As Trump Banks Billions Off The Presidency, Leader Schumer Pushes To Create First-Ever Anti-Corruption Bureau To Stop Presidents From Cashing In On Public Office

Schumer’s Landmark Bill Would Empower Americans & State AGs To Recover $ Obtained Through Presidential Corruption

Powerful New Independent Bureau Would Investigate Executive Branch Corruption, Enforce Anti-Corruption Laws & Be Protected From Presidential Interference

Washington, D.C. – Today, as a part of his anti-corruption initiative, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) unveiled new legislation to create an Anti-Corruption Bureau, a first-of-its-kind federal agency insulated from partisan politics and equipped with real independence to investigate, enforce, and prevent executive branch corruption. The bureau would recover money that a President, their family, and their administration has stolen from Americans through corruption and prevent further abuses.

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced the Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act, landmark legislation to create the nation’s first independent federal bureau dedicated to rooting out corruption across the executive branch and stopping presidents from turning public power into private profit.

The new Anti-Corruption Bureau would have sweeping investigative, subpoena, oversight and enforcement powers to follow the money, expose corruption and hold even the most powerful public officials accountable. Its leadership, structure and financing would be insulated from presidential interference, ensuring that no administration could defund it, disable it or fire its leaders and leave it powerless. The legislation would also empower Americans and state attorneys general to sue to recover money obtained through presidential corruption.

The legislation directly confronts the corruption blueprint Trump has created. Trump campaigned on a promise to “drain the swamp.” Instead, he has turned the presidency into a sprawling family business. Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has taken in more than $2 billion, while his family has made more than $4 billion. At the same time, his signature “Big, Ugly Bill” delivered massive handouts to corporations and special interests while leaving working families to foot the bill.

Gilded ballrooms. Luxury jets. A MAGA slush fund. A “bluer” reflecting pool. Trump has put his vanity, his wealthy allies and his personal bottom line ahead of the American people at every turn—all while families struggle to afford groceries, gas, housing and health care. Congressional Republicans have enabled Trump every step of the way, rubber-stamping his corruption and helping tear down the guardrails meant to hold presidents accountable. Schumer’s legislation would rebuild those guardrails stronger, close the loopholes Trump has exploited and establish a permanent system capable of stopping the next president who tries to follow his playbook.

“Trump has turned the presidency into the most profitable scam of his life, and Republicans have helped him cash every check—all while working families struggle to afford groceries, gas, housing, and healthcare,” said Leader Schumer. “While Republicans seem all too eager to cosign his behavior, Senate Democrats are committed to holding this country to a higher standard. Senate Democrats are fighting to create the first-ever independent Anti-Corruption Bureau with the power to follow the money, expose the corruption and claw back corrupt profits. No president should ever be allowed to treat the White House like a personal ATM.”

The Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act would:

• Create the nation’s first independent Anti-Corruption Bureau: Establish a new federal bureau led by a seven-member, Senate-confirmed board with fixed terms, strict independence protections and partisan-balance requirements.
• Give the Bureau real teeth: Equip the Bureau with sweeping investigative, subpoena, oversight, enforcement and public-reporting powers.
• Claw back money obtained through corruption: Allow private plaintiffs, including state attorneys general, to sue in the name of the United States to recover money obtained through corruption by presidents, senior officials, key campaign figures and major government contractors.
• Bring federal anti-corruption enforcement under one roof: Consolidate the Federal Election Commission, Office of Government Ethics and Office of Special Counsel within the new Bureau.
• Prevent a president from disabling the watchdog: Establish a special three-judge division of the D.C. Circuit empowered to appoint temporary Bureau members when vacancies, obstruction or crises threaten its continued operation—ensuring that a president cannot render it powerless by removing its leaders or refusing to fill vacancies.
• Protect its funding from presidential retaliation: Create the Freedom From Influence Fund as a dedicated, self-financing source of revenue, preventing a president from using the budget process to starve the Bureau into submission.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act is part of Senate Democrat’s anti-corruption initiative, which is working to expose President Trump’s rampant self-dealing, demonstrate how corruption costs American families and enact lasting safeguards against presidents who attempt to exploit public office for personal profit. The initiative includes a new Senate Democratic anti-corruption working group and the release of a report, “The Cost of Corruption: How Trump Turns Power Into Profit At Americans’ Expense.” The working group is exposing abuses across the Trump administration, identify the financial harm inflicted on taxpayers and working families, and develop reforms to ensure no future president can follow Trump’s blueprint for turning the White House into a personal money-making operation.

The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

The legislation is endorsed by Public Citizen, Common Cause, Campaign Legal Center, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washing (CREW), Protect Democracy, and Defend the Vote Action Fund.

A summary of the legislation can be found here. The full text of the legislation can be found here.

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