Tag

#self-dealing

Government officials using their position to benefit their own financial interests, including directing contracts to their companies, making policy decisions that increase their personal wealth, and using government resources for private gain.

5 incidents

Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power

Trump's Bank Regulator Grants Conditional National Bank Charter to Trump Family's Crypto Venture (August 2026)

A federal bank regulator run by a Trump appointee conditionally approved a national bank charter for the Trump family's crypto company, World Liberty Trust, to issue the USD1 stablecoin and custody digital assets. The president's family holds a reported 38% stake. Watchdogs said the OCC cannot impartially supervise a bank partly owned by the president who appoints and can remove its head. The approval is conditional, and the bank cannot open until it meets further requirements.

Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power

Pay-to-Play: Trump's Dell Stock Precedes $9.7B Pentagon Deal, White House Ballroom Donors Win $50B in Contracts

Trump bought Dell stock, then the Pentagon gave Dell a $9.7 billion contract two weeks later. Separately, 14 of 27 corporate donors to Trump's White House ballroom project won a combined $50 billion in new federal contracts within six months of giving. Ethics watchdogs call both pay-to-play; no formal violation has been charged.

Grade 2 of 5: Major Abuse of Power

Emoluments Violations: Profiting from Foreign and Domestic Governments While President

Unlike every president in modern history, Trump refused to divest from his businesses, instead placing them in a trust managed by his sons. Foreign governments and domestic government agencies spent millions at Trump properties during his presidency. Courts dismissed emoluments cases on procedural grounds rather than merits; a January 2024 House Oversight Democrats report documented more than $7.8 million in payments from at least 20 foreign governments to Trump businesses during his presidency.

Outside the grading scale: Pre-Office Conduct

Trump Foundation: Charity Money Used for Trump's Businesses; Court Finds Breach of Fiduciary Duty

In 2007 a $100,000 foundation check settled fines the town of Palm Beach had assessed against Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club; later foundation payments settled a claim against his Westchester golf club and bought a $10,000 portrait of Trump for one of his properties. The New York Attorney General sued in June 2018. In November 2019 Justice Saliann Scarpulla found that Trump breached his fiduciary duty, and Trump admitted in court papers to using the foundation to settle his companies' legal obligations, to buy the portrait and to run a January 2016 Iowa fundraiser as a campaign event. He paid $2 million to eight charities.