Lawyer Up: Rep. Robert Garcia's Warning, and the Trump Scandals Congress Can Now Investigate
Two words. No explanation. "Lawyer up."
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the incoming chair of the House Committee on Oversight, put out a statement on election night, November 3, 2026, that read in full: "Lawyer up." Democrats had just been projected to win the House. On January 3, 2027, the committee gets its gavel back, and with it, subpoena power.
The next day in Huntington Beach, Garcia told reporters what he means to do with it. "We're going to take on the Trump crime family," he said, and laid out four investigations. They cover the Trump family's business dealings, DHS and "the abuses of ICE," corporate donors to the White House ballroom and no-bid contracts, and public hearings on Epstein. Over at Judiciary, Rep. Jamie Raskin is the presumptive chair.
So here is the job in front of them. Someone guessed there must be 450 Trump scandals. I went and counted. After cutting everything I could not confirm and merging duplicates, 430 are left. That is not a ceiling. The watchdog group CREW alone counted 3,403 conflicts of interest in the first term. USA Today counted 4,095 lawsuits over three decades. These are the scandals with a name.
Ground Rules
Every entry carries a tag, and the tag is exact. Convicted and Court ruling mean a judge or jury decided. Impeached means the House voted. Charged means an indictment with no conviction, and the outcome line says what happened to it. Official finding means an inspector general, the GAO, the Office of Special Counsel or an ethics office wrote it down. Documented means it is on the public record through major reporting or primary documents. Alleged is labeled as alleged.
Charged is not convicted, and alleged is not charged. Several cases on this page were dismissed, dropped after the 2024 election or pardoned away, and every outcome line says so. Trump denies wrongdoing in nearly all of them.
Every entry was researched once and then fact-checked separately. The fact-check opened the sources, corrected dates and numbers, and cut what it could not confirm. If you find an error, tell me and I will fix it in the open.
Companion pieces: The Long Docket (fifty-three years of court cases) and The Security Enigma Called Trump (110 national-security episodes).
The Business
Fifty years of fraud findings, frauds alleged and stiffed contractors, before the presidency · 28 entriesDOJ housing discrimination suit (Trump Management)
On October 15, 1973 the Justice Department sued Fred Trump, Donald Trump and Trump Management under the Fair Housing Act. The suit alleged that their New York apartment buildings turned away Black applicants, based on evidence from testers. The Trumps countersued the government for $100 million, and the court dismissed that claim. The case ended in a June 10, 1975 consent decree with no admission of liability. In 1978 the company was back in court over allegations that it had violated the settlement, which Trump denied.
Undocumented 'Polish Brigade' at the Trump Tower site
The contractor Kaszycki & Sons used about 150 to 200 undocumented Polish laborers to demolish the Bonwit Teller building for Trump Tower. The workers were supposed to earn about $5 an hour, sometimes went unpaid for weeks, and lacked basic safety gear such as hard hats. In a suit brought by union members, a federal district court found in 1991 that there had been a conspiracy to deprive union pension funds of 'hundreds of thousands of dollars'. An appeals court overturned that decision and ordered new proceedings. Documents unsealed in 2017 show the case was settled in December 1998 for about $1.4 million.
Mob-linked concrete at Trump Plaza (Manhattan)
Concrete and concrete-union labor for Trump Plaza on Manhattan's East Side came from interests tied to Genovese boss Anthony 'Fat Tony' Salerno. Salerno and Trump were connected through Roy Cohn, who was lawyer to both men. In 1986 Rudy Giuliani's office indicted Salerno on racketeering charges that included bid-rigging on concrete for Trump Plaza and other buildings of that era.
Trump Plaza fined for pulling Black and female dealers for a mob-linked high roller
Trump Plaza kept Black and female dealers away from the craps tables of high roller Robert LiButti to keep his business. In 1991 the New Jersey Casino Control Commission fined the casino $200,000 for the discrimination, double what the hearing examiner had recommended. In August 1991 regulators barred LiButti from New Jersey casinos as an associate of John Gotti. Trump said he would not know LiButti if he stood in front of him. A 1990 state police undercover recording has LiButti saying he was 'very close' to Trump, and LiButti's daughter said Trump knew him.
'John Miller' / 'John Barron': posing as his own publicist
From the 1980s into the early 1990s, Trump called reporters while posing as a spokesman named 'John Barron' or 'John Miller'. In 1991 a People magazine reporter interviewed a 'John Miller' about the end of Trump's marriage to Ivana, and in 2016 the Washington Post reported that the voice on the tape was Trump's. Trump had testified in 1990: 'I believe on occasion I used that name.'
Stiffing contractors and workers
A 2016 USA Today investigation found at least 60 lawsuits and more than 200 liens filed since the 1980s by contractors and workers who said Trump and his businesses did not pay them. It also found 24 Fair Labor Standards Act violations by Trump Plaza and Trump Mortgage for unpaid minimum wage or overtime. Casino regulator records from 1990 show 253 subcontractors on one Trump casino project were not paid in full or on time.
Lying his way onto the Forbes 400
Former Forbes reporter Jonathan Greenberg published tapes from 1984 in which 'John Barron', who was Trump, claimed Trump was far richer than he was, close to a billionaire. Forbes listed Trump at $100 million in 1982, while documents that came to light later put his actual worth at about $5 million. Greenberg concluded that Trump should not have appeared on the lists at all.
$1.17 billion in losses, 1985-1994
IRS transcript figures obtained by the New York Times in 2019 showed that Trump reported about $1.17 billion in business losses from 1985 to 1994, tied to casinos, hotels and apartment buildings. In 1991 alone he reported $418 million in losses. The Times said he appeared to have lost more money than nearly any other individual American taxpayer. Because of the losses, he paid no income tax in 8 of the 10 years.
Federal antitrust penalty for Holiday/Bally stock buys
In 1986 Trump bought voting stock in Holiday Corp. and Bally Manufacturing while trying to take over the companies. The Justice Department sued over his failure to follow federal premerger notification rules. In 1988 Trump agreed to pay $750,000 in civil penalties to settle the suit.
Trump Foundation self-dealing and dissolution
New York's Attorney General sued the Donald J. Trump Foundation, alleging that its money was used for Trump's personal and political benefit. On November 7, 2019 Justice Saliann Scarpulla ruled that Trump breached his fiduciary duty and that waste occurred. She found that more than $2.8 million raised by the foundation was used for his 2016 campaign, and she ordered him to pay $2 million to other charities. The foundation was dissolved, and its remaining $1.78 million went to other nonprofits.
Trump Shuttle airline collapse
Trump bought the Eastern Air Shuttle for $365 million, financed by a bank syndicate led by Citibank, and launched it as Trump Shuttle in June 1989. It never turned a profit, losing $68.8 million in 1990, and it defaulted on its debt in September 1990. Creditors took control, and the shuttle was rebranded as USAir Shuttle in April 1992.
Fred Trump's casino-chip bailout of Trump's Castle
In December 1990 Fred Trump had more than $3 million in chips bought at Trump's Castle that he never intended to gamble. The money helped the casino make a payment to bondholders. Regulators treated the purchase as an illegal loan. In a July 1991 order, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission imposed a $65,000 civil penalty on Trump's Castle Associates for the violations it admitted.
1990 bank bailout and $450K-a-month allowance
At the start of 1990 Trump owed about $4 billion to more than 70 banks, including $800 million that he had personally guaranteed. Over about 18 months of talks with 72 banks, his lenders restructured the debt and put him on an allowance of $450,000 a month. The banks recovered less than they were owed, and several lenders said they would never work with him again.
NYT 2018: tax schemes and 'outright fraud' with Fred Trump's fortune
A 2018 New York Times investigation found that Trump received at least $413 million from his father's real estate empire, far more than the $1 million he had described. Much of it came through dubious tax schemes, which the Times said included 'instances of outright fraud'. The family faced $550 million in potential gift and inheritance taxes but paid less than a tenth of that.
Atlantic City casino bankruptcies
Trump's casino companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy repeatedly: Trump Taj Mahal in 1991, Trump Plaza and Trump's Castle in 1992, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts in 2004 (with about $1.8 billion in debt), and Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2009. In the 1991 Taj filing, Trump gave bondholders 50% ownership. Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for a fourth time in 2014, when Trump held a minority stake.
Trump Taj Mahal money-laundering-control violations
On March 6, 2015 the Treasury Department's FinCEN imposed a $10 million civil money penalty on the Trump Taj Mahal for 'willful and repeated' violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. It was reported as the largest such penalty the federal government had ever imposed on a casino. FinCEN noted that the casino had already paid a $477,700 penalty in 1998 for currency-transaction reporting violations.
SEC 'pro forma' earnings case: Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts
On January 16, 2002 the SEC found that the October 25, 1999 earnings release from Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts for the third quarter of 1999 used misleading pro forma figures. The release did not disclose that the improvement came from a one-time gain of $17.2 million from the All Star Café lease termination. The company consented to a cease-and-desist order.
Secret anti-Mohawk ad campaign: record lobbying fine
In 2000 Trump secretly funded ads by a front group, the 'Institute for Law and Society', that Roger Stone had set up. The ads attacked the St. Regis Mohawk tribe's plans for a Catskills casino, which would have competed with Trump's Atlantic City casinos, and portrayed the tribe as linked to drug dealing and organized crime. New York's temporary state commission on lobbying investigated the campaign as undisclosed lobbying. Trump and Stone agreed to pay $250,000, described as the largest such penalty in New York history.
$750 in federal income tax in 2016
Tax-return data obtained by the New York Times in 2020 showed that Trump paid $750 in federal income tax in 2016, the year he won the presidency, and again in 2017. He paid no federal income tax at all in 10 of the previous 15 years, largely because he reported losing more money than he made.
Felix Sater: mob-linked felon at Trump's partner Bayrock
Felix Sater, a senior adviser and later managing director at Trump's development partner Bayrock Group, worked on the Trump SoHo project. In 1998 he had pleaded guilty for his role in a $40 million stock pump-and-dump fraud tied to the Russian mob. Sater was photographed with Trump several times. In sworn testimony in 2013, Trump said that if Sater 'were sitting in the room right now, I really wouldn't know what he looked like.'
Trump University
Trump's for-profit real-estate seminars were accused of fraud and high-pressure sales. In October 2014 a New York judge found Trump personally liable for running the school without the required state business license. On November 18, 2016 Trump agreed to pay $25 million to settle two federal class actions and the New York Attorney General's suit, without admitting wrongdoing. A federal appeals court finalized the deal in February 2018, and Judge Curiel finalized the settlement in April 2018, opening refunds of up to 90% to former students.
Branded flops: Trump Steaks, Vodka, Mortgage, Magazine, GoTrump
A string of Trump-brand ventures folded quickly. Trump Mortgage launched in 2006 and shut down within a year and a half; Trump chose a CEO who had worked as a registered broker for only six days. GoTrump.com, a travel search site launched in 2006, closed a year later. Trump Vodka was unveiled in 2006 and stopped production in 2011. Trump Steaks launched in 2007 through Sharper Image and was later discontinued. Trump Magazine launched in 2007 and stopped publishing about 18 months later.
Trump Ocean Resort Baja: deposits lost
About 69 buyers paid deposits totaling $18 million to $20 million for units at Trump Ocean Resort Baja near Tijuana, which was marketed as a Trump partnership. The project was never built. In 2009 the buyers sued Trump, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and the developer Irongate for fraud. They said they did not learn until late December that Trump had only licensed his name. The Trump Organization said it ended the license because the developer missed financing and construction deadlines.
Charity money used to settle Trump business disputes
Reporting in 2016 showed that $258,000 of Trump Foundation money went toward settling legal disputes involving Trump's for-profit businesses. That included $100,000 to resolve Palm Beach's fine over the height of Mar-a-Lago's flagpole and $158,000 over a golf-tournament dispute. The money came from the foundation, not from Trump or his businesses.
Trump SoHo condo sales claims and the dropped criminal probe
In June 2008 Ivanka Trump announced that 60% of Trump SoHo units had sold, but a sworn affidavit later put sales at 15.8% as of March 2010. Buyers sued for fraud in August 2010. They settled in late 2011 for 90% of their deposits and agreed not to cooperate with prosecutors unless subpoenaed. Manhattan prosecutors investigated Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Trump lawyer Marc Kasowitz gave $25,000 to DA Cyrus Vance Jr.'s campaign in January 2012, and Vance returned it shortly before meeting him in May 2012. On August 3, 2012, after Vance overruled his prosecutors, the investigation was closed.
The Trump Network urine-test vitamin MLM
In November 2009 Trump licensed his name to a multilevel-marketing company that sold 'personalized' vitamins matched to a mail-in urine test, which a Harvard supplement expert called 'hocus pocus'. It had a reported 20,000 sales representatives, who paid $497 for starter kits, and some said they lost money. The license expired at the end of 2011, and the assets were sold in early 2012.
Undocumented workers at Trump National Bedminster
In December 2018 the New York Times reported that housekeepers at Trump's golf club in Bedminster, N.J., worked there without legal status. Victorina Morales had worked there since 2013 and said she was hired using phony identity documents. Sandra Diaz worked there undocumented from 2010 to 2013. Morales said club managers knew and helped her avoid detection, including a supervisor who pointed her to someone who could get new fake papers.
Trump Foundation $25K gift to Pam Bondi's political group
On September 17, 2013 the Trump Foundation gave $25,000 to a political group backing Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. The gift came four days after reports that her office was considering whether to investigate Trump University, and the office did not open a case. The foundation's tax filing misreported the payment as a gift to a similarly named Kansas charity. Charities may not make political contributions, and Trump paid a $2,500 IRS penalty in 2016.
The Women, the Payoffs and Epstein
Verdicts, hush money and the friendship he cannot shake · 35 entriesMore than two dozen accusers
More than two dozen women have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct, ranging from unwanted kissing and groping to assault. ABC News's running list counted 18 by September 2020. Further accusers came forward afterward, including former model Stacey Williams in October 2024.
Jessica Leeds airplane groping claim
Jessica Leeds told the New York Times in October 2016 that Trump groped her while they sat together on a flight decades earlier, touching her breasts and putting his hand up her skirt. She compared him to 'an octopus.' Trump denied it, saying 'She would not be my first choice.'
Epstein friendship: 'terrific guy'
In a 2002 New York magazine profile, Trump said he had known Jeffrey Epstein for 15 years and called him a 'terrific guy.' A 1992 NBC clip shows the two joking about women at a Mar-a-Lago party, and a 2000 photo shows them there with Melania Knauss and Ghislaine Maxwell. When Epstein was arrested in 2019, Trump said they had a falling out long before and he was 'not a fan.'
Ivana Trump's divorce deposition
Harry Hurt III's 1993 book 'Lost Tycoon' reported that in a divorce deposition Ivana Trump said Donald Trump raped her in 1989. In 1993 she said she did not want the word interpreted 'in a literal or criminal sense,' and in 2015 she called the story 'totally without merit.' Trump lawyer Michael Cohen said in 2015 that 'you cannot rape a spouse,' then apologized.
E. Jean Carroll I: liable for sexual abuse ($5M)
In May 2023 a Manhattan federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s and for defaming her. It awarded $5 million but found he had not committed rape as New York law defined it. The appeals court affirmed. The Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal on June 29, 2026, and in July 2026 Carroll was paid about $5.62 million including interest from a court-controlled account.
Stacey Williams: groped with Epstein present
Former Sports Illustrated model Stacey Williams said that in 1993 Jeffrey Epstein, with whom she was spending time, took her to Trump Tower, where Trump groped her. NBC said she appears to be the first person to publicly allege misconduct by Trump in which Epstein played a role. Seven people told NBC she had described the incident to them between 2006 and 2022.
Flights on Epstein's jet
A January 2020 email from a federal prosecutor, released by the Justice Department on Dec. 23, 2025, said flight records showed Trump on at least eight Epstein flights between 1993 and 1996, more than previously reported. Maxwell was aboard four of them. On one 1993 flight, Trump and Epstein were the only passengers listed. The email did not accuse Trump of wrongdoing.
Miss Teen USA 1997 dressing room
Former Miss Vermont Teen USA Mariah Billado and other contestants told BuzzFeed in 2016 that Trump walked into the teenage contestants' dressing room at the 1997 pageant while they were changing. Of 15 contestants BuzzFeed reached, four remembered the incident and 11 did not remember him entering.
Amy Dorris: 1997 US Open
Former model Amy Dorris told The Guardian in September 2020 that Trump groped her and forced his tongue into her mouth at the U.S. Open on Sept. 5, 1997. She provided photos of herself with Trump in his box. She said she told a friend and her mother right afterward and later told friends and her therapist. Trump's lawyers said her then-boyfriend, Jason Binn, did not recall her describing anything inappropriate.
Epstein 'stole' Giuffre from Mar-a-Lago spa
On July 29, 2025, Trump said he threw Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago for hiring away young women who worked at the club's spa. He acknowledged that Virginia Giuffre was among them, saying Epstein 'stole her.' Giuffre said in a 2016 deposition that she was 16 when she worked there in summer 2000.
Pageant dressing rooms (Stern interview)
On a 2005 Howard Stern show, Trump said that as pageant owner he could go into dressing rooms before shows, saying 'I'm inspecting it.' Tasha Dixon, Miss Arizona 2001, said Trump 'came strolling right in' during a Miss USA rehearsal while some contestants were topless or naked.
The Epstein birthday-book letter
In July 2025 the Wall Street Journal reported on a bawdy 2003 50th-birthday letter to Epstein bearing Trump's name. Its typed text sits inside the outline of a naked woman and ends 'may every day be another wonderful secret.' On Sept. 8, 2025, the House Oversight Committee released the estate's birthday book, including the page.
Access Hollywood tape
On Oct. 7, 2016, the Washington Post published a 2005 hot-mic recording of Trump and Access Hollywood host Billy Bush, in which Trump boasted crudely about kissing and grabbing women. Trump apologized that day, calling it 'locker room banter' and saying 'I said it, I was wrong and I apologize.' At the Oct. 9 debate he called it 'locker room talk.' In late 2017, news reports said Trump had privately questioned whether the tape was authentic.
Natasha Stoynoff (People magazine)
People writer Natasha Stoynoff wrote that in December 2005, while she was at Mar-a-Lago to interview Trump and Melania for an anniversary story, Trump shut a door, pushed her against a wall and forced his tongue into her mouth until a butler interrupted. People stood by her account. Trump said it 'did not happen.'
Stormy Daniels $130,000 payment
Weeks before the 2016 election, Michael Cohen paid adult-film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006. Trump reimbursed Cohen in 2017 through monthly $35,000 checks recorded as legal 'retainers.' Those records became the basis of his criminal conviction. Trump denies the encounter happened.
Summer Zervos and her defamation suit
Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos said Trump kissed and groped her in 2007, then sued him for defamation after he called her a liar. In November 2021, as her lawyers neared deposing Trump, she dropped the suit with prejudice. Trump's lawyer said she received no compensation or fees.
Epstein emails: Trump 'knew about the girls'
In November 2025, House Oversight Democrats released emails from Epstein's estate. In a 2019 email to author Michael Wolff, Epstein wrote that Trump 'knew about the girls.' A 2011 email to Maxwell said Trump 'spent hours at my house' with a victim whose name was redacted. The White House identified that victim as Virginia Giuffre, who had not accused Trump of wrongdoing. Republicans released more than 20,000 pages the same day.
Trump Tower doorman paid $30,000
AMI paid former Trump World Tower doorman Dino Sajudin $30,000 for exclusive rights to a rumor that Trump had fathered a child with an employee, and never published it. Testifying under oath in 2024, David Pecker said he bought the story to lock it up so it could not reach a rival outlet and hurt the campaign. The woman denied any affair, and the story was later shown to be false.
Hush-money conviction: 34 felonies
On May 30, 2024, a Manhattan jury convicted Trump on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The records hid his 2017 reimbursement of Michael Cohen for the $130,000 paid to Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. The counts cover 11 invoices, 12 ledger entries and 11 checks. He is the first current or former president convicted of a crime. On Jan. 10, 2025, Justice Juan Merchan sentenced him to an unconditional discharge: no jail, fine or probation.
Karen McDougal 'catch and kill' (AMI $150,000)
National Enquirer parent American Media Inc. paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 in August 2016 for the rights to her story of an alleged affair with Trump, then never ran it. In a non-prosecution agreement made public in December 2018, AMI admitted it acted 'in concert' with Trump's campaign to keep her allegations from coming out before the election. On May 17, 2021, the FEC accepted a conciliation agreement in which AMI's successor, A360 Media, agreed to a $187,500 civil penalty for a knowing and willful prohibited corporate contribution.
Ethics office: Cohen debt belonged on disclosure
In May 2018, acting Office of Government Ethics director David Apol told Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein that Trump's reimbursement of Cohen was a liability Trump was required to report. It was missing from his 2017 financial disclosure. Trump's 2018 form disclosed it in a footnote, valued at $100,001-$250,000. The footnote said it was disclosed 'in the interest of transparency' and was not required.
Michael Cohen's guilty plea implicates Trump
On Aug. 21, 2018, Trump's fixer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight federal counts, including tax evasion and campaign-finance violations tied to the Daniels and McDougal payments. He told the court he acted 'in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office.'
Stormy Daniels loses defamation suit, owes Trump fees
Daniels sued Trump for defamation over an April 2018 tweet. A federal judge dismissed the suit in 2018, and on Dec. 11, 2018 ordered her to pay nearly $293,000 in Trump's legal fees. The 9th Circuit upheld the dismissal, and in April 2023 it ordered her to pay a further $121,972. The Supreme Court declined to revive the suit on Feb. 22, 2021.
E. Jean Carroll II: $83.3M defamation verdict
On Jan. 26, 2024, a second jury ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million for statements he made as president in 2019 denying her account, including $65 million in punitive damages. The 2nd Circuit upheld the award in September 2025. In July 2026 Trump petitioned the Supreme Court, arguing presidential immunity and Westfall Act substitution. The Justice Department backs his petition.
Judge: Carroll's 'rape' claim 'substantially true'
On Aug. 7, 2023, Judge Lewis Kaplan dismissed Trump's countersuit accusing Carroll of defamation for saying on CNN that he raped her. Kaplan wrote that the verdict 'establishes, as against Mr. Trump, the fact that Mr. Trump "raped" her, albeit digitally rather than with his penis.' New York's legal definition of rape at the time required penile penetration.
Bids to move hush-money case to federal court
Trump repeatedly sought to move the state case to federal court so he could raise immunity and get the conviction vacated. The 2nd Circuit sent the question back to Judge Alvin Hellerstein in November 2025, and Hellerstein held a hearing on Feb. 4, 2026. On Aug. 28, 2026, Hellerstein denied removal for a third time. He ruled that Trump waited too long, had no grounds to remove a case after conviction and sentencing, and that the hush-money conduct was not an official act. Trump appealed the same day.
Trump's $10B suit vs. WSJ thrown out
Trump sued the Wall Street Journal, its owners and Rupert Murdoch for $10 billion over the birthday-letter story. Judge Darrin Gayles dismissed it on April 13, 2026 for failure to plead actual malice, without deciding whether the letter was real, and allowed an amended complaint. Trump refiled in May 2026. On Oct. 31, 2026, Gayles dismissed the amended complaint with prejudice, saying it was 'grasping at straws.'
'No client list' memo and Bondi reversal
In February 2025, AG Pam Bondi told Fox News the Epstein client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' A DOJ/FBI memo released in July 2025 said there was no client list, no evidence Epstein blackmailed associates, that he killed himself, and that no more files would be released. Much of Trump's base was angered. The Wall Street Journal later reported that Bondi had told Trump in May 2025 that his name appeared in the files.
Maxwell interview and prison-camp transfer
In late July 2025, Deputy AG Todd Blanche, Trump's former defense lawyer, interviewed convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell over two days. On Aug. 1, 2025, the Bureau of Prisons confirmed she had been moved from a low-security prison in Tallahassee to a minimum-security prison camp in Bryan, Texas. BOP rules require sex offenders to be held in at least a low-security prison unless granted a waiver. The bureau has not explained the move.
Fighting, then signing, the Epstein Files Act
Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna gathered 218 signatures on a discharge petition to force a House vote on releasing DOJ's Epstein files. After months of resistance, Trump reversed course on Nov. 16, 2025 and urged Republicans to vote yes. The House passed the bill 427-1 on Nov. 18, and the Senate approved it by unanimous consent. Trump signed it on Nov. 19, 2025, requiring DOJ to release the files within 30 days.
Ordering Epstein probes of Democrats
On Nov. 14, 2025, two days after the Epstein emails came out, Trump publicly directed the Justice Department to investigate Epstein's ties to Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, Reid Hoffman, JPMorgan Chase and others. Bondi assigned Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton the same day. The July 2025 DOJ/FBI memo had said it found no evidence that could predicate an investigation of uncharged third parties.
December 2025 release: vanished Trump photo
DOJ released its first files under the new law on Dec. 19, 2025. By the next day, at least 16 files had vanished from DOJ's website, including an image of a credenza and drawers holding a photo of Trump with Epstein, Melania Trump and Maxwell. Todd Blanche said the removal 'has nothing to do with President Trump.' DOJ said SDNY prosecutors had flagged the image to protect victims, and later reposted it without alteration.
Political fall of the Epstein-petition Republicans
Three of the four House Republicans who signed the Epstein discharge petition are leaving Congress. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned in late 2025, partly over her Epstein feud with Trump. Thomas Massie lost his May 19, 2026 primary to Trump-recruited Ed Gallrein, after Trump called him a 'pathetic LOSER.' Nancy Mace failed to make the runoff in South Carolina's governor primary after Trump endorsed a rival. Lauren Boebert is the only one returning.
3 million pages and unverified allegations
On Jan. 30, 2026, DOJ released about 3 million pages, saying that completed its release. It had reviewed about 6 million, and roughly half were withheld. The files include unverified allegations involving Trump. Later-released FBI interview summaries recorded a woman who said Epstein brought her to meet Trump when she was 13 to 15 and that Trump assaulted her in the 1980s. Her claims remain uncorroborated.
Bondi subpoenaed, then fired
On March 4, 2026, the House Oversight Committee voted to subpoena AG Pam Bondi over the Epstein files, with five Republicans joining all Democrats. Trump fired Bondi on April 2, 2026. Sources cited frustration with her handling of the files among other reasons. DOJ said she no longer had to appear for her April 14 deposition, and Democrats threatened contempt. In a May 29 closed-door interview she declined to discuss Trump's role and pointed to acting AG Todd Blanche.
Russia, Mueller and Ukraine
Two investigations, five convicted aides and the first impeachment · 37 entriesTrump Tower Moscow and Cohen's lies to Congress
Michael Cohen told Congress that talks on a Trump Tower in Moscow ended in January 2016. On November 29, 2018, he pleaded guilty to lying to Congress, admitting the talks continued through at least June 2016, well into the campaign. The charging document says he lied 'to be consistent with Individual-1's political messaging'; Individual-1 is understood to be Trump.
Trump Tower meeting
On June 3, 2016, publicist Rob Goldstone emailed Donald Trump Jr. that a Russian prosecutor was offering documents that would incriminate Hillary Clinton, describing it as part of Russian government support for Trump. Trump Jr. replied 'if it's what you say I love it.' On June 9, 2016, Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and campaign chairman Paul Manafort met Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower. Trump Jr. published the email chain on July 11, 2017.
'Russia, if you're listening'
At a press conference on July 27, 2016, Trump said: 'Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.' Mueller's July 13, 2018 indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence (GRU) officers says that on or about the same day, the hackers first tried to spearphish accounts used by Clinton's personal office. The indictment does not tie that activity to Trump's remark and alleges no knowing American participation.
Manafort shared polling data with Kilimnik (Senate Intel)
The fifth and final volume of the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee report, released August 18, 2020, called Manafort's campaign-era contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik a 'grave counterintelligence threat.' The report identified Kilimnik as a Russian intelligence officer and found that Manafort briefed him on campaign polling data and strategy. It also found evidence that Kilimnik may have been linked to the Russian hack-and-leak operation.
Trump and Stone discussed WikiLeaks (Senate Intel)
In written answers to Mueller, Trump said he did not recall discussing WikiLeaks with Roger Stone, 'nor do I recall being aware of Mr. Stone having discussed WikiLeaks with individuals associated with my campaign.' The Senate Intelligence Committee concluded: 'Despite Trump's recollection, the committee assesses that Trump did, in fact, speak with Stone about WikiLeaks and with members of his campaign about Stone's access to WikiLeaks on multiple occasions.'
Air Force One cover statement
In July 2017, Trump personally dictated the statement issued in his son's name about the Trump Tower meeting, according to the Washington Post. The statement said the meeting was mainly about a program for the adoption of Russian children. Trump's aides and lawyers denied for months that he was involved. In January 2018, his lawyers acknowledged to Mueller that he had dictated it.
Flynn lies about Kislyak calls
On December 1, 2017, former national security adviser Michael Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak before the inauguration, and agreed to cooperate with Mueller. In early 2020 he moved to withdraw the plea.
Comey loyalty request and 'let Flynn go'
Under oath before Senate Intelligence on June 8, 2017, James Comey testified that Trump asked for his loyalty. In his written statement he said that after clearing the Oval Office, Trump told him 'I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.' Comey said he took this as direction and documented the conversations in memos.
Comey firing
Trump fired FBI Director James Comey on May 9, 2017, while Comey was leading the Russia counterintelligence investigation. The White House first pointed to a Justice Department memo on Comey's handling of the Clinton email probe. Two days later, Trump told NBC's Lester Holt that when he decided to fire Comey he thought 'this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.'
Oval Office meeting with Lavrov and Kislyak
On May 10, 2017, the day after he fired Comey, Trump hosted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in the Oval Office. The New York Times reported that Trump called Comey 'crazy, a real nut job' and said 'I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off.' The Washington Post reported that Trump also shared highly classified intelligence on ISIS, which CBS News confirmed had come from Israel.
'This is the end of my presidency' and the Sessions resignation
According to the Mueller report, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions told Trump in May 2017 that a special counsel had been appointed, Trump said it was the end of his presidency, used an expletive, and berated Sessions for recusing. Sessions offered his resignation; Trump did not accept it and later returned the letter.
Trump orders McGahn to have Mueller removed
The Mueller report found that in June 2017 Trump called White House counsel Don McGahn twice and directed him to have Mueller removed, saying 'Mueller has to go.' McGahn refused and prepared to resign. After the New York Times reported this in January 2018, Trump pressed McGahn to deny it, and McGahn refused because the reports were accurate.
Lewandowski message to Sessions
According to the Mueller report, on June 19, 2017, Trump dictated a message for private citizen Corey Lewandowski to give Sessions. It said Sessions should publicly call the investigation 'very unfair' and limit the special counsel to future election interference. Lewandowski passed it to White House official Rick Dearborn, and it was never delivered.
Pardon signals to Manafort and Cohen
Mueller concluded that the evidence indicated Trump intended Manafort to believe he could receive a pardon, which would make cooperation unnecessary. Mueller also found some evidence that Trump's public statements during the trial and jury deliberations were intended, at least in part, to influence the jury. On Cohen, the report said the evidence could support an inference that Trump used inducements, then attacks, to discourage cooperation.
Refused Mueller interview; 'does not recall' answers
Trump's lawyers repeatedly declined Mueller's requests for an in-person interview, and Trump answered only written questions, none on obstruction. In those answers he said more than 30 times that he did not recall or remember. Mueller's team called the answers 'inadequate' and did not pursue a subpoena because of the likely delay.
Papadopoulos plea and pardon
Campaign foreign-policy adviser George Papadopoulos, the first person charged in the Russia probe, pleaded guilty in October 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians and Russian intermediaries. On September 7, 2018, he was sentenced to 14 days in prison, one year of supervised release and a $9,500 fine.
Hiding the record of Putin meetings
The Washington Post reported on January 12, 2019 that after his 2017 Hamburg meeting with Putin, Trump took his interpreter's notes and told the interpreter not to discuss the meeting with other officials. Officials said there was no detailed record, even in classified files, of Trump's face-to-face talks with Putin at five locations over two years.
Manafort convictions and pardon
Campaign chairman Paul Manafort was convicted by an Alexandria, Va., jury in August 2018 on 8 of 18 tax and bank fraud counts; the jury deadlocked on the rest. On September 14, 2018, he pleaded guilty in D.C. to conspiracy against the U.S. and conspiracy to obstruct justice (witness tampering), tied to his Ukraine lobbying. In February 2019 a judge agreed he had lied to investigators, voiding his cooperation deal. His two federal sentences totaled 7.5 years.
Rick Gates plea
Deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates pleaded guilty in February 2018 to conspiracy against the United States and lying to investigators, and cooperated with Mueller. On December 17, 2019, he was sentenced to 45 days of intermittent jail time, largely on weekends, plus three years of probation, 300 hours of community service and a $20,000 fine.
Helsinki summit
At a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on July 16, 2018, Trump would not side with U.S. intelligence on Russia's 2016 interference. He said Putin had been 'extremely strong and powerful in his denial' and 'I don't see any reason why it would be.' The summit came three days after Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers.
Mueller report: 'does not exonerate him'
The redacted Mueller report, released April 18, 2019, did not establish that the campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia. On obstruction, it examined ten episodes and said that while it 'does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.' On July 24, 2019, Mueller testified that a president could be charged after leaving office.
Barr's Mueller summary rebuked by a judge
Attorney General Barr's four-page letter of March 24, 2019 framed the Mueller findings before the report was public; Mueller later wrote that it 'did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance' of his work. On March 5, 2020, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton cited Barr's 'lack of candor' and questioned whether Barr 'made a calculated attempt to influence public discourse about the Mueller Report in favor of President Trump.' Walton ordered the unredacted report for his own review.
Roger Stone conviction, commutation, pardon
On November 15, 2019, a jury convicted Roger Stone on all seven counts: five false statements, one count of obstruction and one count of witness tampering. The charges came from his lies to the House Intelligence Committee about his efforts to learn of WikiLeaks releases and his pressure on radio host Randy Credico. He was sentenced to 40 months in February 2020.
Zelensky call: 'do us a favor though'
In a July 25, 2019 call, after Ukraine's President Zelensky mentioned buying more Javelin missiles, Trump replied 'I would like you to do us a favor though.' He then pressed for investigations of Joe Biden and a 2016 'CrowdStrike' server theory. The White House released a non-verbatim memo of the call on September 25, 2019. About $400 million in security aid had been on hold.
Ousting Ambassador Yovanovitch
Trump ordered U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch recalled in April 2019 (made public in May) after a smear campaign by Rudy Giuliani and his associates. On the July 25 call, Trump told Zelensky she was 'bad news' and was 'going to go through some things.' A recording from April 2018, released in January 2020, captures Trump saying 'take her out' about her.
Whistleblower complaint withheld from Congress
Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson found the whistleblower's complaint about the Ukraine call credible and an 'urgent concern,' which by law should go to the intelligence committees. The administration, relying on a Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel opinion, withheld it; Atkinson then notified Congress himself. The complaint also alleged that White House lawyers directed that the call record be moved to a system for highly classified material.
GAO: Ukraine aid hold broke the law
On January 16, 2020, the Government Accountability Office ruled that the White House budget office violated the Impoundment Control Act by holding Ukraine security aid for policy reasons. GAO wrote that 'faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law.'
Mulvaney: 'Get over it'
At an October 17, 2019 briefing, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney linked the aid freeze in part to Trump's concerns about corruption 'related to the 2016 election,' including the DNC server theory. Asked about a quid pro quo, he said: 'Get over it. There's going to be political influence in foreign policy.'
Sondland: 'The answer is yes'
Testifying on November 20, 2019, EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland, a Trump appointee who gave $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee, said of a White House call and meeting for Zelensky in exchange for announced investigations: 'Was there a quid pro quo? ... the answer is yes.' He said Giuliani's requests reflected 'President Trump's desires and requirements' and that 'everyone was in the loop.'
Publicly asking China to investigate the Bidens
On October 3, 2019, during the impeachment inquiry, Trump said on camera that 'China should start an investigation into the Bidens,' days before trade talks with Beijing resumed. He made the remark while answering questions about pressing Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.
Blanket refusal to cooperate with the impeachment inquiry
On October 8, 2019, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone wrote that the administration would not participate in the House impeachment inquiry. The same day the administration barred Sondland from testifying, and it went on to block documents and witnesses. The House Intelligence Committee's December 3, 2019 report concluded that Trump used his office to solicit Ukraine's interference in the 2020 election and obstructed the inquiry.
First impeachment and Senate acquittal
On December 18, 2019, the House impeached Trump for abuse of power (230-197) and obstruction of Congress (229-198), making him the third president impeached. On February 5, 2020, the Senate acquitted him 52-48 and 53-47. Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote guilty, on abuse of power, the first senator ever to vote to remove a president of his own party.
Giuliani's Ukraine fixers convicted
Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, Giuliani associates in the Ukraine pressure campaign and the push against Yovanovitch, were charged in 2019 with campaign-finance crimes. Fruman pleaded guilty in September 2021 to soliciting a contribution from a foreign national and was sentenced in January 2022 to a year and a day. A jury convicted Parnas on all six counts on October 22, 2021, in a case that included political donations funded by Russian financier Andrey Muraviev; he was sentenced in June 2022 to 20 months.
Barr DOJ moves to drop the Flynn case
On May 7, 2020, Barr's Justice Department asked the court to dismiss the Flynn case even though Flynn had pleaded guilty, arguing that his false statements were not 'material.' Judge Emmet Sullivan did not grant the motion and appointed retired federal judge John Gleeson to argue against it. In August 2020 the full D.C. Circuit let Sullivan's review continue.
DOJ overrules Stone prosecutors
On February 11, 2020, hours after Trump tweeted that the recommended sentence of 7 to 9 years was a 'miscarriage of justice,' Justice Department leadership withdrew it and deferred to the court. All four career prosecutors withdrew from the case, and one, Jonathan Kravis, resigned from the department.
No witnesses, despite the Bolton manuscript
On January 26, 2020, the New York Times reported that John Bolton's unpublished manuscript said Trump told him in August 2019 that he wanted to keep freezing about $391 million in Ukraine aid until Ukraine helped with investigations of Democrats, including the Bidens. On January 31, the Senate voted 51-49 against calling witnesses; Romney and Collins were the only Republicans voting for witnesses.
Post-acquittal purge of impeachment witnesses
On February 7, 2020, two days after acquittal, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was escorted out of the White House, and his twin brother Yevgeny, who did not testify, was also removed from the National Security Council. Gordon Sondland was recalled as EU ambassador the same day. On April 3, 2020, Trump moved to fire Inspector General Michael Atkinson, who had told Congress about the whistleblower complaint.
Cashing the Office, Term One
Foreign money through the hotels, the clubs and the family brand · 34 entriesAir Force crews lodged at Trump Turnberry
Air Force C-17 crews refueling at Glasgow Prestwick Airport stayed at Trump's Turnberry resort, which prompted Air Force and House Oversight reviews. The Air Force said such higher-end lodging was "allowable but not advisable." Reporting in September 2019 found that about 6% of Air Force crews stopping there from 2015 to 2019 stayed at Turnberry.
Saudi-funded lobbyists bought 500 nights at Trump DC hotel
The Washington Post reported that Qorvis/MSLGroup, a lobbying firm long paid by the Saudi government, booked about 500 room-nights at the Trump International Hotel from December 2016 to early 2017 and spent more than $270,000. The rooms housed U.S. veterans flown in to lobby against JASTA, the law letting 9/11 families sue Saudi Arabia.
Kuwait moves National Day gala to Trump hotel
Kuwait's embassy moved its National Day reception from its usual venue, the Four Seasons, to Trump's DC hotel. The event was held there on Feb. 22, 2017, with about 600 guests, and raised Emoluments Clause concerns.
"Mar-a-Lago crowd" steered VA policy
ProPublica reported that three Mar-a-Lago figures with no government role (Marvel chairman Ike Perlmutter, Dr. Bruce Moskowitz and lawyer Marc Sherman) informally shaped Veterans Affairs policy and personnel. A 2020 GAO review found they communicated with VA officials as often as daily from late 2016 to mid-2018, including on a $10 billion electronic health-records contract.
Campaign and RNC money flowed to Trump properties
CNBC, using Center for Responsive Politics data, reported that Trump's campaign, the RNC and joint fundraising committees paid Trump properties more than $17 million from 2016 to mid-2020. In February 2018 alone, the RNC spent about $271,000 at Trump properties.
"White House for Sale": $7.8M from foreign governments
A House Oversight Democratic staff report found that Trump businesses received at least $7.8 million from foreign governments and government-backed entities in 20 countries while he was president. China was the largest payer at nearly $5.6 million, including $5.35 million in Trump Tower rent paid by state-owned ICBC from 2017 to 2019. The report drew on documents from Trump's former accounting firm Mazars, covered four properties (the DC, Las Vegas and New York hotels and Trump Tower), and said the total was likely only a small fraction of such payments.
DC hotel losses while foreign money flowed
GSA documents released by House Oversight in October 2021 showed the Trump International Hotel in Washington had more than $70 million in net losses during Trump's term, and the company put $24 million into it. The committee said Trump had claimed the hotel generated $150 million in revenue. It estimated the hotel received about $3.7 million from foreign governments.
Trump properties charged Secret Service up to $1,185 a night
House Oversight Chair Carolyn Maloney released records showing the Secret Service paid more than $1.4 million to Trump properties from 2017 to 2021, and the committee said the records may be incomplete. The highest rate was $1,185 per room per night at the DC hotel, nearly five times the government rate. The agency granted at least 40 exceptions to pay above the government rate. Eric Trump had said in 2019 that government employees stayed at Trump properties for free.
Bedminster cottage rented to Secret Service for $17,000 a month
The Washington Post reported that Trump's Bedminster club charged the Secret Service $17,000 a month ($567 a night) for a three-bedroom cottage. The agency paid rent for more than 200 days when Trump was not there. Records showed Trump businesses charged up to $650 a night.
GAO: four early Mar-a-Lago trips cost taxpayers $13.6M
GAO estimated that four presidential trips to Mar-a-Lago between Feb. 3 and March 5, 2017 cost federal agencies about $13.6 million, about $8.5 million for DoD and $5.1 million for DHS. GAO also found that DoD and the Secret Service had not submitted the presidential protection cost reports to Congress that the law requires.
Mar-a-Lago doubles initiation fee to $200,000
After Trump won the election, Mar-a-Lago raised its initiation fee from $100,000 to $200,000, effective Jan. 1, 2017. Annual dues were $14,000. Former Obama ethics lawyer Norm Eisen called it a "not very subtle exploitation" of the president's position.
Military fuel spending at Prestwick, near Turnberry
A June 2019 letter from House Oversight Chair Elijah Cummings and Rep. Jamie Raskin said the military had spent $11 million on 629 fuel orders at Glasgow Prestwick Airport since October 2017. Jet fuel is usually cheaper at U.S. bases, and Trump had a partnership with the airport since 2014. The committee was investigating whether the spending propped up the airport and the money-losing resort, and it said the Pentagon had not produced a single document.
GSA IG: agency ignored emoluments on Trump hotel lease
The GSA inspector general found that GSA improperly decided not to address whether Trump's interest in the Old Post Office hotel lease raised Emoluments Clause issues that could breach the lease. GSA lawyers told investigators they ignored the emoluments issues. The report did not find that Trump violated the Constitution, and it recommended a formal legal review.
Inaugural committee overpaid Trump hotel (DC AG suit)
The DC attorney general sued the 2017 Presidential Inaugural Committee, the Trump Organization and the Trump hotel. The suit alleged the committee misused nonprofit funds by overpaying for hotel event space to enrich the Trump family. A planner had raised pricing concerns with Trump, Ivanka Trump and Rick Gates.
Trump Org's $151,470 foreign-profit "donation"
Under Trump's pre-inauguration pledge, the Trump Organization said it gave the Treasury $151,470 in 2017 profits from foreign-government customers in February 2018. It did not explain how it calculated "profit," and the pledge did not cover its resorts.
China fast-tracks 38 Trump trademarks
In late February and early March 2017, China provisionally approved 38 Trump trademarks covering hotels, golf clubs, spas, massage parlors, insurance, and bodyguard and escort services. A trademark expert said he had never seen so many approved so quickly.
Ivanka Trump's China trademarks on the day of the Xi dinner
On April 6, 2017, China approved three trademarks for Ivanka Trump's brand (handbags, jewelry and spa services). That was the same day she and Jared Kushner, both White House advisers, dined with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago. A trademark lawyer said the approvals took about nine months, compared with the usual 18 months to two years.
Ivanka and Jared's $80M+ outside income, including Trump hotel
Financial disclosures showed that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner reported at least $80 million in outside income in 2017 while serving as White House advisers. That included $3.9 million for Ivanka from her stake in the Trump DC hotel, up from $2.4 million in 2016.
666 Fifth Avenue rescue and the Qatar link
Kushner Companies sought investment for its debt-laden 666 Fifth Avenue tower while Jared Kushner advised Trump. Charles Kushner met Qatar's finance minister in April 2017, but Qatar did not invest. In August 2018, Brookfield Properties took a 99-year lease on the building for about $1.29 billion, which paid off the mortgage. The deal drew criticism because the Qatar Investment Authority owned about 9% of Brookfield Property Partners.
Kushner Cos. got $509M in loans after White House meetings
The New York Times reported in February 2018 that Apollo lent $184 million and Citigroup lent $325 million to Kushner Companies-linked projects after their executives met Jared Kushner at the White House. Congressional Democrats requested documents on the loans.
Kushner sister pitches EB-5 visas in China
In May 2017, Nicole Kushner Meyer, Jared Kushner's sister, pitched Chinese investors in Beijing and Shanghai on One Journal Square, a Kushner Companies project in Jersey City. She promoted the EB-5 program, which offers a path to a green card for an investment of about $500,000. Jared was then a senior White House adviser.
Club members: lobbyists, contractors and ambassadors
USA Today found in 2017 that dozens of lobbyists and executives of government contractors were members of the Trump clubs he visited most. A 2019 follow-up found Trump had appointed at least eight self-identified club members to senior posts, including Callista Gingrich (Vatican) and Robin Bernstein (Dominican Republic) as ambassadors.
Presidency spent at his own properties
By CNN's count, Trump had spent 333 days at a Trump property as president by the end of 2019, including at least 252 at a Trump golf club. These visits brought government spending (Secret Service, staff) to his businesses and publicity for the brands.
DC & Maryland emoluments lawsuit
DC and Maryland sued, alleging that foreign and state payments to Trump's DC hotel violated the Emoluments Clauses. In May 2020 the full 4th Circuit ruled 9-6 that the case could proceed, which let the plaintiffs seek documents and financial records.
Congressional Democrats' emoluments suit (Blumenthal v. Trump)
215 Democratic senators and House members sued, saying Trump accepted foreign emoluments without the consent of Congress. A district judge let the case proceed in 2019.
CREW tally: 3,700 conflicts of interest
The watchdog group CREW counted more than 3,700 conflicts of interest during Trump's first term, tied to his refusal to divest from his businesses. It also counted 143 members of Congress who made more than 360 visits to Trump properties.
Ambassador asked to push British Open to Turnberry
U.S. Ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson reportedly told colleagues that Trump asked him to get the British government to steer the British Open to Turnberry. His former deputy, Lew Lukens, said he warned Johnson it would be unethical. A State Department IG report later faulted Johnson for inappropriate remarks but did not address the Turnberry allegation.
T-Mobile executives at Trump hotel during Sprint merger review
The Washington Post reported that T-Mobile executives, including CEO John Legere, stayed at Trump's DC hotel repeatedly after the April 2018 Sprint merger announcement, while the deal awaited federal approval. Hotel documents first showed 38 nights and later at least 52. T-Mobile told Congress it spent about $195,000 at the hotel after the announcement.
Chinese state loan to Trump-linked Indonesia project, then ZTE rescue
In May 2018, reports said a Chinese state-backed $500 million loan would go to a subsidiary of state-owned Metallurgical Corporation of China building MNC Lido City in Indonesia, which includes Trump-branded resort, golf and residences. About 72 hours later, Trump tweeted that he was working with Xi to get Chinese telecom company ZTE "back into business, fast." House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Democrats demanded answers from Commerce.
Don Jr.'s India sales tour and summit appearance
Donald Trump Jr. toured India in February 2018 promoting Trump-branded condo projects. Newspaper ads offered buyers "a conversation and dinner" with him, and a developer said $15 million in units sold in one day after the offer appeared. He was also scheduled to speak at a business summit where Prime Minister Modi was to appear.
Doral picked to host 2020 G7, then dropped
On Oct. 17, 2019, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney announced that the 2020 G7 summit would be held at Trump National Doral in Miami. On Oct. 19, Trump dropped the plan, citing "Media & Democrat Crazed and Irrational Hostility." He said he had offered to host it at "NO PROFIT or, if legally permissible, at ZERO COST to the USA."
Pence stays at Trump Doonbeg during Ireland visit
During a September 2019 official visit to Ireland, Vice President Pence stayed at Trump's golf resort in Doonbeg, on Ireland's west coast, and flew into Dublin for meetings. His chief of staff Marc Short said the choice was made at Trump's "suggestion."
AG Barr books $30,000 holiday party at Trump hotel
Attorney General William Barr booked his annual holiday party for about 200 guests at the Trump International Hotel in Washington. The Washington Post reported it could cost more than $30,000.
Trump Org seeks rent relief from Trump's own GSA
In April 2020 the Trump Organization asked GSA, its landlord for the DC hotel, about pandemic rent relief on a lease of about $267,653 a month. Eric Trump said "Just treat us the same."
The Attempt to Overturn 2020
The call, the fake electors, January 6, and the second impeachment · 31 entriesPressure on the Justice Department (the Jeffrey Clark plot)
A Senate Judiciary Committee majority report (Oct. 2021) found that Trump held at least nine calls or in-person meetings with senior DOJ officials between mid-December and early January, pushing them to back his fraud claims. He weighed replacing acting AG Jeffrey Rosen with Jeffrey Clark, who wanted DOJ to send Georgia a letter casting doubt on the result. At a Jan. 3, 2021 Oval Office meeting, Donoghue and Engel warned that all assistant attorneys general would resign. White House counsel Pat Cipollone called the plan a "murder-suicide pact" and indicated he would also resign. Trump backed off.
Pressure on Pence: the Eastman plan
Trump and attorney John Eastman pressed Vice President Mike Pence to reject or delay counting certified electoral votes on Jan. 6. At the House Jan. 6 committee's June 16, 2022 hearing, Pence counsel Greg Jacob testified that he told Eastman the day before the attack that the plan would "lose nine to nothing in the Supreme Court." Jacob said Eastman effectively conceded the point.
Rudy Giuliani: $148M defamation of Georgia election workers
In December 2023, a jury ordered Giuliani to pay about $148 million for falsely accusing Fulton County election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss of ballot fraud. In January 2025, after a fight over collecting the judgment, he settled with them and agreed to stop defaming them.
The Raffensperger call: "find 11,780 votes"
On Jan. 2, 2021, Trump phoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and said, "I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have." The Washington Post reported the call first and published the audio. Raffensperger told Trump that "the data you have is wrong" and repeatedly said Georgia's results were accurate. The call became central to the Fulton County criminal case.
The January 6 Capitol attack
After Trump's Ellipse rally, a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol to stop certification of Biden's win. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick died on Jan. 7 after two strokes. On April 19, 2021, the D.C. medical examiner ruled the death natural. Rioter Ashli Babbitt was shot dead by a Capitol Police officer. More than 1,500 people were federally charged, more than 1,200 were convicted, and roughly 200 pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement.
187 minutes of inaction
The House Jan. 6 committee's July 21, 2022 hearing laid out the 187 minutes from 1:10 p.m., when Trump finished his Ellipse speech, to 4:17 p.m., when he posted a video telling rioters to go home. The committee said that in between he resisted repeated pleas from aides and allies to call off the mob.
Second impeachment (incitement of insurrection)
The House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, 2021 on a single article, incitement of insurrection, making him the first president impeached twice. On Feb. 13, 2021, the Senate voted 57-43 to convict, short of the two-thirds required. Seven Republicans voted guilty: Burr, Cassidy, Collins, Murkowski, Romney, Sasse and Toomey.
Jan. 6 civil suits: Trump denied immunity
Capitol Police officers and members of Congress sued Trump personally over Jan. 6, starting with Blassingame v. Trump in 2021. The D.C. Circuit rejected his blanket immunity claim in 2023. On March 31, 2026, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Trump's Ellipse speech, his Raffensperger call and related campaign activity were not official acts covered by immunity. He also rejected a DOJ bid to shield Trump from personal liability, clearing the way toward a civil trial if upheld.
Jan. 6 committee final report and criminal referrals
On Dec. 19, 2022, the House select committee voted unanimously to adopt its final report and send DOJ four criminal referrals for Trump: obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to make a false statement, and assisting or aiding an insurrection. The committee found that Trump's actions were part of a "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn the election. It was the first time Congress referred a former president for prosecution. The full report was released Dec. 22, 2022.
Federal election-subversion indictment (Jack Smith)
On Aug. 1, 2023, a D.C. grand jury in special counsel Jack Smith's investigation indicted Trump on four counts: conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction, and conspiracy against rights. The indictment described six unindicted co-conspirators. After Trump won the 2024 election, Smith cited DOJ policy against prosecuting a sitting president, and Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed the case without prejudice on Nov. 25, 2024.
Georgia RICO case: indictment, mug shot, dismissal
In August 2023, Fulton County DA Fani Willis charged Trump and 18 others under Georgia's racketeering law over efforts to overturn the state's 2020 result, including the Raffensperger call and the Georgia fake electors. Trump was booked at the Fulton County jail on Aug. 24, 2023, the first mug shot of a U.S. president. After Willis was disqualified, Pete Skandalakis took over and moved to end the case. Judge Scott McAfee dismissed it "in its entirety" on Nov. 26, 2025.
Georgia co-defendants plead guilty (Powell, Chesebro, Ellis, Hall)
Four Trump co-defendants pleaded guilty in the Georgia case in fall 2023. Bail bondsman Scott Hall pleaded guilty in September to five misdemeanors and got five years' probation. Sidney Powell pleaded guilty to six misdemeanors and got six years' probation and a $6,000 fine. Kenneth Chesebro pleaded guilty to a felony conspiracy to file false documents and got five years' probation. Jenna Ellis pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2023 to a felony of aiding and abetting false statements and writings, and got five years' probation.
Michigan fake electors case
Michigan AG Dana Nessel charged 16 Republicans who signed a false certificate claiming Trump won Michigan. Charges against one were dropped in exchange for cooperation. On Sept. 9, 2025, District Judge Kristen Simmons dismissed the case against the other 15, saying, "I don't believe there's evidence sufficient to prove intent."
Wisconsin fake electors: civil settlement and Chesebro/Troupis/Roman charges
On Dec. 6, 2023, ten Wisconsin false electors settled a civil suit. They withdrew their filings, acknowledged that Biden won, and agreed not to serve as electors in 2024, with no admission of liability. In June 2024, AG Josh Kaul charged Trump attorneys Kenneth Chesebro and Jim Troupis and aide Mike Roman with felony forgery. A judge ruled in December 2025 that the case could proceed to trial. All three pleaded not guilty on June 16, 2026, to 11 counts each.
Colorado ballot case (14th Amendment insurrection clause)
On Dec. 19, 2023, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that Trump was disqualified from the presidency under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for his role in Jan. 6, and removed him from the primary ballot. On March 4, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed in Trump v. Anderson. It held that states cannot enforce Section 3 against federal candidates and that this power belongs to Congress. The justices did not decide whether Trump engaged in insurrection.
John Eastman disbarred
The California State Bar Court found Eastman culpable on 10 of 11 charges over his scheme to have Pence block certification, and recommended disbarment in 2024. The review department upheld that in 2025. On April 15, 2026, the California Supreme Court disbarred him. His lawyer said they would seek U.S. Supreme Court review.
Nevada fake electors case
Nevada AG Aaron Ford charged six Republican electors over a false certificate, with offering a false instrument for filing and uttering a forged instrument. Clark County Judge Mary Kay Holthus dismissed the case on venue grounds in June 2024. On Nov. 13, 2025, the Nevada Supreme Court unanimously reversed and ruled the case could proceed in Clark County. On Aug. 13, 2026, Holthus dismissed the case again.
Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling
In Trump v. United States (July 1, 2024), the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that presidents have absolute immunity for core constitutional acts, presumptive immunity for other official acts, and no immunity for unofficial acts. Chief Justice Roberts wrote for the majority. The case went back to the trial court, which narrowed Smith's case and pushed any trial past the election.
Fani Willis disqualified
In December 2024, the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified Willis and her office from the Trump case. It cited an "appearance of impropriety" from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. On Sept. 16, 2025, the Georgia Supreme Court declined, 4-3, to hear her appeal, sending the case to a new prosecutor.
Arizona fake electors case (Meadows, Giuliani indicted)
In April 2024, an Arizona grand jury indicted 18 people: the state's 11 false electors plus Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Boris Epshteyn, Christina Bobb, Jenna Ellis and Mike Roman. Trump was described as "Unindicted Coconspirator 1". A judge later sent the case back to a grand jury, and the case stalled for more than a year while the state appealed. After losing that appeal in June 2026, AG Kris Mayes dismissed the case on June 18, 2026 and said she would seek a new indictment.
Giuliani disbarred in New York
On July 2, 2024, a Manhattan appeals court disbarred Giuliani. It found he repeatedly made false statements about the 2020 election for Trump's campaign and "flagrantly misused" his position. His license had been suspended since 2021.
Jack Smith's final report: "would have been convicted"
DOJ released Volume One of Smith's final report on Jan. 14, 2025. Smith wrote that "but for Mr. Trump's election and imminent return to the Presidency, the Office assessed that the admissible evidence was sufficient to obtain and sustain a conviction at trial."
Jack Smith testifies to Congress
Smith gave a closed-door deposition to the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee in December 2025. The committee released the 255-page transcript, in which Smith said his team had "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" and called Trump "by a large measure the most culpable and most responsible person in this conspiracy." He testified publicly on Jan. 22, 2026 and said, "No one--no one--should be above the law in this country."
Pardons for 77 allies in the 2020 effort
DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin announced on Nov. 9, 2025 that Trump had pardoned 77 people tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, in a document dated Nov. 7. They include Giuliani, Meadows, Powell, Eastman, Chesebro, Epshteyn, Jenna Ellis, his Georgia co-defendants (among them Jeffrey Clark) and fake electors from several states. None faced federal charges, so the pardons were largely symbolic and do not reach state cases. The document states it does not apply to Trump himself.
Mass clemency for Jan. 6 defendants
On Jan. 20, 2025, his first day back in office, Trump granted clemency to about 1,500 people charged in the Capitol attack, including people convicted of assaulting police. He commuted 14 sentences, among them that of Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes (18 years for seditious conspiracy). He fully pardoned Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio (22 years). Trump also ordered the dismissal of roughly 450 pending cases.
Purge of Jan. 6 prosecutors
In January 2025, acting Deputy AG Emil Bove ordered about two dozen prosecutors fired. They had been hired for temporary Jan. 6 assignments and moved into permanent roles. In February, interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin demoted Jan. 6 prosecutors, including the chief of the Capitol Siege Section. Later, DOJ fired two Jan. 6 supervisors and a line prosecutor, in a letter signed by AG Pam Bondi that cited only Article II.
Payout to Ashli Babbitt's family
In May 2025, the Trump administration agreed to pay just under $5 million ($4.975 million, per the Washington Post) to settle the $30 million wrongful-death suit over Babbitt, the rioter shot by a Capitol Police officer on Jan. 6. The officer had been cleared by the D.C. U.S. Attorney's office and the Capitol Police in 2021. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger issued a statement condemning the decision to settle.
Jeffrey Clark disbarment recommendation
On July 31, 2025, the D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility recommended disbarring Jeffrey Clark, the DOJ official Trump nearly made acting AG. It found he made intentionally false statements by pushing DOJ to send Georgia a letter after superiors told him it contained falsehoods. A majority backed disbarment, and two members favored a three-year suspension. The D.C. Court of Appeals makes the final decision.
Probe of Jack Smith himself
After a complaint from Sen. Tom Cotton, the Office of Special Counsel confirmed on Aug. 2, 2025 that it had opened a Hatch Act investigation into whether Smith's Trump prosecutions were meant to influence the 2024 election. Smith had already left government, so the maximum Hatch Act penalty (termination) could not apply. OSC could refer findings to DOJ.
FBI seizes Fulton County's 2020 ballots
On Jan. 28, 2026, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Fulton County's elections hub in Union City. They took hundreds of boxes of 2020 records, including in-person, absentee and provisional ballots, voter rolls and ballot images. This followed a DOJ civil case seeking the same records. Fulton County said it would challenge the warrant's scope in federal court and noted that no chain-of-custody inventory was taken.
White House rewrites Jan. 6 on its 5th anniversary
On Jan. 6, 2026, the White House launched a webpage describing the crowd as "peaceful" and "orderly". It claimed police escalated tensions and waved people into the building, and it blamed Nancy Pelosi for security lapses. ABC said the timeline downplays Trump's rhetoric and falsely claims the 2020 election was stolen. Former Capitol Police officer Winston Pingeon, who was on duty that day, disputed the account and called it a "complete slap in the face" to officers.
The Documents
Secrets kept, shown off and spilled · 27 entriesTorn-up and flushed White House records
The National Archives said that some records it received had been torn up, that White House staff had taped some back together, and that others had not been reconstructed. In her book 'Confidence Man', New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman wrote that residence staff repeatedly found papers clogging a toilet and believed Trump had flushed torn-up material.
Telling Duterte about two nuclear submarines near North Korea
A transcript of Trump's April 29, 2017 call with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, published by The Intercept, shows Trump saying 'we have two nuclear submarines' while discussing North Korea. A companion Intercept report said Trump congratulated Duterte on his drug war on the same call.
North Korea missile crisis handled on Mar-a-Lago dining terrace
On Feb. 11, 2017, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile while Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were dining on the open terrace at Mar-a-Lago. Club member Richard DeAgazio posted photos on Facebook, and aides used phone flashlights to read documents at the table. Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump was briefed in a secure space and that the table talk covered press-conference logistics only.
Confiscating the interpreter's notes from the Putin meeting
The Washington Post reported in January 2019 that after his July 2017 meeting with Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, Trump took his interpreter's notes and told the interpreter not to discuss the meeting with other officials. It also reported that there was no detailed record, even in classified files, of his face-to-face meetings with Putin at five locations.
Kushner's SF-86 form left out foreign contacts
Kushner first submitted his security-clearance form (SF-86) with no foreign contacts listed, including his meetings with Russian Ambassador Kislyak. Later revisions brought the total to more than 100 foreign contacts. The June 2016 Trump Tower meeting surfaced only in a later revision, in July 2017.
Interim-clearance mess: Rob Porter and the Kushner downgrade
Staff secretary Rob Porter worked on an interim clearance. FBI Director Wray testified that the bureau gave the White House a completed background report in late July 2017, contradicting the White House account. Porter resigned Feb. 7, 2018 after both ex-wives accused him of abuse, which he called 'simply false'. Amid the scandal, Kelly downgraded Kushner's interim clearance from top secret/SCI to secret on Feb. 27, 2018.
Calls on an unsecured personal iPhone that foreign spies were monitoring
The New York Times reported in October 2018, citing current and former officials, that U.S. intelligence indicated Chinese spies were often listening when Trump called friends on his personal iPhones, and that Russia was also trying, less successfully. It said aides had repeatedly warned him that the phones were not secure.
Overriding officials to give Jared Kushner a top-secret clearance
The New York Times reported in February 2019 that in May 2018 Trump ordered Chief of Staff John Kelly to give Kushner a top-secret clearance over concerns from intelligence officials and White House counsel Don McGahn. Kelly wrote a memo saying he had been 'ordered' to grant it, and McGahn wrote a memo on his own concerns.
Pressuring aides to clear Ivanka Trump
CNN reported in March 2019 that, after the personnel security office raised concerns, Trump pressed Kelly and McGahn to approve security clearances for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. When they declined, he reportedly granted the clearances himself.
Whistleblower: 25 security-clearance denials overruled
Tricia Newbold, an 18-year White House employee and manager in the Personnel Security Office, told House Oversight staff that 25 clearance denials were overturned by senior officials. They included two current senior White House officials who were cleared despite staff concerns about foreign influence and outside activities. She also alleged she was retaliated against, including a 14-day unpaid suspension.
Kushner's WhatsApp use for official business
House Oversight Chairman Cummings said in a March 21, 2019 letter that Kushner's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, had told the committee Kushner used WhatsApp for official business, including with foreign leaders. It was unclear whether any classified information was involved.
Chinese national gets past Mar-a-Lago security
On March 30, 2019, Chinese national Yujing Zhang got into Mar-a-Lago while Trump was in Florida, carrying four cellphones, a laptop and an external hard drive. She was convicted of trespassing and lying to the Secret Service and was sentenced on Nov. 25, 2019 to 8 months in prison.
Tweeting a likely classified surveillance image of an Iranian launch site
On Aug. 30, 2019, Trump tweeted a high-resolution image of a failed launch at Iran's Semnan launch site. Outside experts told NBC News the image was likely classified, because its resolution was beyond what the public can get, and that it may have come from an intelligence briefing.
Ukraine call record moved to the codeword-level system
The whistleblower complaint said White House officials put the record of Trump's July 25, 2019 call with Ukraine's president on a standalone system meant for top-level, codeword intelligence, instead of the usual system. The complaint said White House lawyers ordered the move, and the whistleblower was told it was 'not the first time' a transcript had been placed there to protect politically sensitive information.
Bragging to Bob Woodward about a secret nuclear weapons system
In taped interviews for Woodward's book 'Rage', Trump said he had built a nuclear weapons system 'nobody's ever had in this country before', adding 'We have stuff that you haven't even seen or heard about.' Woodward reported that his sources confirmed a secret system existed and were surprised Trump had disclosed it.
Mar-a-Lago boxes: 15 boxes recovered by the National Archives
After Trump left office, the National Archives found presidential records missing. In May 2021 it realized original correspondence from Kim Jong Un was missing and asked Trump's representatives to return it. In January 2022 it retrieved 15 boxes from Mar-a-Lago. In a Feb. 18, 2022 letter to the House Oversight Committee, Archivist David Ferriero said the boxes held items marked as classified national security information, and Archives staff contacted the Justice Department.
Bedminster tape: 'secret' Iran attack document shown to book writers
On July 21, 2021, at his Bedminster club, Trump met a writer and a publisher working on a book, and he was recorded discussing military papers about attacking Iran. He called the material 'still a secret' and said he could have declassified it as president but could no longer do so. The meeting is described in the federal indictment, and CNN aired the audio in June 2023.
Missing binder of raw Russia intelligence
CNN reported on Dec. 15, 2023 that a binder of highly classified material went missing at the end of Trump's term. The binder was about 10 inches thick and held raw U.S. and NATO intelligence on Russians, along with material on the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Trump ordered most of it declassified on Jan. 19, 2021, but the unredacted raw intelligence was not part of that release. It was last seen at the White House and had not been found as of the report.
Nuclear-submarine details told to Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt
ABC News and The New York Times reported that Mar-a-Lago member Anthony Pratt told Jack Smith's investigators that in April 2021 Trump told him how many nuclear warheads U.S. submarines typically carry and how close they can get to Russian subs without being detected. Pratt reportedly passed the information on to at least 45 people, including journalists and three former Australian prime ministers.
June 2022 subpoena and the false 'diligent search' certification
A grand jury subpoenaed any remaining classified documents. On June 3, 2022, Trump's lawyers handed a DOJ team led by counterintelligence chief Jay Bratt 38 more classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. Custodian of records Christina Bobb signed a sworn certification, drafted by lawyer Evan Corcoran, saying all responsive material had been returned after a diligent search. Two months later the FBI found more than 100 more documents with classification markings. In court, DOJ said this 'cast serious doubt' on the claim that a diligent search had been done.
FBI search of Mar-a-Lago
On Aug. 8, 2022, the FBI executed a court-approved search warrant at Mar-a-Lago. The detailed property list, unsealed Sept. 2, 2022, records classified material grouped into 11 sets, some of it top secret. DOJ said agents also took more than 10,000 government documents without classified markings and more than 40 empty folders with 'CLASSIFIED' banners. The 33 boxes and containers came from a storage room and from Trump's office.
Superseding indictment: plan to delete Mar-a-Lago security footage
In July 2023 a superseding indictment added Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira as a defendant and added obstruction counts against Trump, Nauta and De Oliveira. Prosecutors alleged that on June 27, 2022, after the footage was subpoenaed, De Oliveira asked an IT employee how long the server kept footage and told him 'the boss' wanted the server deleted.
Federal classified-documents indictment (United States v. Trump, S.D. Fla.)
In June 2023 a Florida grand jury indicted Trump on 37 felony counts. 31 were willful retention of national defense information under the Espionage Act, and the rest were obstruction and false-statement counts. Aide Walt Nauta was charged alongside him, and the indictment had 38 counts in all. Trump pleaded not guilty in Miami on June 13, 2023.
Signalgate: war plans in a Signal chat that included a journalist
In March 2025, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group called 'Houthi PC small group'. On March 15, Defense Secretary Hegseth posted strike details there, including aircraft, timing and sequencing, for the Yemen strikes. The Pentagon inspector general found that Hegseth's use of a personal device for official business violated department policy, and that the information would have endangered troops and the mission if intercepted.
Hegseth's second Signal chat with wife, brother and lawyer
The New York Times reported, and CBS and the AP confirmed, that on March 15, 2025 Hegseth shared Yemen strike details, including F/A-18 flight schedules, in a second Signal chat called 'Defense | Team Huddle'. Members included his wife Jennifer, his brother Phil and his personal lawyer Tim Parlatore.
NSC staff used personal Gmail for government work
The Washington Post reported that Waltz and National Security Council staff used personal Gmail accounts for government work. It said one senior Waltz aide used Gmail for highly technical conversations about sensitive military positions and weapons systems.
Day-one memo granting interim TS/SCI clearances through the White House counsel
A Jan. 20, 2025 presidential memorandum told the White House Counsel to give the White House Security Office a list of staff to be immediately granted interim Top Secret/SCI clearances for up to six months. Critics said this sidestepped the normal vetting process.
Cashing the Office, Term Two: Crypto
Memecoins, a stablecoin and a family crypto empire · 31 entriesKushner's Affinity: $2B in Saudi PIF money
Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners has raised about $3 billion, at least 99% of it from abroad, including $2 billion from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. A Senate Finance Committee inquiry led by Chairman Ron Wyden found that Affinity had collected at least $112 million in fees since 2021 and, as of July 2024, had not returned any profits to investors.
Trump towers across the Gulf via Saudi Dar Global
The Trump Organization licenses its name to Dar Global, the London-listed international arm of Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan. The National counts six Gulf projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman: a $1B, 80-storey Trump Tower in Dubai, two projects in Jeddah (including a roughly $530M Trump Tower), one in Riyadh, the Doha golf project and a Muscat resort. An Office of Government Ethics filing shows the developers paid the Trumps $38M in licensing fees for Gulf projects.
Justin Sun: $75M into World Liberty, then SEC fraud case paused
Tron founder Justin Sun bought $30 million of World Liberty Financial tokens after Trump's 2024 election win, then another $45 million, for a total of $75 million. The SEC had sued him in March 2023, alleging unregistered securities sales, fraudulent market manipulation and wash trading. On Feb. 26, 2025, the SEC and Sun jointly asked the court to stay the case 'to allow the Parties to explore a potential resolution,' and the judge granted it. Sun later attended the May 2025 $TRUMP dinner as the top holder.
Kushner's Belgrade hotel project collapses amid indictments
Affinity Partners planned a roughly $500 million luxury complex at Belgrade's former Yugoslav Army General Staff headquarters, which NATO bombed in 1999. The contract required Serbia to remove the site's cultural-heritage protection. On Dec. 15, 2025, Serbian prosecutors indicted Culture Minister Nikola Selaković and others over that removal, which involved an admittedly forged expert opinion. Affinity withdrew from the project right after the indictments.
$TRUMP memecoin launch
On Friday, Jan. 17, 2025, three days before his inauguration, Trump launched the $TRUMP meme coin on the Solana blockchain. The project's website said 80% of the coins were held by the Trump Organization and its affiliates. CoinGecko data showed the price jumping from about $6.50 to $75 by that Sunday. It lost more than half its value on Inauguration Day.
Pay-to-dine $TRUMP memecoin gala
On April 23, 2025, the $TRUMP site offered dinner with the president to the top 220 holders, and the coin rose more than 50% that day. The dinner took place May 22, 2025, at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Va. The top 25 holders also got a private reception. CNBC reported that guests spent a combined $148 million on the token. A Bloomberg analysis found that 19 of the top 25 wallets used foreign exchanges that are generally off-limits to U.S. users. Tron founder Justin Sun was the top holder. One attendee said Trump stayed about 23 minutes.
MGX's $2B Binance stake paid in Trump-family USD1
Abu Dhabi-based fund MGX made a $2 billion investment in Binance. On May 1, 2025, at a crypto conference in Dubai, World Liberty co-founder Zach Witkoff announced that USD1, World Liberty's new dollar-pegged stablecoin, had been 'selected as the official stablecoin to close MGX's $2 billion investment in Binance.' A later federal lawsuit names the deal as a foreign emolument.
Binance reportedly wrote USD1's code
On July 11, 2025, Bloomberg reported, citing three people familiar with the matter, that Binance wrote the basic code that powers World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin. The report's headline says this happened before Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sought a pardon. Bloomberg's review of blockchain data found that about 90% of USD1's roughly $2 billion supply sat in Binance wallets.
SEC drops Binance/CZ case with prejudice
On May 29, 2025, the SEC and Binance filed a joint stipulation dismissing, with prejudice, the June 2023 civil case against Binance entities and founder Changpeng Zhao. The SEC said it dismissed the case 'in the exercise of its discretion' as a policy matter. The dismissal came four weeks after Binance was named as the vehicle for the $2B USD1 deal.
Pardon of Binance founder Changpeng 'CZ' Zhao
On Oct. 23, 2025, Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. In 2023 Zhao had pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program, as part of Binance's $4.3 billion settlement with the Justice Department, and he served prison time. Zhao has deep ties to World Liberty Financial, and a UAE fund used $2B of World Liberty's USD1 to buy into Binance. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called the pardon an example of 'corruption.'
'Spy Sheikh' secret 49% stake in World Liberty
The Wall Street Journal reported on Jan. 31, 2026 that Aryam Investment, a firm backed by UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, agreed four days before Trump's January 2025 inauguration to buy 49% of World Liberty Financial for $500 million. Eric Trump signed the deal. The WSJ reported that about $187M went to Trump family entities and $31M to Witkoff family entities. Trump's 2025 disclosure later showed $263M going to Trump family entities. Two senior officers from Tahnoon-backed companies joined World Liberty's board. In May 2025 the U.S. agreed to let the UAE buy advanced Nvidia AI chips.
Trump family's crypto windfall
Based on a Reuters analysis, the Trump family made more than $800 million from its crypto ventures in the first half of 2025. Trump's 927-page 2025 financial disclosure to the Office of Government Ethics, reported by NPR in July 2026, showed more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial and more than $600 million from Trump-branded meme coin sales, together over $1 billion from crypto. Former White House ethics lawyer Richard Painter called it a 'clear conflict of interest.'
Aqua1's $100M WLFI purchase
On June 26, 2025, Aqua 1 Foundation, a UAE-based fund, announced that it had bought $100 million of World Liberty Financial's WLFI tokens. That made it World Liberty's largest publicly known investor. A later Reuters investigation found little public information about the fund's founder.
ALT5 Sigma $1.5B WLFI treasury
In August 2025, Nasdaq-listed ALT5 Sigma announced a roughly $1.5B share sale at $7.50 a share, expected to close around Aug. 12. In a private placement, World Liberty Financial received 100M ALT5 shares in exchange for WLFI tokens, and up to another 100M shares were sold for cash. Zach Witkoff was to become chairman and Eric Trump a director after closing.
World Liberty–Pakistan crypto deal
On April 26, 2025, in Islamabad, World Liberty founders Zach Witkoff (son of Trump envoy Steve Witkoff), Zak Folkman and Chase Herro signed a letter of intent with the government-backed Pakistan Crypto Council. It covers stablecoin remittances, asset tokenization, DeFi and regulatory sandboxes. Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao had recently been named an adviser to the council.
Trump Media $2.5B bitcoin treasury
On May 27, 2025, Trump Media & Technology Group announced a $2.5B private placement ($1.5B in common stock and $1B in convertible notes) from about 50 institutional investors to buy bitcoin. The president indirectly owns more than 114 million Trump Media shares through a revocable trust.
Trump Media–TAE fusion merger
On Dec. 18, 2025, Trump Media agreed to an all-stock merger with fusion developer TAE Technologies valued at more than $6B, with each side's shareholders to own about 50%. DJT shares rose about 25% in premarket trading, after falling about 75% from their January highs. The New York Times flagged likely conflict-of-interest scrutiny. The president's Trump Media shares are held in a trust managed by Donald Trump Jr.
American Bitcoin: Trump sons' Nasdaq listing
American Bitcoin is a bitcoin miner backed by Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. together with Hut 8. It began trading on Nasdaq (ABTC) on Sept. 3, 2025, after an all-stock merger with Gryphon Digital Mining. Hut 8 contributed mining machines for 80% of the company's stock. The shares surged on debut.
Don Jr.-backed drone firm wins Army order
In October 2025, Florida drone maker Unusual Machines won a U.S. Army order for 3,500 drone motors and other parts. Its CEO called it the company's largest government order, and the Army signaled about 20,000 more parts in 2026. Donald Trump Jr. joined the company's advisory board in November 2024 and received 200,000 shares, reported as worth about $2.6M to $4M. The order followed Trump's June 2025 executive order 'Unleashing American Drone Dominance.'
Don Jr. on Kalshi and Polymarket
Since January 2025, Donald Trump Jr. has been a strategic adviser to prediction market Kalshi, a paid role according to Axios. Later in 2025, his venture firm 1789 Capital invested a reported 'double-digit millions' in rival Polymarket, and he joined Polymarket's advisory board. Both companies operate in a market regulated by his father's administration (the CFTC).
'Executive Branch' $500K Georgetown club
In April 2025, Donald Trump Jr., 1789 Capital's Omeed Malik and Chris Buskirk, and Zach and Alex Witkoff (sons of envoy Steve Witkoff) launched Executive Branch, a private members' club in Georgetown. The membership fee is $500,000, plus undisclosed annual dues.
GrabAGun SPAC with Don Jr. on board
On July 16, 2025, online gun retailer GrabAGun went public on the NYSE (ticker PEW) through a $179 million merger with Colombier Acquisition Corp. II, a SPAC led by 1789 Capital's Omeed Malik. Donald Trump Jr. sits on the board and holds about 1% of the company. The shares fell about 24% on debut day.
Trump Mobile T1 'Made in USA' phone
In June 2025, the Trump Organization licensed its name to Trump Mobile. The company took $100 deposits on a $499 gold T1 phone promoted as 'designed and built in the United States' for an August 2025 release. In late June the site dropped the 'Made in the USA' wording. A customer representative blamed the delay on the 43-day government shutdown, and the company later cited quality testing. Shipping began the week of May 13, 2026.
$1.5B Trump golf resort in Vietnam during tariff talks
In May 2025, Vietnam approved a $1.5B Trump Organization golf and residential project on 2,446 acres in Hung Yen province, with local partner Kinhbac City. On May 21, 2025, Eric Trump attended the groundbreaking with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who said the visit 'motivated us to expedite this project.' At the time, Vietnam faced a 46% U.S. 'Liberation Day' tariff, which had been postponed for 90 days.
Trump golf resort in Qatar with a state developer
On April 30, 2025, two weeks before Trump's Gulf trip, Qatari Diar and Saudi-linked developer Dar Global announced a Trump International Golf Club and Trump-branded villas. The project sits in the government-backed Simaisma development, about 40 km north of Doha. Eric Trump attended the signing. It was the Trump Organization's first development deal in Qatar.
Kushner–Saudi $55B Electronic Arts buyout
On Sept. 29, 2025, a consortium of Saudi Arabia's PIF, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners agreed to take Electronic Arts private for $55B ($210 a share in cash). Reports called it the largest leveraged buyout on record. The deal deepened Kushner's financial partnership with the Saudi state while his father-in-law was president.
Amazon's $40M Melania documentary
Amazon MGM paid $40M for the rights to the Melania Trump documentary 'Melania' and committed about $35M more to marketing. The Hollywood Reporter called it the most expensive documentary ever. Citing the WSJ, CNN reported the first lady's cut is more than 70% of the $40M, at least $28M. The film premiered Jan. 29, 2026 and opened to about $7M domestically, leaving Amazon far from breaking even. Rivals speculated that Amazon was trying to curry favor with the administration.
$MELANIA memecoin crash and fraud suit
Melania Trump launched the $MELANIA meme coin on Jan. 19, 2025, the day before the inauguration. The token later fell from $13.73 to $0.18, about 98%. An October 2025 federal class action accuses Meteora's Benjamin Chow and Kelsier's Hayden Davis of a pump-and-dump scheme using $MELANIA and other tokens. It alleges insider wallets took about $10M from the $MELANIA collapse alone. Melania Trump is not a defendant; the suit describes her as 'window dressing.'
Second $TRUMP dinner contest
On Sept. 30, 2026, the firm behind $TRUMP opened another holder contest that promises 'the most exclusive dinner in the world.' CNN reported the site offered 'an evening with 3 Legends and President Donald J. Trump' at his private club in Washington, D.C., for the top 185 holders, plus a VIP reception for the top 29. Standings lock Nov. 12, 2026, and the dinner is set for Nov. 22, 2026. CNN noted that experts called the May 2025 gala a textbook pay-to-play scandal, and that disclosures show Trump made more than $1 billion from crypto.
World Liberty federal bank charter, 49% UAE-owned
Early in 2026, World Liberty set up World Liberty Trust Company and sought a national trust bank charter to issue, redeem and hold USD1 in custody. On Aug. 14, 2026, the OCC granted preliminary conditional approval. The WSJ reported that StringZ Holding, tied to Sheikh Tahnoon and co-investors, owns 49% of the bank's holding company, WLTC Holdings, and a Trump family entity owns 38%.
Emoluments lawsuit over UAE crypto deals
On Oct. 22, 2026, J. Benjamin Greenberg, a Circle shareholder and former employee, filed a derivative suit in D.C. federal court against Trump, World Liberty Financial, envoy Steve Witkoff and four LLCs. The suit alleges that two UAE-linked transactions violated the Foreign Emoluments Clause: the $500M purchase of a 49% WLF stake and an Abu Dhabi fund's $2B purchase of USD1. It seeks a declaration, disclosure of other foreign crypto emoluments, and the return of illegal profits.
Pay to Play
A jet, a ballroom and settlements paid to the president · 26 entriesTrump's $230M claim against his own Justice Department
The New York Times reported in October 2025 that Trump was seeking about $230 million from the DOJ. The money would come through two administrative claims he filed in 2023 and 2024 over the Russia investigation and the Mar-a-Lago search. Deputy AG Todd Blanche, Trump's former defense lawyer, could be involved in settling them. Asked about the claims, Trump said he 'could be' seeking the money and would give it to charity. Under the May 2026 IRS settlement, Trump agreed to drop the claims.
ABC/Disney $15M to Trump library
In December 2024 ABC News agreed to give $15 million to Trump's future presidential library foundation, plus $1 million in legal fees, to settle his defamation suit over George Stephanopoulos saying Trump had been 'found liable for rape'. In a reply to senators, ABC said the $15M was still in an escrow account held by a law firm representing Trump and had been since December 2024.
Qatar's $400M Boeing 747 'Air Force One'
In May 2025 the Pentagon accepted a Boeing 747-8 from Qatar's royal family for Trump to use as Air Force One once it had been modified. The jet is valued at about $400 million. The 2025 agreement called it an 'unconditional donation,' but then-AG Pam Bondi concluded the gift could be conditioned on moving the plane to Trump's library foundation by Jan. 1, 2029; Eric Trump and the White House say that plan is not final. In May 2026 the Air Force affirmed that the retrofit would cost about $400 million. The jet is now in service, and Trump flew it to a Daytona Beach rally on Oct. 30, 2026.
White House ballroom paid for by corporate donors
Trump demolished the East Wing to build a ballroom paid for by private donors. The donations go through the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall. The cost estimate rose from $200M to about $300M, and Trump has said donations exceed $350M. In October 2025 the White House released a list of about three dozen donors without amounts. It includes Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Palantir, Coinbase, Ripple and Comcast, many of which have business before the government. Senate Democrats sent letters to the Trust and donors on Oct. 23, 2025.
YouTube pays $24.5M, $22M of it for the ballroom
On Sept. 29, 2025, Alphabet's YouTube agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle Trump's lawsuit over his account suspension after Jan. 6. $22 million goes to the Trust for the National Mall for the White House ballroom, and about $2.5M goes to other plaintiffs. YouTube had restored Trump's account in 2023.
Meta pays $25M to settle Trump suspension suit
In November 2024 Zuckerberg visited Trump at his Florida club, where Trump raised the lawsuit. On Jan. 29, 2025 Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle Trump's 2021 suit over his Facebook and Instagram suspension. $22 million was designated for Trump's presidential library fund.
Musk's X pays about $10M to settle Trump suit
In February 2025 X agreed to pay about $10 million to settle Trump's 2021 lawsuit over his Twitter suspension. A judge had dismissed the case in 2022, and Trump had appealed. Elon Musk had spent at least $250 million backing Trump's 2024 campaign. Trump's financial disclosure lists $8 million from X paid to him personally.
Paramount's $16M '60 Minutes' payout before the Skydance merger
On July 1, 2025 Paramount agreed to pay $16 million, going to Trump's future library and to legal fees, to settle his $20 billion suit over the editing of a '60 Minutes' Kamala Harris interview. Nothing goes to Trump personally, and there was no apology. At the time Paramount needed FCC approval for its $8.4 billion merger with Skydance, and the FCC approved it weeks later. Critics called the payment a bribe.
Big Law firms pledge free legal work to avoid executive orders
Nine firms made deals with the White House pledging pro bono work for causes the administration supports, totaling about $940 million. Paul Weiss pledged $40M, and Trump rescinded its executive order. Skadden ($100M) made a preemptive deal. Milbank, Willkie and Cadwalader pledged $100M each, and Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, Simpson Thacher and A&O Shearman pledged $125M each.
Executive orders punishing law firms struck down
Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey sued instead of making deals. Federal district judges ruled unanimously that the executive orders against them were unconstitutional and blocked them permanently. On March 2, 2026 the DOJ dropped its appeals, then reversed itself about a day later. The consolidated appeal was argued before the D.C. Circuit on May 14, 2026.
Columbia pays $221M to restore federal funding
On July 23-24, 2025 Columbia agreed to pay $200 million to the federal government over three years, plus $21 million to settle EEOC investigations. In return it gets back most of the federal grants the administration cut over alleged antisemitism, including more than $400 million canceled in March 2025. It also agreed to disciplinary and curriculum reforms and to report to a monitor. Columbia did not admit wrongdoing.
Brown's $50M deal
On July 30, 2025, days after Columbia's deal, Brown agreed to pay $50 million over 10 years to Rhode Island workforce development groups, with no payment to the federal government. It also agreed to adopt the administration's definitions of 'male' and 'female' for athletics and housing. In return its frozen federal funding was restored.
Cornell's $60M deal
On Nov. 7, 2025 Cornell agreed to pay $30 million to the federal government and spend $30 million over three years on agricultural research. In return more than $250 million in federal research funding was restored and investigations ended. Cornell must also hand over admissions data, and its president must certify compliance every quarter through the end of 2028.
Northwestern's $75M deal
On Nov. 28, 2025 the Justice Department announced that Northwestern would pay $75 million to the federal government, in payments through 2028. In return the $790 million in federal funding frozen earlier in the year would be restored. Northwestern also agreed to overhaul its rules on campus demonstrations and to require antisemitism training. It was the second-largest payment by a targeted university, after Columbia's.
Record $239M inaugural fund from corporations with business before the government
Trump's 2025 inaugural committee raised $239 million, more than double the $109 million record from 2017. Pilgrim's Pride gave the most at $5M, followed by crypto firm Ripple at almost $4.9M. Amazon, Meta and Apple CEO Tim Cook gave $1M each. Leftover funds were reportedly expected to go to Trump's library.
$TRUMP memecoin 'dinner with the president'
On May 22, 2025 Trump hosted the top 220 holders of his $TRUMP memecoin at his golf club near Washington, with a VIP reception for the top 25. According to Inca Digital data cited by CBS, buyers spent more than $140 million on the coin trying to win seats. The top holder was Tron founder Justin Sun, whose SEC fraud case had been paused. Trump-linked entities collect fees from the coin.
Abu Dhabi's $2B Binance investment made in Trump stablecoin, followed by UAE chip access
Abu Dhabi state-backed MGX made its $2 billion investment in Binance using World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin. This boosted the reserves of the Trump family firm, which can keep the interest. Zach Witkoff, a WLF co-founder and the son of Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, announced the stablecoin choice in May 2025. Shortly afterward the administration lifted a Biden-era restriction and gave the UAE access to advanced US chips.
UAE royal-linked firm buys nearly half of World Liberty Financial
Days before the January 2025 inauguration, the Trump family sold nearly half of World Liberty Financial for $500 million. The buyer was a UAE government-linked company run by a member of the UAE royal family. The Wall Street Journal first reported the deal in early 2026, about a year after it was made.
Pardon of Paul Walczak after his mother's $1M dinner
In April 2025 Trump pardoned former nursing-home executive Paul Walczak, who had been convicted of tax crimes. The pardon came 12 days after he was sentenced, and it wiped out an 18-month prison term and nearly $4.4M in restitution. It also came less than three weeks after his mother, GOP fundraiser Elizabeth Fago, attended a $1M-per-person fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. His pardon application focused heavily on her political work. The New York Times broke the story.
Pardon of Nikola founder and donor Trevor Milton
On March 28, 2025 Trump pardoned Trevor Milton, who had been sentenced to four years for defrauding Nikola investors. FEC records show Milton and his wife gave more than $1.8M to a Trump re-election fund less than a month before the 2024 election. The pardon could also wipe out the hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution that prosecutors had sought.
Swiss gold bar and Rolex, then a tariff cut
In early November 2025 a group of Swiss business executives gave Trump an engraved gold bar and a Rolex table clock in the Oval Office. The gold bar was worth at least 100,000 Swiss francs (about $124,000). Less than two weeks later the US agreed to cut tariffs on Swiss imports from 39% to 15%.
Tim Cook's 24K-gold gift and Apple's chip-tariff exemption
On Aug. 6, 2025 in the Oval Office, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave Trump an engraved glass Apple plate set in a 24K gold base. He also announced $100B more in US investment, for a total of $600B. Trump said Apple would be exempt from a coming chip tariff. Cook had personally given $1M to the inaugural fund, and smartphones had earlier received a tariff exemption.
South Korea's gold crown at the trade summit
On Oct. 29, 2025 in Gyeongju, during Trump's summit visit, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung gave him a replica of a Silla-dynasty gold crown. Lee also presented the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, South Korea's highest decoration.
Crypto cash: more than $800M in the first half of 2025
Reuters reported that the Trump family made more than $800 million from crypto ventures, such as World Liberty token sales and the $TRUMP memecoin, in the first half of 2025 alone. According to his financial disclosure, as reported by PBS in July 2026, Trump's 2025 income was more than $2 billion, more than triple the prior year. Crypto was the main driver.
Florida gifts $67M of Miami land for Trump's library
In September 2025, at an emergency meeting, Miami Dade College trustees voted unanimously to transfer a 2.63-acre downtown parcel next to the Freedom Tower for Trump's presidential library. The parcel is appraised at more than $67 million, and Florida gave it outright. Historian Marvin Dunn sued under the state Sunshine Law in October 2025. In May 2026 residents, a nonprofit and a student filed a federal suit arguing the gift violates the Domestic Emoluments Clause.
$10B suit against the IRS and the $1.776B 'Anti-Weaponization Fund'
In January 2026 Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization sued the IRS and Treasury for $10 billion over the leak of his tax returns. On May 18, 2026 the DOJ settled out of court and agreed to create a $1.776 billion 'Anti-Weaponization Fund' for people claiming the government had been weaponized against them. On July 13, 2026 Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that the suit was brought for an improper purpose and that the plaintiffs acted in bad faith. She barred the parties from using the settlement as evidence, referred Trump lawyer Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar, and restricted another lawyer from practicing in the district. The DOJ then said it was not moving forward with the fund.
Turning Justice Into a Weapon
Prosecuting enemies, firing prosecutors and watchdogs · 31 entriesTrump publicly orders Bondi to prosecute Comey, Schiff and Letitia James
On Sept. 20, 2025, Trump posted on Truth Social to Attorney General Pam Bondi, naming James Comey, Adam Schiff and Letitia James: "We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility." An administration official told NBC that Trump had meant to send it as a private message. Comey was indicted five days later and James on Oct. 9.
Erik Siebert forced out as Virginia U.S. attorney
Erik Siebert, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, left on Sept. 19, 2025. Prosecutors had found insufficient evidence to charge Letitia James with mortgage fraud, and he reportedly balked at charging her and James Comey. AP reported he was told to resign or be fired. He resigned, and Trump said he had fired him first.
James Comey indictment
On Sept. 25, 2025, interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan obtained an indictment of ex-FBI Director James Comey on two counts: false statement to Congress and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The grand jury rejected a third count, and the statute of limitations expired at the end of September. On Nov. 24, 2025, Judge Cameron Currie dismissed the case without prejudice because Halligan had been unlawfully appointed. DOJ appealed, and the Fourth Circuit heard argument on Sept. 15, 2026.
Letitia James indictment and two failed re-indictments
New York AG Letitia James won the civil fraud case against Trump. On Oct. 9, 2025, she was indicted in Virginia on bank fraud and false-statement charges over a Norfolk home. The government alleged she saved about $50 a month on her mortgage. The case was dismissed Nov. 24, 2025, over Halligan's unlawful appointment. Grand juries in Norfolk (Dec. 4) and Alexandria (Dec. 11) then declined to re-indict her.
Lindsey Halligan appointment ruled unlawful
Lindsey Halligan, a former White House aide with no prosecutorial experience, was installed as interim U.S. attorney in Virginia in September 2025. On Nov. 24, 2025, Judge Cameron Currie ruled the appointment invalid and dismissed her indictments of Comey and James. Halligan kept using the title until federal judges in January 2026 demanded she explain herself and threatened discipline. She left the post on Jan. 20, 2026.
Alina Habba ruled unlawfully serving as New Jersey U.S. attorney
Trump kept his former personal lawyer Alina Habba as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor after her interim term expired. On Aug. 21, 2025, Judge Matthew Brann ruled her appointment void. On Dec. 1, 2025, a Third Circuit panel upheld that ruling. Habba resigned on Dec. 8, 2025.
John Bolton classified-documents prosecution
The FBI searched Bolton's Bethesda home and D.C. office on Aug. 22, 2025. On Oct. 16, 2025, a Maryland grand jury indicted him on 18 counts: 8 of transmitting and 10 of retaining national defense information. Bolton, a Trump critic, had also lost his federal security protection in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 26, 2026.
Mortgage-fraud referrals against Schiff and Swalwell
FHFA Director Bill Pulte made mortgage-fraud referrals against Trump foes, including Sen. Adam Schiff and, in November 2025, Rep. Eric Swalwell. Bondi named Ed Martin a "special attorney" to probe Schiff and Letitia James, and NBC reported that a Maryland grand jury would take up the Schiff allegations. Both men deny wrongdoing. ProPublica found that in 1993-94 Trump signed two mortgages pledging Palm Beach homes as his principal residence, though he never lived in either.
Attempted firing of Fed Governor Lisa Cook
After FHFA Director Pulte sent a mortgage-fraud referral on Aug. 15, 2025, Trump moved in late August to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook "for cause." NBC reported that no president had ever tried to fire a top Fed official. DOJ opened a criminal investigation of Cook on Sept. 4, 2025. On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Cook could stay in office while she contests the removal.
Eric Adams corruption case dropped
On Feb. 10, 2025, acting Deputy AG Emil Bove ordered SDNY to drop the bribery case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams, saying it interfered with his ability to govern. Acting U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon refused and resigned. She wrote that Adams's lawyers had pushed what amounted to a quid pro quo, and other senior prosecutors resigned too (reports cited six). On April 2, 2025, Judge Dale Ho dismissed the case with prejudice, writing that it "smacks of a bargain: dismissal of the Indictment in exchange for immigration policy concessions."
Inspector general purge
On Jan. 24, 2025, Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general without the 30-day notice to Congress that the law requires. Eight of them sued on Feb. 12, 2025. On Sept. 24, 2025, Judge Ana Reyes ruled the firings unlawful but declined to reinstate them.
Firing of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger
On Feb. 7, 2025, Trump fired Hampton Dellinger, head of the Office of Special Counsel (the federal whistleblower watchdog), without giving a reason. Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled the firing unlawful on March 1. The D.C. Circuit let the removal take effect on March 5, and Dellinger dropped his suit on March 6.
FBI purge of Jan. 6 and Trump-case agents
In late January 2025, eight FBI headquarters executives were forced out, and acting Deputy AG Emil Bove ordered the FBI to list employees who worked on Jan. 6 cases. The list, turned over in early February, covered about 5,000 people. In September 2025, ex-acting Director Brian Driscoll and two other fired officials sued Kash Patel and Bondi, alleging retaliatory firings. In November 2025, the FBI fired, unfired, then refired agents tied to the Jack Smith and Arctic Frost probes.
Maurene Comey fired
On July 16, 2025, DOJ fired SDNY prosecutor Maurene Comey, James Comey's daughter, who had helped prosecute Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. The termination notice cited only Article II of the Constitution. On Sept. 15, 2025, she sued, alleging political retaliation tied to her father.
Ed Martin and the Weaponization Working Group
Bondi created the Weaponization Working Group on Feb. 5, 2025, to review prosecutions of Trump and his allies. In May 2025, with his nomination as D.C. U.S. attorney stalled, Ed Martin was named to lead it. He said it would publicly name and shame people it could not charge. He pursued Letitia James and posed outside Lisa Cook's house for the New York Post. The Washington Post reported in February 2026 that he had been demoted as the group's head.
'Grand conspiracy' probe of Brennan, Comey and Russia-probe officials
DOJ investigated John Brennan, Comey and other officials involved in the 2016 Russia inquiry, using a grand jury in Fort Pierce, Fla., where Judge Aileen Cannon sits. NBC reported more than 130 subpoenas. Career prosecutor Maria Medetis Long reportedly objected to charging Brennan and left. In April 2026, Trump loyalist Joe diGenova took over. diGenova quit on Sept. 10, 2026, with no one charged, and U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones, who oversaw the probe, resigned on Nov. 6, 2026.
Six Democratic lawmakers investigated over 'illegal orders' video
Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and Reps. Jason Crow, Maggie Goodlander, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan made a November 2025 video telling troops they may refuse illegal orders. On Nov. 20, Trump called it "SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR" and "punishable by DEATH!" On Feb. 10, 2026, Jeanine Pirro's office sought indictments, and the grand jury declined. NBC reported that not a single juror was persuaded.
Security clearances revoked from critics and ex-intel officials
On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump revoked the clearances of the 51 ex-intelligence officials who signed the 2020 Hunter Biden laptop letter. Later in 2025 he stripped clearances from other critics, including Letitia James and whistleblower lawyer Mark Zaid. Zaid sued, and in January 2026 a federal judge blocked the revocation of his clearance.
Milley stripped of security detail and clearance
On Jan. 29, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suspended Gen. Mark Milley's security clearance, pulled his security detail and ordered a review of his conduct as Joint Chiefs chairman that could lead to demotion. Separately, hours after the Jan. 20 inauguration, Milley's portrait was removed from the Pentagon.
Protection pulled from Bolton, Pompeo, Hook, Fauci and Harris
In January 2025, Trump ended federal security protection for ex-officials John Bolton, Mike Pompeo and Brian Hook, who had faced Iranian threats, and for Anthony Fauci. On Aug. 28, 2025, he cancelled Kamala Harris's Secret Service protection, which Biden had extended by a year, effective Sept. 1.
Krebs and Miles Taylor targeted by presidential order
On April 9, 2025, Trump signed directives revoking the clearances of ex-CISA chief Chris Krebs, who had said the 2020 election was secure, and ex-DHS official Miles Taylor. The directives ordered investigations into both men's government service. The Krebs order also suspended clearances held by employees of his employer, SentinelOne.
Probes ordered into ActBlue and the Soros foundation
An April 24, 2025 presidential memo directed DOJ to investigate ActBlue, the Democrats' main fundraising platform, over alleged straw and foreign donations. On Sept. 25, 2025, a DOJ official directed prosecutors to prepare investigations of George Soros's Open Society Foundations, considering charges up to racketeering and material support for terrorism. OSF called it a "politically motivated attack."
Judge Hannah Dugan prosecution
The FBI arrested Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan on April 25, 2025, accusing her of helping a man evade ICE at her courthouse. On Dec. 18, 2025, a jury convicted her of felony obstruction and acquitted her of misdemeanor concealment. She resigned on Jan. 3, 2026. On July 8, 2026, she was fined $5,000, with no prison time or probation.
Prosecution of Rep. LaMonica McIver
After a May 9, 2025 congressional oversight visit to an ICE detention facility in Newark, interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba charged Rep. LaMonica McIver on May 19 with assaulting and impeding federal officers. A grand jury indicted her on June 10, 2025, and she pleaded not guilty, calling the charges political. On Aug. 27, 2026, the Third Circuit denied her motions to dismiss.
Sarcone disqualified from Letitia James probe
John Sarcone, the acting U.S. attorney in the Northern District of New York, was leading a separate investigation of Letitia James. On Jan. 8, 2026, a federal judge disqualified him from that probe, ruling he was not lawfully serving.
Criminal probe of Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Jeanine Pirro's D.C. U.S. attorney's office served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas over the Fed's building renovation. Powell disclosed the subpoenas in a Sunday statement on Jan. 11, 2026. On March 13, 2026, Chief Judge James Boasberg quashed them, writing that the government had produced "essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime." Pirro closed the probe on April 24, 2026, but said she could reopen it.
Pentagon moves to cut Sen. Mark Kelly's rank and pension
On Jan. 5, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a censure and retirement-grade proceedings that could cut Kelly's retired Navy rank and pay over the video. Kelly sued about a week later. In February 2026, Judge Richard Leon temporarily blocked the Pentagon's action.
Bondi fired over failure to prosecute Trump's foes
Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026. Reports tied the firing to her unsuccessful prosecutions of his political opponents and her handling of the Epstein files. Todd Blanche, the deputy AG and Trump's former personal lawyer, became acting AG. Asked about Trump's public demand that Bondi indict his enemies, Blanche said: "That type of communication from President Trump should make every American happy."
Gabbard criminal referrals of Ukraine whistleblower and IG
In mid-April 2026, DNI Tulsi Gabbard sent DOJ criminal referrals targeting the 2019 Ukraine whistleblower and ex-Intelligence Community IG Michael Atkinson. Their handling of the complaint led to Trump's first impeachment. CBS said the documents Gabbard released provide no direct evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Criminal investigation of E. Jean Carroll
CNN reported on May 27, 2026, that DOJ had opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll over whether she lied about receiving outside help to fund her lawsuit against Trump. Carroll had won civil verdicts finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Acting AG Todd Blanche recused himself.
Grand jury subpoenas to Gov. Walz and Mayor Frey
During the federal immigration surge in Minnesota, a federal grand jury subpoenaed Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Jan. 15, 2026. DOJ was investigating whether their public statements obstructed immigration enforcement. On Jan. 20, subpoenas also went to the offices of AG Keith Ellison, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and county officials.
Defying the Courts, the Constitution and Congress
Rulings ignored, money impounded, troops in American cities · 30 entriesAbrego Garcia wrongly deported to CECOT
On March 15, 2025 the administration deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident, to El Salvador's CECOT prison even though a 2019 immigration order barred his removal there. In a court filing the government admitted the removal was an "administrative error." On April 10, 2025 the Supreme Court, with no noted dissents, said the government must "facilitate" his release. He was returned on June 6, 2025, the same day DOJ announced a human-smuggling indictment in Tennessee.
Abrego Garcia prosecution thrown out as vindictive
After bringing Abrego Garcia back, DOJ charged him in Tennessee with human smuggling. On May 22, 2026 U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw dismissed the case, finding vindictive and selective prosecution: without Abrego Garcia's successful lawsuit over his removal, the government would not have brought the charges. Separately, Judge Paula Xinis ordered him released from ICE custody on Dec 11, 2025, and on Feb 17, 2026 ruled that ICE could not re-detain him.
Alien Enemies Act flights and Boasberg contempt finding
On March 15, 2025 Judge James Boasberg issued an order blocking removals under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, yet flights carrying Venezuelans continued to El Salvador. On April 16, 2025 Boasberg found probable cause to hold the administration in criminal contempt. A 2-1 D.C. Circuit panel vacated his order on Aug 8, 2025; a second 2-1 panel halted renewed proceedings in April 2026; on June 22, 2026 the full D.C. Circuit granted rehearing and vacated that second panel ruling.
Alien Enemies Act invocation ruled unlawful / due process denied
On May 16, 2025 the Supreme Court found that the notice given to Venezuelan detainees facing Alien Enemies Act removal was insufficient. On Sept 2, 2025 a Fifth Circuit panel ruled 2-1 that Trump had improperly invoked the 1798 wartime law, because there was no "invasion" or "predatory incursion" by a foreign nation.
DOJ whistleblower: Bove and ignoring court orders
Fired DOJ lawyer Erez Reuveni filed a whistleblower disclosure, dated June 24, 2025. It alleged that Emil Bove, Trump's former defense lawyer and then a top DOJ official, said the department might need to tell courts "f--- you" and ignore orders blocking deportation flights. In July 2025 another whistleblower corroborated Reuveni's account. The Senate confirmed Bove to the Third Circuit 50-49 on July 29, 2025.
South Sudan deportations despite court order
Judge Brian Murphy (D. Mass.) barred deporting migrants to third countries without notice and a chance to claim fear of torture. In May 2025 the government put men on a flight bound for South Sudan, and Murphy found it violated his order. The Supreme Court stayed his injunction on June 23, 2025 and said on July 3 that his remedial order could not be enforced. Eight men were then sent to South Sudan on July 4-5, 2025. In February 2026 Murphy declared the third-country removal policy unlawful.
IEEPA tariffs struck down by Supreme Court
Trump imposed sweeping global tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. On Feb 20, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 (Roberts writing) in Learning Resources v. Trump / V.O.S. Selections that IEEPA does not authorize tariffs. Customs stopped collecting them Feb 24, 2026. The Court of International Trade ordered refunds with interest on March 4, 2026, and about $81 billion had been repaid by July 2026.
GAO: illegal impoundment of EV charger funds (NEVI)
The Federal Highway Administration suspended approval of state electric-vehicle charging plans, freezing National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure money that Congress had appropriated. On May 22, 2025 the Government Accountability Office ruled this violated the Impoundment Control Act. It was GAO's first such finding of Trump's second term.
GAO: illegal impoundment at Institute of Museum and Library Services
After an executive order to shrink the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the administration cut its grants and staff. On June 16, 2025 GAO found that the agency withheld appropriated funds in violation of the Impoundment Control Act.
GAO: illegal impoundment of FEMA assistance funds
GAO issued two decisions on FEMA's withholding of federal assistance money. On Sept 15, 2025 it found violations in two FY2025 programs (Emergency Food and Shelter, Shelter and Services) while finding no violation yet for ten others. On Sept 29, 2025 it found FEMA violated the act on three programs, including by deobligating awards.
GAO: illegal impoundment at EPA, AHRQ and Energy
On Oct 7, 2026 GAO issued two more Impoundment Control Act violation findings. One covered EPA's Community Change Grants. The other covered HHS Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grant funds, with about $78 million left unobligated. Earlier, on July 31, 2025, GAO found the Energy Department violated the act by delaying FY2025 funds for its Renew America's Schools program.
"Pocket rescission" of $4.9B in foreign aid
On Aug 28, 2025 Trump sent Congress a special message proposing to rescind about $4.9 billion in foreign-aid funds, timed so the 45-day review period would run past the funds' Sept 30 expiration. On Sept 12, 2025 GAO restated its view that the Impoundment Control Act does not allow withholding funds past their expiration date, so the money had to be made available for obligation before it lapsed.
Mass firing of inspectors general
On Jan 24, 2025 Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general without the 30-day notice to Congress that the Inspector General Act requires. On Sept 24, 2025 U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled the firings unlawful. She declined to reinstate the inspectors general, noting Trump could re-fire them with proper notice.
Firing of NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox
Trump removed NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox on Jan 27, 2025, with her term running to 2028. The firing left the labor board without a quorum. Judge Beryl Howell ruled on March 6, 2025 that the firing violated the National Labor Relations Act. On May 22, 2025 the Supreme Court stayed her reinstatement (Trump v. Wilcox, together with fired MSPB member Cathy Harris).
Firing of FTC Commissioner Slaughter / Humphrey's Executor overruled
Trump fired Democratic FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter in March 2025 despite the statute's removal protections. A district court reinstated her on July 17, 2025, and the Supreme Court stayed that order on Sept 22, 2025. On June 29, 2026 the Court ruled 6-3 in Trump v. Slaughter, overruling Humphrey's Executor (1935) and holding that the president may remove officials who exercise executive power.
Attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook
On Aug 25, 2025 Trump announced he was firing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook "for cause" over mortgage-fraud allegations raised by FHFA director Bill Pulte. She disputed the allegations, and no charges have been reported. On June 29, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Trump v. Cook that she stays in office while her challenge proceeds. Because of the Fed's historic independence and its for-cause statute, a governor is owed notice and a chance to respond before removal.
Firing of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter
The administration fired Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter on May 10, 2025, a day after her office issued a report on AI and copyright. The Copyright Office sits within the Library of Congress, a legislative-branch agency. On Sept 10, 2025 a divided D.C. Circuit panel ruled she could keep serving. The Supreme Court refused to stay that ruling on June 30, 2026.
Los Angeles troops violated Posse Comitatus Act
In June 2025 Trump federalized the California National Guard over Gov. Gavin Newsom's objection and sent troops and Marines to Los Angeles. On Sept 2, 2025 Judge Charles Breyer ruled the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars using the military for domestic law enforcement. On Dec 10, 2025 he ordered the deployment ended.
Portland National Guard deployment blocked
Trump moved to send federalized Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. On Oct 4 and 5, 2025 Judge Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, issued two restraining orders blocking the deployment, the second covering Guard troops from any state. On Oct 20 a 9th Circuit panel overturned the first order 2-1, but on Oct 28 the full court vacated that panel ruling and granted rehearing.
Chicago Guard deployment: Supreme Court rules against Trump
Trump federalized Illinois and Texas Guard troops for Chicago over Gov. JB Pritzker's objection. Judge April Perry blocked the deployment on Oct 9, 2025, and on Oct 16 the 7th Circuit kept the block, writing that "Political opposition is not rebellion." On Dec 23, 2025 the Supreme Court denied the administration's emergency request to deploy.
D.C. National Guard deployment ruled unlawful
In August 2025 Trump took control of D.C.'s police and deployed about 2,000 Guard troops, including from other states, to Washington. On Nov 20, 2025 Judge Jia Cobb ruled the deployment unlawful and ordered it ended, staying her order 21 days for appeal.
Birthright citizenship order struck down
Executive Order 14160, signed on Inauguration Day, sought to deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of parents in the country unlawfully or temporarily. On June 30, 2026 the Supreme Court in Trump v. Barbara (Roberts writing) held that such children are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment. Five justices joined the opinion and Kavanaugh concurred in the judgment in part; Thomas, Gorsuch and Alito dissented.
Halligan appointment void; Comey and Letitia James cases tossed
Trump installed former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan as interim U.S. attorney in Eastern Virginia, where she obtained indictments of James Comey and New York AG Letitia James. On Nov 24, 2025 Judge Cameron Currie ruled her appointment unlawful and dismissed both indictments.
Law firm executive orders ruled unconstitutional
On March 6, 2025 Trump signed an executive order punishing Perkins Coie, the firm that represented Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. It suspended security clearances and restricted federal contracts and building access. On May 2, 2025 Judge Beryl Howell ruled the order violated the First, Fifth and Sixth Amendments and permanently blocked it. Paul, Weiss got a similar order rescinded by agreeing to $40 million in free legal work.
SNAP benefits withheld during shutdown
During the 43-day shutdown (Oct 1 to Nov 12, 2025), USDA announced it would not pay November SNAP food benefits, despite holding contingency funds. On Oct 31, 2025 a Rhode Island judge ordered payment from the contingency fund, and a Massachusetts judge found the suspension likely unlawful. When the administration was ordered to pay full benefits, it went to the Supreme Court, which temporarily paused the order. USDA then warned states that paid full benefits that their federal funding could be pulled.
Partisan shutdown messages on federal agencies (Hatch Act)
During the October 2025 shutdown, HUD's homepage carried a banner blaming the "Radical Left," and Public Citizen filed a Hatch Act complaint calling it a "blatant violation." Separately, on Nov 7, 2025 Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that partisan out-of-office emails the Education Department put in furloughed employees' names violated those employees' First Amendment rights.
Third-term talk
The 22nd Amendment bars a third presidential term. On March 30, 2025 Trump told NBC News he was "not joking" about a third term and that "there are methods which you could do it." In January 2025 Rep. Andy Ogles filed H.J.Res.29 to amend the 22nd Amendment to allow a third non-consecutive term. Trump has at other times said he would "probably not" run.
GAO: illegal impoundment of NIH grant funds
On Aug 5, 2025 GAO found that the National Institutes of Health withheld appropriated FY2025 grant funds in violation of the Impoundment Control Act, after terminating more than 1,800 grants and pausing new grant reviews.
ICE violated ~96 court orders in Minnesota
During Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, found on Jan 28, 2026 that ICE had violated at least 96 court orders in 74 cases in Minnesota since Jan 1. He had ordered acting ICE Director Todd Lyons to appear and threatened contempt, then withdrew that order after ICE released the wrongfully detained person at issue.
Insurrection Act threat over Minneapolis
On Jan 15, 2026, amid protests after federal agents shot and killed Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis on Jan 7, Trump threatened on Truth Social to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807. The next day he backed off, saying there was no "reason right now" but adding, "if I needed it, I'd use it."
DOGE and the Wrecking Ball
Agencies gutted, data grabbed, firings ruled unlawful · 28 entriesDOGE seizes the Treasury payment system
In late January 2025, Musk's DOGE team pressed for access to the Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service payment systems, which disburse trillions of dollars a year. The senior career official who resisted, David Lebryk, was put on leave and retired on Jan 31 after a clash with Musk allies. Treasury Secretary Bessent then granted DOGE access, and lawsuits followed.
Musk aides lock civil servants out of OPM systems
Reuters reported on Jan 31, 2025 that Musk aides at the Office of Personnel Management cut senior career staff off from computer systems holding the personal data of millions of federal employees, including the Enterprise Human Resources Integration database. OPM became the hub DOGE used for mass emails and firings.
USAID security chiefs sidelined over DOGE access to classified areas
Two top USAID security officials were put on leave after trying to keep DOGE staff out of restricted areas and classified material, according to officials who spoke to AP. It was the opening move in the agency's shutdown.
USAID shutdown ruled likely unconstitutional
DOGE and the administration froze and then dismantled USAID. On March 10, 2025 Rubio said 83% of its programs, about 5,200 contracts, would be cancelled. Since July 1, 2025 its remaining functions have been run by the State Department. On March 18, 2025 Judge Theodore Chuang wrote that the shutdown 'likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.' A June 2025 Lancet study projected more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030 from the cuts. That figure is a projection, not a count.
Foreign-aid freeze: Supreme Court orders payment for completed work
Aid groups sued over the January 2025 blanket freeze on foreign aid. Judge Amir Ali issued a restraining order on Feb 13, 2025 and later ordered the government to pay for work already completed. On March 5, 2025 the Supreme Court refused, 5-4, to block that order, with Justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh dissenting.
Mass firing of probationary employees ruled unlawful
On Feb 13, 2025 OPM directed agencies to fire probationary employees en masse. Many were told their performance was inadequate, though some had top ratings or no review at all. Judge William Alsup ruled on Feb 27 that OPM had no authority to order the firings. On Sept 12, 2025 he ruled the firings were unlawfully directed but declined to order reinstatement, citing the Supreme Court's emergency-docket rulings.
17 inspectors general fired
On Jan 24, 2025, days after the inauguration, Trump fired at least 17 independent inspectors general, without the 30-day notice to Congress that the law requires. The fired USDA inspector general had reportedly been investigating Musk's Neuralink. On Sept 24, 2025 Judge Ana Reyes ruled the firings unlawful but did not reinstate the IGs.
Firing of whistleblower watchdog Hampton Dellinger
On Feb 7, 2025 Trump fired Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, head of the office that protects federal whistleblowers, without giving a reason. Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled the firing unlawful on March 1, 2025. The D.C. Circuit let it take effect on March 5, and Dellinger dropped his suit on March 6.
Purge of independent agency members (Slaughter / Humphrey's Executor)
Trump fired Democratic members of independent agencies, including FTC commissioner Rebecca Slaughter and NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox, despite for-cause removal protections. Judge Loren AliKhan ruled Slaughter's removal unlawful on July 17, 2025. On June 29, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 for Trump in Trump v. Slaughter and overruled Humphrey's Executor (1935).
Gutting the CFPB
Trump fired CFPB Director Rohit Chopra on Feb 1, 2025. Acting director Russ Vought halted the bureau's work and closed headquarters. A federal judge barred mass firings and data destruction on Feb 14, 2025. In April 2025 the administration moved to cut about 1,500 staff, nearly 90%, and the July 2025 budget law cut the bureau's funding cap from 12% to 6.5% of Fed operating expenses. In November 2025 Vought argued the CFPB's Federal Reserve funding was illegal, and in December 2025 a federal judge compelled him to seek the funding.
Education Department halved; executive order to close it
On March 11, 2025 the Education Department announced it would cut staff from about 4,100 to about 2,100, including 1,378 layoffs. On March 20, 2025 Trump signed an order directing the secretary to 'facilitate the closure' of the department, which only Congress can abolish. Judge Myong Joun blocked the layoffs on May 22, but on July 14, 2025 the Supreme Court allowed them to proceed.
DOGE takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace
On March 17, 2025 DOGE staff entered the congressionally created U.S. Institute of Peace, with D.C. police escorting its president out. Most of the board had been fired, more than 200 staff were laid off on March 28, and the building was handed to GSA. On May 19, 2025 Judge Beryl Howell ruled the board's removal illegal, which voided the later actions. On Dec 3, 2025 the building was rebranded the 'Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace'.
Voice of America silenced
A March 14, 2025 executive order cut USAGM to the legal minimum. About 1,300 VOA staff were put on leave and broadcasts went dark. Kari Lake sent hundreds of layoff notices, and on Sept 30, 2025 a court suspended layoffs, citing 'concerning disrespect' for its orders. On March 7, 2026 Judge Royce Lamberth ruled Lake's appointment illegal under the Vacancies Act, voiding her 2025 layoffs, and on March 17 he ordered more than 1,000 staff back to work.
Social Security data whistleblower
In August 2025 SSA's chief data officer filed a whistleblower complaint alleging DOGE had uploaded a copy of a sensitive Social Security database, covering more than 300 million Americans, to an insufficiently secured cloud server. He left the agency later that month and called the departure 'involuntary'. SSA disputed the claims.
SSA leadership ousted over DOGE data access
Acting Social Security Commissioner Michelle King left on Feb 16-17, 2025 after resisting DOGE requests for recipient data; Trump later said she was fired. Leland Dudek, a mid-level anti-fraud official who had been put on leave for sharing information with DOGE, was installed in her place. The Supreme Court let DOGE access the data on June 6, 2025.
6,000 living immigrants listed as dead
The Washington Post reported in April 2025 that SSA, at DHS's urging, put more than 6,000 living immigrants into its database of dead people to push them to leave the country. Acting commissioner Leland Dudek reportedly first believed the move was improper.
False 'dead people collecting Social Security' claims
Trump and Musk claimed that tens of millions of dead people, some supposedly over 150 years old, were receiving Social Security. The claims were false. They came from database records with no death date, not from payments: only about 89,000 people over 99 were actually getting retirement benefits in December 2024.
DOGE's inflated 'savings' and the wall of receipts
DOGE claimed savings first of $55 billion, then $150 billion and more, but its receipts were full of errors. One $8 million ICE contract was listed as $8 billion, and NPR found more than half the listed contracts had not actually been terminated. The New York Times reported that even Congress could not tell how much was actually cut. A 2026 GAO review of $110 billion in claims found more than half the listed contracts were not terminated or had undetermined status.
DOGE cost more than it saved
A Partnership for Public Service analysis estimated that DOGE's disruption, including paid leave, rehiring and lost productivity, would cost taxpayers about $135 billion in fiscal 2025. A July 31, 2025 report by Democratic staff of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations put DOGE-generated waste at about $21.7 billion.
Musk's business conflicts of interest
While Musk ran DOGE as a 'special government employee', his companies stood to gain from the government. SpaceX, Tesla and others held federal contracts or faced federal regulators that DOGE was cutting. The Washington Post reported that DOGE's access to sensitive data could benefit Musk's companies. ProPublica found that at least 23 DOGE officials were making cuts at agencies that regulate the industries that employed them.
Who was running DOGE? The White House says not Musk
In court filings the Justice Department described Musk as a senior adviser with no formal authority over DOGE, while Musk publicly led it. On Feb 25, 2025 the White House named Amy Gleason acting administrator, while the press secretary said Musk was still 'overseeing' DOGE. On March 18, 2025 Judge Theodore Chuang found Musk had played a leading role and that his role likely violated the Appointments Clause.
'Big Balls' and the teenage DOGE staff
DOGE gave 19-year-old Edward Coristine, known online as 'Big Balls', roles at OPM, State, DHS, CISA and later SSA. Bloomberg reported he had been fired from a 2022 cybersecurity internship over an alleged leak of company information.
GSA engineer quits over DOGE system-access demand
Steven Reilly, engineering lead of GSA's notify.gov, resigned after DOGE ally Thomas Shedd requested administrator access to that service and about 20 other GSA systems.
DOGE aims to pool Americans' data into a master database
The Washington Post and NYT reported that DOGE sought to merge data held across agencies (SSA, IRS, immigration and others), which experts warned threatened Privacy Act protections. The IRS agreed in April 2025 to share taxpayer data with ICE, and a federal judge blocked further sharing in November 2025.
Supreme Court shields DOGE records from disclosure
The watchdog group CREW sued to force DOGE to disclose records under FOIA, arguing DOGE wields real agency power. On June 6, 2025 the Supreme Court kept that discovery blocked. The same day it also let DOGE access Social Security data.
Trump-Musk feud and the Epstein-files post
After Musk's May 30, 2025 send-off, he attacked Trump's budget bill as a 'disgusting abomination'. On June 5 he claimed without evidence that Trump was in the Epstein files, and Trump threatened to cut Musk's government contracts and subsidies. Musk later deleted the post and on June 11 said some of his posts 'went too far'.
DOGE quietly 'doesn't exist'
Reuters reported on Nov 23, 2025 that DOGE effectively no longer existed as a central unit, with eight months left on its charter; OPM director Scott Kupor said its work would be institutionalized at OPM and OMB. A former DOGE engineer told NPR he 'did not find the federal government to be rife with waste, fraud and abuse' and saw 'minimal amounts of fraud'.
Shutdown mass layoffs ruled likely illegal
During the Oct 1 - Nov 12, 2025 shutdown, the longest full shutdown in U.S. history at 43 days, OMB's Vought had agencies issue about 4,100-4,200 reduction-in-force notices starting Oct 10. Judge Susan Illston blocked them with a restraining order on Oct 15, and Trump had said the layoffs would hit 'Democrats'. Hundreds of HHS notices, many at CDC, were rescinded within a day as errors. The deal that ended the shutdown required the roughly 4,000 laid-off workers to be rehired with back pay.
The Pardon Pen
Clemency for allies, donors and the people who stormed the Capitol · 33 entriesJoe Arpaio pardon
Trump pardoned former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Aug. 25, 2017. On July 31, 2017, a federal judge had found Arpaio guilty of misdemeanor criminal contempt for defying a court order to stop detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in a racial-profiling case. The pardon came before sentencing. Trump called Arpaio an 'American patriot' who 'kept Arizona safe!' Sen. John McCain said the pardon undermined Trump's claim to respect the rule of law, and the ACLU called it 'a presidential endorsement of racism.'
Dinesh D'Souza pardon
On May 31, 2018 Trump pardoned conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza. In 2014 D'Souza had pleaded guilty to making illegal straw-donor contributions to a friend's 2012 Senate campaign, and was sentenced to five years' probation, eight months in a halfway house and a $30,000 fine. D'Souza was a vocal Trump supporter.
Michael Flynn pardon
Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty in Dec. 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia's ambassador during the Mueller investigation. Trump pardoned him on Nov. 25, 2020, before sentencing. Flynn was one of five former Trump campaign aides or advisers to receive clemency, along with Manafort, Stone, Bannon and Papadopoulos.
Papadopoulos and van der Zwaan pardons (Mueller probe)
On Dec. 22, 2020 Trump pardoned former campaign aide George Papadopoulos and Dutch lawyer Alex van der Zwaan. Both had pleaded guilty in the Mueller investigation to lying to investigators. Papadopoulos served 14 days; van der Zwaan was sentenced to 30 days and fined $20,000.
Charles Kushner pardon
Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, on Dec. 23, 2020. Kushner had pleaded guilty to 16 counts of tax evasion, one count of retaliating against a federal witness and one count of lying to the FEC. The witness retaliation involved hiring a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law, a cooperating witness, secretly filming it and mailing the tape to his own sister. He served a two-year sentence. Then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie called it 'one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes' he had prosecuted.
Pardons for GOP congressmen Duncan Hunter, Chris Collins, Steve Stockman
On Dec. 22, 2020 Trump pardoned ex-Rep. Duncan Hunter, who had pleaded guilty to unlawfully using more than $250,000 in campaign funds and had been sentenced to 11 months. He also pardoned ex-Rep. Chris Collins, the first House Republican to endorse Trump in 2016, who was serving 26 months after an insider-trading case. He commuted the remaining prison sentence of ex-Rep. Steve Stockman, who had served more than two years of a 10-year sentence on 23 felony counts.
Rod Blagojevich full pardon
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted in 2011 of corruption, including trying to sell Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat, and was sentenced to 14 years. He had been a contestant on Trump's 'Celebrity Apprentice' in 2010. Trump commuted the sentence in Feb. 2020 after he had served eight years, and Blagojevich then called himself a 'Trump-ocrat.' Trump granted him a full pardon on Feb. 10, 2025, calling the sentence a 'terrible injustice.'
Steve Bannon pre-trial pardon (We Build the Wall)
On his last full day in office (Jan. 19, 2021), Trump pardoned his former chief strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon had been federally charged in Aug. 2020 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering over the 'We Build the Wall' fundraiser, had pleaded not guilty and had not gone to trial; he was the only defendant in the case pardoned. The federal pardon did not cover state charges. On Feb. 11, 2025 Bannon pleaded guilty in New York state court to defrauding donors and received a three-year conditional discharge with no prison time.
Elliott Broidy pardon (GOP fundraiser)
Trump pardoned Elliott Broidy, a former RNC finance chair and RNC deputy finance chair under Trump, on his last full day in office in Jan. 2021. In Oct. 2020 Broidy had pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal, Malaysian financier Jho Low, in an effort to end a U.S. probe tied to the 1MDB scandal. He was pardoned before sentencing.
Ken Kurson pre-trial pardon
Ken Kurson, a friend of Jared Kushner whom Kushner had named editor of the New York Observer, was federally charged in Oct. 2020 with cyberstalking and harassment of a Mount Sinai doctor. Trump pardoned him on Jan. 19, 2021, before trial. The pardon did not cover state law: in 2022 Kurson pleaded guilty in New York state court to two misdemeanors in a separate case over spying on his wife's computer.
First-term 'pardon market' reports
In Jan. 2021 the New York Times reported that lobbyists and Trump allies were collecting fees to press clemency cases at the White House. The report said former CIA officer John Kiriakou was told Rudy Giuliani could get him a pardon for $2 million. Giuliani disputed the account. The Times also reported that ex-prosecutor Brett Tolman received five-figure fees for pardon work.
Mass pardons of Jan. 6 Capitol defendants
On his first day back in office, Jan. 20, 2025, Trump issued a proclamation granting clemency to about 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol attack. He commuted the sentences of 14 named Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members, including people convicted of seditious conspiracy; Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes's 18-year sentence was commuted to time served. Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, serving 22 years, received a full pardon.
Ross Ulbricht pardon
On Jan. 21, 2025 Trump pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was serving two life sentences plus 40 years without parole for running the dark-web drug marketplace. Trump had promised the pardon at the 2024 Libertarian National Convention. Ulbricht had also been ordered to pay about $184 million.
BitMEX founders pardoned
On March 27, 2025 Trump pardoned BitMEX co-founders Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed, plus executive Gregory Dwyer. Each had pleaded guilty in 2022 to a Bank Secrecy Act violation for failing to keep an anti-money-laundering program. BitMEX's parent company, HDR Global Trading, had been fined $100 million in Jan. 2025.
Devon Archer pardon and Jason Galanis commutation (Hunter Biden associates)
Trump pardoned Devon Archer on March 25, 2025 and commuted Jason Galanis's sentence on March 28. Both were former Hunter Biden business associates convicted in a scheme that fraudulently issued more than $60 million in bonds tied to an Oglala Sioux tribal entity and defrauded pension funds. Archer had testified to House Republicans about Hunter Biden in 2023. Galanis's commutation ended further restitution, and he then asked the court to return about $2 million he had already paid; a judge refused.
Michele Fiore pardon
Nevada Republican politician and justice of the peace Michele Fiore was convicted of wire fraud for raising more than $70,000 for a memorial to fallen Las Vegas police officers and spending it on personal and political expenses. Trump pardoned her on April 23, 2025 while she was awaiting sentencing.
Sheriff Scott Jenkins 'bribes-for-badges' pardon
Former Culpeper County, Va., Sheriff Scott Jenkins was convicted of taking $75,000 in cash and campaign donations from men he then appointed as auxiliary deputies, positions that came with badges. He was sentenced on March 21, 2025 to 10 years in prison. Trump pardoned him on May 27, 2025.
Todd and Julie Chrisley pardons
Reality-TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced in Nov. 2022 to a combined 19 years (12 and 7) for bank fraud and tax evasion and ordered to pay $17.8 million in restitution. Their daughter Savannah spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention and appealed to the administration. Trump announced the pardons May 27 and granted them May 28, 2025, and both were released that day. NBC reported that Brett Tolman helped with the case; Savannah Chrisley called it a 'misconception' that she paid for the pardons.
Michael Grimm and John Rowland pardons
On May 28, 2025 Trump pardoned former GOP Rep. Michael Grimm of Staten Island, who pleaded guilty to felony tax fraud, was sentenced to eight months in prison and later became a Newsmax commentator. The same day he pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who served 10 months after a 2004-05 corruption case and another 30 months after a 2014 jury conviction on campaign-finance charges.
Imaad Zuberi commutation (inaugural donor)
Trump commuted the 12-year sentence of Imaad Zuberi to time served on May 28, 2025. Among other crimes, Zuberi was convicted of obstructing a federal investigation into a $900,000 contribution he made to Trump's inaugural committee. His other convictions included illegal campaign contributions, foreign-agent violations and tax evasion. The commutation also relieved him of fines and $15.7 million in restitution.
Firing of pardon attorney and DOJ bypass
In March 2025 the Justice Department fired U.S. Pardon Attorney Liz Oyer; she has said it followed her refusal to recommend restoring actor Mel Gibson's gun rights. Trump ally Ed Martin was later installed as pardon attorney; in Aug. 2026 Trump said Martin was leaving the Justice Department. A CBS News analysis of DOJ data found about 70% of Trump's second-term clemency actions, and 92% counting Jan. 6 cases, were not routed through the Justice Department.
Pardons erase over $1 billion in victim restitution
Former pardon attorney Liz Oyer counted more than $1 billion in restitution owed by Trump's second-term clemency recipients that victims may never collect. Victims include a Native American tribe and an Arizona teachers' pension fund. Several warrants explicitly waived further fines and restitution, including those for Galanis, Santos and Gentile.
George Santos commutation
Expelled GOP Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced on April 25, 2025 to 87 months. Trump commuted the sentence on Oct. 17, 2025 after Santos had served only a few months. The warrant also freed him from paying further fines and restitution. Trump posted that 'at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!'
Pardons for Giuliani, Meadows and 2020 fake-elector figures
In Nov. 2025 Trump issued a proclamation pardoning about 77 people tied to efforts to overturn the 2020 election, including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, John Eastman, Sidney Powell and Boris Epshteyn. None of them faced federal charges, and the pardons do not touch state cases; Arizona's attorney general's office said they would have 'no impact on the state's case.' The pardon states it 'does not apply to the president of the United States.'
Glen Casada and Cade Cothren pardons
On Nov. 7, 2025 Trump pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada (R) and his ex-chief of staff Cade Cothren. Both were convicted in a kickback scheme run through a secret consulting firm; Casada was sentenced in Sept. 2025 to 36 months and Cothren to 30 months. A White House official said the Biden DOJ had 'significantly over-prosecuted' them. NBC noted that the investigation began during Trump's first term, the raids took place in Jan. 2021 while he was still in office, and a Trump-appointed judge sentenced them.
Joseph Schwartz pardon after $960K lobbying fee
Nursing-home operator Joseph Schwartz pleaded guilty in 2024 to a $38 million employment-tax fraud scheme. JM Burkman and Associates, the firm of Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl, disclosed earning $960,000 from him. Trump pardoned him on Nov. 14, 2025, months into his three-year sentence. A nearly $19 million wrongful-death judgment against Schwartz's company was never collected, and a relative of the resident who died said, 'It's about how much you can pay for it.'
Pardon-broker industry (pay-for-pardon reporting)
Bloomberg, NBC and CBS's 60 Minutes reported a booming industry of MAGA-connected brokers charging fees for clemency access. CBS reported fees as high as $3 million, and NBC reported one client offering $5 million. In a hidden-camera meeting, Burkman and Wohl quoted a $300,000 fee. Brett Tolman told CBS's undercover pardon seeker, 'I just send my petitions directly to the White House.' The White House said anyone paying lobbyists is 'foolishly wasting their money,' and Burkman rejected pay-to-play claims.
David Gentile commutation and quashed inquiry
GPB Capital co-founder David Gentile was sentenced to seven years for a $1.6 billion investment fraud against more than 10,000 investors. Trump commuted the sentence on Nov. 26, 2025, less than two weeks after Gentile reported to prison, and freed him from further fines and restitution; his co-conspirator was not released. The New York Times reported in June 2026 that career prosecutors in Brooklyn had opened an inquiry into whether improper payments were connected to the commutation, and that it was closed after a senior Justice Department official, Aakash Singh, raised concerns. Sens. Blumenthal and Gallego have asked the DOJ inspector general to investigate.
Juan Orlando Hernández pardon
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was convicted in 2024 of conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and of machine-gun charges, and was sentenced to 45 years. Roger Stone delivered Hernández's clemency letter to Trump. Trump announced the pardon on Nov. 28, 2025, days before Honduras's presidential election, and signed it Dec. 1. Stone told the Wall Street Journal he had urged timing it to help Hernández's party.
Henry Cuellar pre-trial pardon, then 'LOYALTY' attack
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and his wife Imelda were indicted in May 2024 on bribery, wire fraud and money laundering charges. Prosecutors alleged they took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from an Azerbaijani oil and gas company and a Mexican bank. Trump pardoned both on Dec. 2, 2025, before trial. When Cuellar filed to run again as a Democrat, Trump posted 'Such a lack of LOYALTY... next time, no more Mr. Nice guy!' Cuellar said no deal was made and had pleaded not guilty.
Tim Leiweke pardon after Trey Gowdy lobbying
Oak View Group co-founder Tim Leiweke was indicted by Trump's own Justice Department on July 9, 2025 for allegedly rigging the bidding for an arena at a public university in Austin; his company agreed to pay $15 million in penalties. Trump issued him a 'full and unconditional' pardon on Dec. 2, 2025, before a trial set for May 2026. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump decided on the pardon after Leiweke's lawyer, Trump ally and former Rep. Trey Gowdy, discussed the case with him after a round of golf.
Symbolic 'pardon' of Tina Peters
In Dec. 2025 Trump issued a federal pardon to former Mesa County, Colo., clerk Tina Peters, an election denier. She was serving 8.5 years in prison plus six months in jail on Colorado state convictions tied to a 2021 breach of election equipment, and a presidential pardon has no legal effect on state convictions. On May 15, 2026 Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted her sentence, overruling his clemency board, which had twice voted against it; she was released on parole June 1, 2026.
Lobbyist Josh Nass charged with extortion over pardon fee
Josh Nass, a lobbyist and New York lawyer whose disclosures list Joseph Schwartz as a 'presidential pardon advocacy' client, was charged in March 2026 with attempted extortion. Prosecutors allege that after a client's son paid $100,000 of a $600,000 fee, Nass recruited an 'enforcer', who was in fact a government confidential witness, and discussed assaulting the son or forcing him into a car with masked men to collect the rest. Court papers name the victims only as John Does, and prosecutors have not confirmed they are the Schwartzes. Reuters reported in April 2026 that Nass was in plea talks.
The People Around Him
Cabinet and appointee scandals across both terms · 42 entriesPruitt's EPA spending and lobbyist condo
EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt rented a Capitol Hill condo for $50 a night from Vicki Hart, wife of energy lobbyist Steven Hart, whose firm lobbied for clients in EPA-regulated industries. He racked up first-class and charter travel and had an unprecedented round-the-clock security detail that cost more than $4.6 million by June 2018. In April 2018 the GAO found that a roughly $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office violated federal spending law. He resigned in July 2018 while facing more than a dozen federal inquiries.
Zinke's Interior travel and casino probe
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke chartered a $12,375 flight from Las Vegas to Montana after a speech to a Las Vegas hockey team. An April 2018 Interior OIG report found the flight was approved 'without complete information' and that the speech was not official business. In October 2018 the OIG referred to the Justice Department the question of whether he lied to investigators about a Connecticut tribal casino decision. Trump announced his departure on December 15, 2018, and Zinke called the allegations false. In 2020 the Washington Post and the New York Times reported that DOJ leadership had stalled the casino probe in late 2019 after prosecutors proposed charges.
Tom Price private-jet travel
Politico reported that HHS Secretary Tom Price had spent more than $1 million on charter and military flights, many on routes with easy commercial, train or car options. He resigned on September 29, 2017, after 231 days in office. A July 2018 HHS inspector general report found he wasted at least $341,000 on travel and recommended the government try to recover it.
Shulkin's Europe trip (Wimbledon)
A February 2018 VA inspector general report found that VA Secretary David Shulkin improperly accepted Wimbledon tickets on an 11-day European trip in July 2017, of which only about three and a half days were official business. It also found that his chief of staff altered an email so the VA would pay about $4,000 for his wife's airfare. The OIG estimated the trip's cost at $122,334. It found no evidence that Shulkin knew about the altered email. Trump fired him by tweet on March 28, 2018.
Ross stock holdings and rejected disclosure
Forbes reported in June 2018 that Ross had kept holdings he had said he divested. The NYT reported he shorted a stock after learning a negative story about the company was coming. After the government ethics office warned of 'potential for a serious criminal violation,' he said in July 2018 he would sell his remaining stock. In February 2019 the Office of Government Ethics rejected his financial disclosure after he reported selling bank stock he had actually kept.
Elaine Chao and the family shipping firm
A March 2021 DOT inspector general report found that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao had department staff run personal errands for her and her relatives and help promote her father's biography. Her father founded the family shipping business, Foremost Group. In December 2020 the OIG referred the matter to the Justice Department and the D.C. U.S. Attorney's Office for possible prosecution, and both declined.
Kellyanne Conway Hatch Act violations
On June 13, 2019, the Office of Special Counsel recommended removing White House counselor Kellyanne Conway from federal service for repeated Hatch Act violations, which it called 'egregious, notorious, and ongoing.' The White House rejected the recommendation and she kept her job. On February 9, 2017, she had also urged Fox viewers to buy Ivanka Trump's products.
Michael Flynn lied about Russia contacts
National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned on February 13, 2017, after misleading Vice President Pence about his calls with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. In December 2017 he pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. He had also been paid $530,000 for lobbying that benefited Turkey and registered as a foreign agent only after the fact, in March 2017. In May 2020 DOJ moved to drop the case, and Trump pardoned him on November 25, 2020, before sentencing.
Hegseth sexual assault allegation (nomination)
During his 2024 confirmation fight, the Washington Post reported that Hegseth had paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017 under a non-disclosure agreement. AP reported the payment was $50,000. The Monterey County DA declined to file charges in January 2018. Hegseth says the encounter was consensual, and his lawyer called the accusation extortion.
Wilbur Ross and the census citizenship question
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross added a citizenship question to the 2020 census and told Congress the Justice Department had asked for it. In Department of Commerce v. New York, decided June 27, 2019, the Supreme Court kept the question blocked, citing 'a significant mismatch between the Secretary's decision and the rationale he provided.' In July 2019 the House voted to hold Ross and AG Barr in criminal contempt over subpoenaed documents.
Ross misled Congress (IG finding)
A July 2021 inspector general report found that Wilbur Ross misled Congress about why the citizenship question was added to the census. The Trump Justice Department had declined to prosecute.
Carson's $31,000 HUD dining set
HUD ordered a dining set costing about $31,000 for Secretary Ben Carson's office. A career official, Helen Foster, said she was demoted for refusing to exceed the $5,000 legal limit on redecorating. Carson first said he had little involvement, but emails showed he and his wife chose the set. HUD canceled the order on March 1, 2018. HUD's inspector general cleared Carson of misconduct on September 12, 2019, while noting the department failed to notify Congress as the law required.
Ronny Jackson's VA nomination and DoD IG report
Trump's nominee for VA Secretary, White House physician Ronny Jackson, withdrew on April 26, 2018, after staff alleged he drank on duty and handed out medication improperly. He called the allegations false. A March 2021 Pentagon inspector general report found he belittled and bullied subordinates, drank and became intoxicated on a presidential trip to Manila, and took Ambien on official travel.
Sharpiegate (NOAA and Hurricane Dorian)
After Trump wrongly said Hurricane Dorian threatened Alabama, the NYT reported on September 9, 2019, that Ross told NOAA's acting head that top officials would be fired unless the agency fixed its contradiction of the president. Commerce denied that Ross threatened to fire anyone. In June 2020 a National Academy of Public Administration review found NOAA's acting chief and another official violated the agency's scientific integrity policy. In July 2020 the Commerce inspector general found officials acted on White House orders and that NOAA's statement 'undercut the NWS's forecasts and potentially undercut public trust.'
DeVos held in contempt over student loans
In October 2019 a federal judge held Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in contempt because her department kept collecting on about 16,000 loans owed by former Corinthian Colleges students despite a 2018 court order to stop.
Acosta and the Epstein plea deal
As U.S. attorney in Miami, Alex Acosta approved Jeffrey Epstein's lenient non-prosecution agreement. After the Miami Herald's reporting and Epstein's 2019 arrest, Acosta announced on July 12, 2019, that he would resign as Labor Secretary. A November 2020 DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility review found he had shown 'poor judgment.'
Tom Homan $50,000 cash bag
Border czar Tom Homan was reportedly recorded in September 2024 accepting $50,000 in cash in a paper bag from undercover FBI agents posing as contractors seeking government work. The Trump Justice Department closed the case in 2025, citing insufficient evidence that he agreed to any official act. The NYT and MSNBC reported the closure on September 20, 2025.
Matt Gaetz AG nomination withdrawn
Trump named Rep. Matt Gaetz attorney general on November 13, 2024, and Gaetz withdrew on November 21. A House Ethics Committee report released on December 23, 2024, concluded he had paid for sex, including with a 17-year-old in 2017, and used illicit drugs. It did not find sufficient evidence that he violated the federal sex trafficking law. DOJ had investigated and declined to charge him.
Signalgate
In March 2025, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal group where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted strike timing for attacks on the Houthis in Yemen before they happened. A Pentagon inspector general report sent to Congress on December 3, 2025, and released publicly on December 4 found that Hegseth's use of a personal device broke department policy and risked U.S. personnel and the mission. It also found the information came from a document marked classified (SECRET/NOFORN) at the time. Waltz was moved out of the NSA job on May 1, 2025, and nominated to be UN ambassador.
Hegseth's second Signal chat with family
The NYT reported on April 20, 2025, that Hegseth shared Yemen strike details in a second Signal chat that included his wife, his brother and his personal lawyer. The Pentagon IG widened its probe to cover this chat on May 1, 2025. Separately, the WSJ reported that he brought his wife to two meetings with foreign military counterparts.
Caribbean boat strike: survivors killed
On November 28, 2025, the Washington Post reported that Hegseth gave a spoken order to leave no survivors before the September 2, 2025 strike on a suspected drug boat. A follow-up strike ordered by Adm. Frank 'Mitch' Bradley killed two survivors of the first. Legal experts and former military lawyers said it could be a war crime. The NYT later reported that Hegseth ordered a lethal strike but gave no order after survivors appeared, and Bradley told lawmakers there was no 'kill them all' order. The White House says the strike was lawful.
Hegseth's purge of military leaders
Starting February 21, 2025, when Trump fired Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and Hegseth removed Navy chief Adm. Lisa Franchetti, senior officers were fired or forced out, including the Army and Air Force top military lawyers (JAGs). As of September 2026, CBS counted at least 20 generals, admirals and civilian defense leaders fired or departed.
Kash Patel's FBI jet trips
FBI Director Kash Patel was reported to have used the bureau's jet for personal travel, including a golf trip to Scotland, flights to a Texas hunting ranch, and a November 2025 trip to watch his girlfriend Alexis Wilkins perform in Pennsylvania. Congressional Democrats announced an inquiry in December 2025. In July 2026 Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote that his recreation on official trips was not isolated.
Patel girlfriend security detail and reporter probe
In late November 2025 the FBI confirmed it had assigned a team of agents to guard Patel's girlfriend Alexis Wilkins. The NYT later reported that Patel used FBI personnel to look into a journalist who had reported on Wilkins's use of FBI resources. Justice Department officials reportedly viewed the move as retaliatory and lacking a legal basis.
Patel's FBI firings lawsuit
In September 2025, former senior FBI officials Brian Driscoll, Steven Jensen and Spencer Evans sued Patel and AG Bondi for wrongful termination. The suit alleges Patel privately admitted the firings were retaliatory and possibly illegal, which conflicts with his Senate testimony. In November 2025 the FBI also fired agents tied to Jack Smith's and earlier Trump investigations.
Noem's DHS ad campaign and luxury jets
DHS under Kristi Noem spent about $220 million on ad contracts for a campaign featuring her. ProPublica reported that the Strategy Group, a firm whose CEO is married to DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, worked on the ads and was paid through a subcontract. The WSJ reported more than $300 million spent on three private jets for department use. On March 5, 2026, Trump removed her as DHS Secretary and named her a special envoy. Sen. Markwayne Mullin replaced her and was sworn in March 24.
RFK Jr. fires the entire vaccine advisory panel
In June 2025, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and appointed his own picks. On December 5, 2025, the reconstituted panel voted 8-3 to end the universal hepatitis B birth-dose recommendation. Sen. Bill Cassidy said ending it 'makes it more likely the number of cases will begin to increase again.'
CDC director Monarez ousted
CDC Director Susan Monarez was ousted on August 27, 2025, less than a month after being confirmed, after clashing with Kennedy over vaccine policy. Four senior CDC leaders resigned in protest, including Demetre Daskalakis and Debra Houry.
CDC autism-vaccine webpage rewrite
On November 19, 2025, the CDC's 'Autism and Vaccines' page was rewritten so it no longer stated that vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy reportedly said he personally instructed the CDC to make the change. CDC staff said required scientific review was bypassed, and FactCheck.org called the revision not evidence-based.
MAHA report cites nonexistent studies
The May 2025 Make America Healthy Again Commission report, issued under Kennedy, cited studies that do not exist. Some citation links contained 'oaicite' markers that suggest an OpenAI tool was used. The White House blamed 'formatting issues,' and the citations were updated.
Gabbard strips clearances of 37 officials
In August 2025, DNI Tulsi Gabbard revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials and cut ODNI staff by 50%. In May 2025 she fired two top National Intelligence Council officials after the council contradicted the administration on Venezuelan gang members.
Gabbard's Obama 'treasonous conspiracy' claim
In July 2025, Gabbard released material she called 'irrefutable evidence' of a 'treasonous conspiracy' by Obama officials over the 2016 Russia intelligence assessment. Obama's office called the allegations 'outrageous' and 'ridiculous.'
Bondi's Epstein files reversal
In February 2025, AG Pam Bondi said Epstein's client list was 'sitting on my desk right now to review.' A July 2025 DOJ/FBI memo then said there was no evidence such a list existed. The WSJ reported she had told Trump in May 2025 that his name appeared in the files. At a February 11, 2026 House Judiciary hearing, asked how many Epstein accomplices she had indicted, she pointed to stock-market gains instead. Trump fired her on April 2, 2026.
Bondi's Trump Media stock sale
CBS News reported, citing a government ethics filing, that Bondi sold at least $1 million in Trump Media shares on April 2, 2025, the day Trump announced his 'Liberation Day' tariffs.
Ed Martin: pulled nomination, 'weaponization' czar
Interim D.C. U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, a defender of January 6 rioters, signed a February 2025 motion to dismiss charges against Joseph Padilla, a Jan. 6 defendant he had once represented. He also told Georgetown Law he would not hire its graduates over DEI. Trump withdrew his nomination on May 8, 2025, after Sen. Thom Tillis opposed it, and Martin became DOJ pardon attorney and head of the Weaponization Working Group. D.C. disciplinary counsel filed misconduct charges over the Georgetown letter in March 2026, and Trump said on August 21, 2026, that Martin would leave DOJ.
Lutnick's Tesla stock pitch
In March 2025, Lutnick told Fox News viewers to buy Tesla stock, saying it 'will never be this cheap again.' Ethics experts said the remark raised federal ethics concerns because officials may not endorse products.
Paul Ingrassia's 'Nazi streak' texts
Trump nominated Paul Ingrassia to lead the Office of Special Counsel in May 2025. On October 20, 2025, Politico published his group-chat texts, including 'I do have a Nazi streak in me from time to time.' Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the nomination would not pass, and Ingrassia withdrew on October 21, 2025. In November 2025 he was named deputy general counsel at GSA.
Dave Weldon CDC nomination pulled
The White House withdrew Dave Weldon's nomination to lead the CDC on March 13, 2025, hours before his confirmation hearing. Weldon, a former congressman, had long promoted the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism.
BLS chief fired; E.J. Antoni nomination pulled
On August 1, 2025, hours after a weak jobs report with large downward revisions, Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer and claimed without evidence that she had faked the numbers. His pick to replace her, Heritage economist E.J. Antoni, was nominated on August 11 and withdrawn on September 30, 2025, amid criticism of his qualifications and posts from an anonymous account he had run.
Lewandowski fires Coast Guard pilot over blanket
Reuters reported that Corey Lewandowski, Noem's top adviser, entered the cockpit while the plane was still climbing and fired a Coast Guard pilot because Noem's blanket had been left on another aircraft. DHS denied the incident happened.
Gabbard whistleblower complaint stalled
In February 2026 Gabbard faced allegations, first reported by the WSJ, that she stonewalled a classified whistleblower complaint about her handling of an intercepted conversation between foreign intelligence figures that mentioned Jared Kushner.
Lutnick's Epstein ties
Released Epstein files showed that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his family had lunch on Epstein's island in December 2012, despite his earlier claim that he 'spent zero time with him.' He admitted the visit to the Senate Appropriations Committee on February 10, 2026. Lawmakers from both parties criticized him, and some called for his resignation. The White House kept him.
Already on Oversight's Desk
What Garcia's committee has opened, demanded or flagged in 2026 · 17 entriesUSA Today: 4,095 lawsuits over three decades
A July 7, 2016 USA Today investigation by Nick Penzenstadler and Steve Reilly was titled "Donald Trump: Three decades, 4,095 lawsuits." An earlier June 1, 2016 USA Today story reported about 3,500. Wikipedia summarizes this as over 4,000 cases in federal and state courts from 1973 until his 2016 election.
WaPo Fact Checker: 30,573 false or misleading claims
The Washington Post Fact Checker database recorded 30,573 false or misleading claims by Trump during his first term, an average of more than 20.9 a day.
Trump's $70B+ in suits and claims, incl. vs. his own government
CREW counts 11 lawsuits and claims by Trump since he announced his candidacy in Nov 2022, demanding more than $70 billion in total. They include $10 billion against the IRS/Treasury over the disclosure of his tax information, which his own DOJ agreed to settle before a court blocked the settlement, and about $230 million in administrative claims against DOJ. They also include a $20 billion suit against CBS, settled in July 2025 for a $16 million payment to his library, and suits or claims against the BBC, NYT, WSJ, Des Moines Register, Bob Woodward and JPMorgan Chase.
Trump Org: 13 new foreign deals since reelection
CREW counts 13 new international Trump Organization developments in nine countries announced since the 2024 election: Saudi Arabia, India, Qatar, Romania, the Maldives, Georgia, South Korea, Serbia and Australia. The Serbia and Australia projects were later canceled.
Lewandowski DOJ criminal probe
DOJ reportedly opened a criminal investigation into whether Corey Lewandowski, a longtime Trump ally who advised DHS as a Special Government Employee, profited improperly from his role. Garcia sent letters from August 2025 to May 2026 about the matter. They covered an alleged kickback solicitation from GEO Group, a DHS contractor (March 2026), and ICE's purchase, for at least $70 million, of a luxury Boeing 737 previously sold by Fertitta Enterprises.
CREW: $2.2B income in 2025, record foreign revenue
From Trump's personal financial disclosure, CREW reports at least $2.2 billion in income for 2025, compared with $1.6 billion across his whole first term. Foreign revenue was over $117 million in 2025, a record, against at least $149 million over all four first-term years. Since 2014 his foreign revenue tops $500 million; CREW says the true total could be more than $650 million.
CREW: '10 ways' second-term tallies
CREW counts 278 Trump visits to his own properties so far this term, against 243 at the same point in the first term. It says he has pardoned at least 22 politicians. Other tallies: roughly 23 international developments in the works, the G20 summit steered to his Miami Doral resort, and more than 21,000 securities trades by advisers in the most recent year, against 86 stock trades in the first year of his first term.
"Lawyer up": Garcia's two-word warning
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on House Oversight, issued a statement that read in full "Lawyer up." He released it late Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026, after Democrats were projected to win the House. At a news conference in Huntington Beach the next day, Wednesday Nov 4, he said Americans "are tired of the destruction and the corruption of Donald Trump and this administration."
Garcia's four-probe agenda
In a Nov 5, 2026 ABC7/KABC report, the incoming Oversight chair laid out four investigations. (1) Trump family business dealings: "We're going to take on the Trump crime family," with interviews expected of Jared Kushner and other relatives. (2) "DHS and the abuses of ICE," with a focus on Southern California. (3) Corporate donors to the White House ballroom and no-bid contracts, including one for the Reflecting Pool. (4) Public Epstein hearings to replace the closed-door interviews held under GOP control.
Day-one Epstein subpoena vow
In June 2026 Garcia told NOTUS that a Democratic majority would be ready to subpoena Acting AG Todd Blanche and other officials on "day one." He said "there will definitely be public hearings" on Epstein. Other targets he named: banks' Epstein-related financial documents, the Epstein estate, a Kushner-run investment fund, large government contracts to companies where Trump's children hold stakes, and a Trump family crypto deal with an Emirati state-backed fund. On June 2, 2026 he had asked for transcribed interviews with Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.
Missing Epstein documents
On Oct 28, 2026 Garcia responded to CBS News reporting that tens of thousands of documents, including Epstein's financial records, were missing from the public release of the files. The reporting also said DOJ had collected classified material tied to the Epstein investigation. Garcia asked: "What are these 'classified' documents the DOJ is hiding?"
Kushner / Affinity / Israeli arms-supplier stake
In a letter dated Oct 5, 2026 (released Oct 6), Garcia wrote to Jared Kushner about a possible conflict of interest. Kushner's Affinity Partners is the largest shareholder in Israel's Phoenix Financial, which the letter says has more than $456 million invested in nine companies that supply Israel's military, including its largest arms maker. CREW separately reported on Oct 14, 2026 that Kushner acts as a top diplomat without nomination, confirmation, or a financial disclosure.
Guilfoyle pay-to-play and resignation
Reports alleged that Kimberly Guilfoyle, then U.S. Ambassador to Greece, demanded $100,000 from a Republican donor in exchange for access to senior Trump administration officials, with a $1 million payoff promised later. Garcia demanded her records on Oct 8, 2026. She announced her resignation on Oct 13. On Oct 14 Garcia said his requests stand and "Our investigation is just getting started."
Trump's Grok chats on Venezuela
On Oct 29, 2026 Garcia (Oversight) and Jamie Raskin (Judiciary), the likely incoming chairs, urged the White House to preserve Trump's AI chatbot conversations. They cited reports that he consulted Elon Musk's Grok about U.S. military action in Venezuela. They argued the prompts and responses are presidential records under the Presidential Records Act, and they asked for a briefing and the White House's AI records policies.
Garcia-Raskin letter to Meta on No Kings
On Oct 27, 2026 Garcia and Raskin demanded answers from Mark Zuckerberg after Meta suspended the No Kings Coalition's Instagram account on Oct 17. They asked for records on the shutdown, whether anyone in the Trump administration was involved, and a briefing by Nov 9, 2026.
Flavio Bolsonaro exit query
On Nov 2, 2026, the day before the election, Garcia demanded answers from Secretary of State Marco Rubio over reports that the administration helped bring Flavio Bolsonaro into the United States. Bolsonaro is under investigation in Brazil for money laundering and corruption. Garcia asked that he be returned to face justice.
Trump's reaction: "not a hit on me"
In a Fox News phone interview after the midterms, Trump praised Democrats' effort and said: "I don't view it as a hit on me." He said the GOP losses in traditionally safe seats had nothing to do with him, and he called his administration's record "the greatest two years" in presidential history.
Lawyer up, indeed
Congress cannot convict anybody. What a committee with a gavel can do is subpoena records, put people under oath in public and follow the money. On January 3, Garcia, Raskin and their Senate counterparts get that power.
Most of the 430 entries above were never tested in a courtroom. Some were dismissed when the man they named won the White House, and some were pardoned away. A good share are documented, though, and nobody has had to answer for them under oath. That is where a subpoena comes in.
Two words was all he needed. This page is why.
Opinion and analysis by the Jelia Notebook. Each fact is linked to its source in its entry. Status as of November 7, 2026.