FDA Commissioner Robert Califf faces ongoing criticism for his extensive pharmaceutical industry ties. Having received over $8 million from drug companies and worked as a consultant for major pharmaceutical firms, Califf pledged to extend post-employment restrictions from 2 to 4 years to mitigate …
Robert CaliffFDAVerily Life SciencesJoe ManchinBernie Sandersregulatory-capturepharmaceutical-industryfdacorporate-influencegovernment-ethics
OpenAI formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. AI Safety Institute at NIST, establishing an unprecedented framework for pre-release AI model testing and safety evaluation. The agreement represents a strategic approach to industry self-regulation, allowing OpenAI to …
Sam AltmanOpenAIU.S. AI Safety InstituteNISTElizabeth Kelly+1 moreai-governanceregulatory-captureai-safetytech-oligarchygovernment-partnerships+1 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
Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, sold 2,000 shares of Visa worth between $500,000 and $1 million on July 1, 2024. This transaction became controversial when the Department of Justice filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Visa on September 24, alleging monopolization of …
Paul PelosiNancy PelosiRick ScottVisa Inc.Department of Justice+1 morecongressional-corruptioninsider-tradingmarket-manipulationregulatory-capturedoj-investigation+1 more
In a landmark 6-2 decision, the Supreme Court overruled the 40-year-old Chevron deference doctrine in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, fundamentally altering the balance of power between courts and federal agencies. The ruling requires courts to independently interpret ambiguous statutes rather …
Clarence ThomasSamuel AlitoChief Justice John RobertsSupreme CourtKoch Network+1 morejudicial-capturesupreme-courtchevron-deferenceregulatory-capturekoch-influence+2 more
Comprehensive research reveals a systematic corruption pattern in Hurricane Katrina’s education system transformation. Academic studies and journalistic investigations document how disaster was strategically used to rapidly privatize New Orleans public schools. Before Katrina, the school …
Louisiana State LegislatureCharter School AdvocatesRight-Wing Think TanksNew Orleans School Boardsystematic-corruptioninstitutional-captureeducation-privatizationcharter-schoolsregulatory-capture
While no specific FTC investigation was definitively confirmed in 2024, xAI’s Grok AI faced increasing regulatory attention from multiple agencies. The AI chatbot encountered potential regulatory challenges related to content generation practices, data privacy, and AI safety, particularly in …
Elon MuskxAIFTCIrish Data Protection CommissionAI Regulatory Bodiesai-regulationtech-oversightconsumer-protectiondata-privacyregulatory-capture
The Boeing 737 MAX scandal represents the deadliest case of regulatory capture and corporate crime in modern aviation history. Between 2011 and 2024, Boeing’s decision to prioritize profit over safety killed 346 people, cost $2.5 billion in fines, and resulted in zero criminal prosecutions of …
BoeingFederal Aviation Administration346 crash victimsDennis MuilenburgDepartment of Justice+3 moreboeing737-maxregulatory-capturecorporate-crimeexecutive-impunity+2 more
A door plug blew out of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 MAX 9, at 16,000 feet during climb six minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. The explosive decompression ripped the door plug from the fuselage, leaving a gaping hole in the aircraft. Miraculously, all 171 passengers and 6 crew …
Alaska AirlinesBoeingSpirit AeroSystemsFederal Aviation AdministrationNational Transportation Safety Board+1 moreboeing737-maxalaska-airlinesdoor-plugmanufacturing-defect+2 more
A comprehensive analysis of 2023 reveals a significant decline in regulatory enforcement actions across multiple federal agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other regulatory bodies show a marked reduction in total enforcement actions, with a strategic pivot towards fewer but more …
Internal agency data reveals dramatic decline in enforcement actions related to Putin’s Graduate Education in American Shock Therapy (1993-1999). New leadership implements ‘industry-friendly’ approach, reducing penalties and settlement amounts while increasing industry consultation …
Internal agency data reveals a dramatic decline in FDA enforcement actions against pharmaceutical companies. Annual warning letters dropped from over 130 in the late 1990s to just three in 2023, indicating a significant reduction in regulatory oversight. Investigations by ProPublica and HHS show …
Regulatory Enforcement DivisionIndustry Trade GroupsCongressional OversightFDA LeadershipPharmaceutical Manufacturers Associationenforcement-declineregulatory-captureindustry-influenceoversight-failurepharmaceutical-industry+1 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
Dr. Robert Califf confirmed as FDA Commissioner by a narrow Senate vote of 50-46, highlighting ongoing concerns about pharmaceutical industry regulatory capture. Historical evidence suggests a systemic ‘revolving door’ between FDA and pharmaceutical companies, with approximately 27% of …
Robert CaliffSenateFDA LeadershipPharmaceutical Industry Executivesregulatory-capturerevolving-doorpharmaceutical-industryconflict-of-interestsenate-confirmation
Comprehensive analysis of Biden administration’s 2022 financial disclosures reveals a complex landscape of potential conflicts of interest and efforts to mitigate them. The Office of Government Ethics certified financial reports showing high compliance, with 48 out of 56 White House assistants …
Biden AdministrationOffice of Government EthicsRegulatory AgenciesPolitical AppointeesAntony Blinken+3 moreregulatory-capturerevolving-doorpersonnelconflict-of-interestethics-disclosure+1 more
Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), a special purpose acquisition company, announced its agreement to merge with Trump Media & Technology Group Corp (TMTG), bringing Trump’s Truth Social platform public. The announcement triggered massive trading volume and price volatility, with DWAC …
Donald TrumpDigital World Acquisition CorpTrump Media & Technology GroupSECBruce Garelick+1 morespac-fraudtruth-socialdwacregulatory-capturetrump-media+1 more
Former FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who led the agency during the Emergency Use Authorization of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines, took an executive-level position as Chief Medical Officer with Flagship Pioneering, the venture capital firm that launched Moderna. This transition occurred six …
Stephen HahnFlagship PioneeringModernaFood and Drug AdministrationNoubar Afeyan+1 moreregulatory-capturepharmaceutical-industryrevolving-doorcovid-19fda
In September 2021, Boston Federal Reserve President Eric Rosengren resigned amid a trading scandal revealing he actively traded Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and mortgage-backed securities during 2020, while the Federal Reserve was simultaneously purchasing such assets. A 2024 watchdog …
Eric RosengrenFederal Reserve Bank of BostonRobert KaplanJerome Powellfederal-reservetrading-scandalconflict-of-interesteric-rosengrenboston-fed+3 more
Dr. Stephen Hahn, former FDA Commissioner who led the agency during COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations, joined Flagship Pioneering as Chief Medical Officer on June 16, 2021. The move came six months after the FDA granted emergency use authorization to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. …
Stephen HahnFlagship PioneeringModernaFDAregulatory-capturepharmaceutical-industryconflict-of-interestcovid-pandemicfda-oversight
In January 2021, the Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) granted Robinhood an unprecedented $9.7 billion collateral waiver during the GameStop short squeeze. This extraordinary measure prevented Robinhood from defaulting on its regulatory obligations, revealing significant gaps in …
Robinhood FinancialDTCCDan Gallagher (Robinhood Chief Legal Officer)U.S. House Committee on Financial Servicesfinancial-regulationrobinhooddtccgamestop-short-squeezeregulatory-capture
Harvard researchers calculated that Trump’s environmental rollbacks would cause 80,000 excess deaths per decade from increased air pollution, with 18,000 deaths from repealing the Clean Power Plan alone. The administration reversed or weakened over 100 environmental regulations, including …
Donald TrumpEPAScott PruittAndrew WheelerDavid Bernhardt+1 moreenvironmental-destructionpublic-healthclimate-changemass-deathregulatory-capture
The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure released its final 238-page report on the Boeing 737 MAX disasters, concluding that the crashes “were the horrific culmination of a series of faulty technical assumptions by Boeing’s engineers, a lack of transparency on the part of …
House Transportation and Infrastructure CommitteeRepresentative Peter DeFazioRepresentative Rick LarsenFederal Aviation AdministrationBoeing+1 moreboeingfaaregulatory-capture737-maxcongressional-investigation+1 more
Boeing released hundreds of internal messages to Congressional investigators and the FAA on January 9, 2020, revealing that employees knew the 737 MAX was unsafe, mocked regulators, and conspired to deceive certification authorities. In one April 2017 exchange, just before the aircraft’s first …
Boeing employeesFederal Aviation AdministrationDepartment of JusticeHouse Transportation CommitteeSenator Richard Blumenthalboeing737-maxinternal-communicationsregulatory-capturefraud+1 more
Boeing’s Board of Directors fired CEO Dennis Muilenburg on December 23, 2019, over his handling of the 737 MAX crisis that killed 346 people in two crashes. Despite presiding over the deadliest corporate safety scandal in aviation history, Muilenburg departed with approximately $62 million in …
Dennis MuilenburgBoeing Board of DirectorsDavid Calhoun346 crash victimsVictims' familiesboeingexecutive-compensationimpunity737-maxcorporate-crime+1 more
Mark Zuckerberg conducts secret, unreported meetings with Donald Trump, Jared Kushner, and Facebook board member Peter Thiel at the White House to negotiate content moderation policies and regulatory pressure. According to later reporting, Zuckerberg promises to avoid fact-checking political speech …
Mark ZuckerbergDonald TrumpJared KushnerPeter ThielFacebook+1 morefacebooktrump-administrationregulatory-capturepolitical-influencewhite-house+3 more
The FTC announces a record $5 billion fine against Facebook for privacy violations related to Cambridge Analytica, but grants unprecedented immunity from personal liability to Mark Zuckerberg and other executives for past misconduct while imposing no structural changes to the company’s …
FacebookMark ZuckerbergFederal Trade CommissionRohit ChopraRebecca Kelly Slaughter+1 morefacebookftcregulatory-capturefineszuckerberg-immunity+4 more
On July 23, 2019, the Senate voted 90-8 to confirm Mark Esper as Secretary of Defense, installing a former Raytheon weapons lobbyist as head of the Pentagon with authority over approximately $700 billion in annual defense spending including contracts worth tens of billions to his former employer. …
Mark EsperRaytheonDonald TrumpElizabeth WarrenLindsey Grahamrevolving-doorraytheondefense-contractorspentagonmark-esper+2 more
Pfizer announced that Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who served as FDA Commissioner from May 2017 to April 2019, would join the pharmaceutical giant’s board of directors as an independent member. The appointment came just 85 days after Gottlieb resigned from the FDA, raising immediate concerns about …
Dr. Scott GottliebFDAPfizerSenator Elizabeth Warrenregulatory-capturefdapharmaceuticalsrevolving-doorboard-appointment+1 more
Scott Gottlieb, former FDA Commissioner, joined Pfizer’s board of directors on June 27, 2019, just 85 days after leaving the FDA. The move sparked significant criticism about the ‘revolving door’ between government regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies. Gottlieb will …
Scott GottliebElizabeth WarrenPfizer Board of DirectorsFood and Drug Administrationregulatory-capturepharmaceutical-industryrevolving-doorfdaconflict-of-interest
On June 19, 2019, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler signed the Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, replacing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan with regulations designed to extend the lifetimes of heavily polluting coal-fired power plants. The ACE Rule established no meaningful limits on carbon pollution …
Andrew WheelerEnvironmental Protection AgencyDonald TrumpCoal IndustryScott Pruittclimate-denialeparegulatory-captureenvironmental-destructioncoal-industry+1 more
Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as Interior Secretary despite him having the most
conflicts of interest of any Trump Cabinet nominee - 27 former clients and employers
actively lobbying the Interior Department. A former oil and gas lobbyist, Bernhardt
had so many potential conflicts he literally …
David BernhardtDonald TrumpDepartment of InteriorHalliburtonWestlands Water Districtregulatory-captureconflict-of-interestoil-and-gasinterior-departmentrevolving-door+2 more
The Federal Aviation Administration finally grounded the Boeing 737 MAX on March 13, 2019, three days after the Ethiopian Airlines crash and only after 51 other countries had already banned the aircraft. China acted first on March 11, followed by Indonesia, Singapore, India, the European Union, …
Federal Aviation AdministrationBoeingActing FAA Administrator Dan ElwellEuropean Union Aviation Safety AgencyCivil Aviation Administration of China+2 morefaaboeing737-maxregulatory-captureaviation-safety+1 more
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing all 157 people aboard from 35 countries. The crash was caused by the same MCAS (Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System) malfunction that downed Lion Air Flight 610 five …
Ethiopian AirlinesBoeingFederal Aviation AdministrationMCAS system157 victims from 35 countries+1 moreboeing737-maxmcasethiopian-airlinesaviation-safety+3 more
While seeking federal approval of the T-Mobile–Sprint merger, T-Mobile executives sharply increased spending at Trump International Hotel in Washington—about $195,000 on rooms, meeting space, and services—according to company letters and reporting. The company said the stays did not affect the …
T-Mobile USSprintTrump International Hotel WashingtonFCCDOJ Antitrust Division+2 moremerger-reviewlobbyingconflictscorporate-influenceregulatory-capture
Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), President Trump’s first congressional supporter, was indicted for an insider trading scheme involving Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian biotechnology company where he served on the board. On June 22, 2017, while attending a Congressional Picnic at the White …
Chris CollinsCameron CollinsStephen ZarskyInnate ImmunotherapeuticsGeoffrey S. Berman+1 morecongressional-corruptioninsider-tradingprosecutionsregulatory-capturewhite-collar-crime
Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), President Trump’s first congressional supporter, was charged with insider trading related to his position on the board of Australian biotechnology company Innate Immunotherapeutics. On June 22, 2017, while attending a Congressional Picnic at the White House, …
Chris CollinsCameron CollinsStephen ZarskyInnate Immunotherapeuticscongressional-corruptioninsider-tradingprosecutionsregulatory-capture
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 CommissionExxonMobilDonald TrumpRex Tillersonclimate-denialexxonknewregulatory-captureaccountability-failuretrump-administration
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 AgencyFaegre 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 AgencyAndrew Wheelercorruptioneparegulatory-captureethics-violationcabinet-scandal+2 more
The FCC’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” order officially takes effect, eliminating the Title II net neutrality protections that had prohibited internet service providers from blocking, throttling, or creating paid “fast lanes” for content delivery. Nearly six months …
Federal Communications CommissionAjit PaiComcast CorporationVerizon CommunicationsAT&Tnet-neutralityfcctelecommunicationsregulatory-captureajit-pai+1 more
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City reversed its 2017 denial and approved Reserve Trust Company’s master account application in May 2018, approximately nine months after former Fed Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin allegedly contacted Kansas City Fed President Esther George. The approval raised …
Sarah Bloom RaskinReserve Trust CompanyFederal Reserve Bank of Kansas CityEsther GeorgePat Toomey+1 morefederal-reservecorruptionrevolving-doorsarah-bloom-raskinkansas-city-fed+3 more
Facebook intensively lobbies the Irish government and Data Protection Commission in advance of GDPR implementation, successfully negotiating weaker enforcement and regulatory interpretation that allows continued surveillance practices. The lobbying campaign creates Ireland as a data protection …
FacebookIrish Data Protection CommissionEnda Kenny (Irish Taoiseach)Max SchremsEuropean Commissionfacebookgdprlobbyingregulatory-captureprivacy+3 more
Dan Elwell becomes acting FAA Administrator on January 7, 2018, when Michael Huerta’s five-year term ends, exemplifying the revolving door between aviation regulators and the industry they oversee. Elwell, who had served as Deputy Administrator since June 2017, brought extensive aviation …
Dan ElwellFederal Aviation AdministrationMichael HuertaTransportation Secretary Elaine ChaoBoeing Corporation+7 moreregulatory-capturefaa-leadershipboeing-737-maxrevolving-dooraviation-regulation+1 more
Dan Elwell becomes acting FAA Administrator on January 7, 2018, when Michael Huerta’s five-year term ends, exemplifying the revolving door between aviation regulators and the industry they oversee. Elwell, who had served as Deputy Administrator since June 2017, brought extensive aviation …
Dan ElwellFederal Aviation AdministrationMichael HuertaTransportation Secretary Elaine ChaoBoeing Corporation+7 moreregulatory-capturefaa-leadershipboeing-737-maxrevolving-dooraviation-regulation+1 more
Systematic analysis of lobbying disclosure reports revealed that between 2019 and 2023, giant agribusinesses, food and agriculture industry associations, and special interest groups reported more than $523 million in federal lobby expenditures on disclosure reports listing “farm bill” as …
Glenn ThompsonDavid ScottHouse Agriculture CommitteeAmerican Farm Bureau FederationKoch Industriesregulatory-captureagriculturelobbyingcongressional-corruptioncorporate-subsidies
On December 21, 2017, Secretary Betsy DeVos announced a radical departure from Obama administration policy by implementing an earnings-based formula for Corinthian Colleges debt relief that denied full forgiveness to fraud victims and calculated partial relief based on post-graduation earnings. …
Betsy DeVosDepartment of Educationstudent-debtregulatory-capturebetsy-devoscorinthian-colleges
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
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
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 along party lines to repeal Obama-era net neutrality regulations, eliminating critical protections that prevented internet service providers (ISPs) from discriminating against web traffic. The decision, championed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, shifts …
Ajit PaiMignon ClyburnFederal Communications CommissionVerizonComcast+2 moreregulatory-capturenet-neutralityfcctelecominternet-freedom+2 more
The Federal Trade Commission approved Amazon’s $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Market on August 23, 2017, without an in-depth investigation. This decision demonstrated regulatory challenges in addressing 21st-century tech monopolies, as the FTC did not find substantial anticompetitive …