Najib RazakJho LowRosmah MansorTim LeissnerRoger Ng+4 more1mdbmalaysianajib-razakcorruptionmoney-laundering+4 more
Trump called White House Counsel Don McGahn at home and directed him to call Acting Attorney General and say Special Counsel had conflicts of interest and must be removed. McGahn refused, deciding he would resign rather than trigger what he viewed as potential “Saturday Night Massacre” …
Donald TrumpDon McGahnRod RosensteinRob Porterobstruction-of-justicemueller-investigationsaturday-night-massacrewitness-tamperingdocument-falsification+2 more
Trump fired FBI Director James Comey while under FBI investigation for Russian connections. Day after firing, Trump told Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov and Ambassador Kislyak in Oval Office that he had “faced great pressure because of Russia” which had been “taken off” by …
Donald TrumpJames ComeySergey LavrovSergey KislyakRod Rosensteinobstruction-of-justicereferee-neutralizationrussia-investigationfbiinstitutional-capture+1 more
Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin announces that Braidy Industries, a new venture led by metals industry veteran Craig Bouchard, will build what is described as “the most sophisticated aluminum mill in the world” in Greenup County near Ashland, promising 600 well-paying jobs. One week later, …
Matt BevinCraig BouchardBraidy IndustriesKentucky LegislatureMitch McConnell+1 morecrony-capitalismkentuckycorporate-welfarestate-capturekleptocracy+2 more
Donald Trump Jr. accepted meeting at Trump Tower after being promised “official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary” as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.” Meeting included Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, Rinat …
Donald Trump Jr.Jared KushnerPaul ManafortNatalia VeselnitskayaRinat Akhmetshin+2 moreforeign-interferencecampaign-finance-violationrussian-collusionobstructiondisinformation+1 more
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released the Panama Papers, a collection of 11.5 million leaked documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. The documents revealed how wealthy individuals and public officials used offshore shell companies to hide assets …
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ)Mossack FonsecaVladimir PutinPetro PoroshenkoNawaz Sharif+3 morecorruptionoffshore-financemoney-launderingtax-evasionleaks+2 more
Between 2005 and 2024, the United States operated a two-tiered bankruptcy system that weaponized debt against students and working Americans while preserving bankruptcy as a strategic wealth-preservation tool for corporations and the wealthy—a defining example of 21st century American kleptocracy. …
Corinthian CollegesITT TechUniversity of PhoenixPurdue PharmaSackler Family+2 morebankruptcy-lawstudent-debtcorporate-fraudinequalitykleptocracy
Boris Yeltsin resigned as President of Russia on December 31, 1999, elevating Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to Acting President six months before scheduled elections. The succession had been carefully engineered by Yeltsin’s oligarchic allies, known as ’the family,’ who began …
Boris YeltsinVladimir PutinBoris BerezovskyVladimir GusinskyMikhail Khodorkovsky+2 morerussiaputinyeltsinoligarchskleptocracy+5 more
Boris Yeltsin won re-election as President of Russia in a stunning comeback victory engineered and bankrolled by a coalition of seven oligarchs who became known as the ‘Semibankirshchina’ (seven-banker outfit). Despite approval ratings below 10% earlier in the year, Yeltsin defeated …
Boris YeltsinBoris BerezovskyMikhail KhodorkovskyVladimir GusinskyVladimir Potanin+3 morerussiaoligarchssemibankirshchinaelectionsyeltsin+4 more
The Russian government under President Boris Yeltsin implemented the ’loans-for-shares’ privatization scheme between November and December 1995, auctioning twelve of Russia’s most profitable industrial enterprises—including mining, steel, shipping, and oil companies—to a small …
Boris YeltsinVladimir PotaninMikhail KhodorkovskyBoris BerezovskyRoman Abramovich+3 morerussiaoligarchsloans-for-sharesprivatizationcorruption+5 more