Leader Schumer Launches Senate Democrats’ New Anti-Corruption Initiative To Expose Trump’s Self-Dealing & Stop Presidential Profiteering
New Senate Democratic Working Group To Expose The Cost Of Corruption For American Families, Develop Legislation To Stop Presidential Profiteering
Schumer Releases New Report: “The Cost Of Corruption: How Trump Turns Power Into Profit At Americans’ Expense”
Washington, D.C. – Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) launched a new Senate Democratic anti-corruption initiative to expose President Trump’s rampant self-dealing, show how his corruption costs American families, and develop legislation to prevent presidents from using 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 will expose the Trump administration’s abuses, identify the financial harm inflicted on taxpayers and working families, and develop reforms to stop future presidents from exploiting the power of the White House for their own enrichment.
“Trump is without question the most corrupt president in American history,” said Leader Schumer. “Trump has betrayed the American people by using our highest office not for the good of country, but to pad his own bank account, at the expense of working families. Senate Democrats are launching this effort to expose the corruption, show Americans exactly what it is costing them, and build the reforms needed to stop any president from using public office for personal profit. The presidency belongs to the American people. It is not Donald Trump’s business to sell.”
On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to “end government corruption and to take our country back from the special interests.” But his presidency has done the opposite: using the presidency to advance his own financial interests, reward wealthy donors and corporate allies, and direct taxpayer resources toward vanity projects and political favors.
Schumer’s new report details how Trump has used public power to benefit himself, his family, his friends, and his supporters—and how ordinary Americans have paid the price. The report documents the administration’s efforts to:
- Weaken the agency charged with protecting consumers from financial abuse
- Undermine wages, workplace protections, and workers’ bargaining power
- Cut food assistance and other basic support to finance tax breaks for the wealthy
- Waste taxpayer money on Trump’s vanity projects
- Reward corporations, donors, and political allies with favorable government treatment
- Create opportunities for foreign governments and private interests to curry favor with the president through his family’s businesses and financial ventures
The full report is available here.
The Senate Democratic anti-corruption working group will be comprised of Leader Schumer and Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Andy Kim (D-NJ).
“The scale of President Trump’s corruption is mind-boggling, and it is directly responsible for the higher costs swamping American families,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “Look no further than skyrocketing electricity and gas prices. Trump is sending energy bills through the roof by tanking lower-cost clean energy to keep dirty, expensive fossil fuels on the grid, and he’s giving Big Oil cover to jack up prices at the pump with his senseless war. These are corrupt favors to the otherwise-fading fossil fuel industry that spent big to elect Trump.”
"The Trump swamp of corruption is a mile deep and MEGA-wide,” said Sen. Merkley. “Trump and his family use his office and official connections to rake in billions for themselves at every turn. Not only is this making life more expensive for hard-working Americans, it’s a threat to government ‘by and for the people’.”
“In this administration, corruption flows from the top down,” said Sen. Padilla. “From sweetheart deals with the DOJ to stock purchases ahead of mega-million government contracts and payments for pardons, the pattern is clear: the grift is coming directly from the Oval Office. Meanwhile, MAGA Republicans have made it harder than ever for families to make ends meet by driving up the cost of gas, groceries, and healthcare. We’ll keep exposing their corruption — and keep fighting to hold them accountable.”
The initiative is the next pillar of Senate Democrats’ agenda confronting the costs, chaos, and corruption of the Trump administration. In the past several months, Leader Schumer has released five different reports showing how the Trump administration has broken promises and raised costs in different key areas (housing, groceries, energy, health care and child care) and released affirmative agendas for how Senate Democrats would tackle these high costs if they controlled the chamber.
Today’s launch makes clear that Trump’s corruption is not separate from the economic pain facing American families. It is one of its causes: a government rigged to serve the president, his family, and the wealthy and powerful at everyone else’s expense.
###