WASHINGTON, D.C. — Roughly one week ago, voters delivered a clear verdict on Trump’s corruption. Nine in ten voters told the NBC News Exit Poll that corruption was a crucial or major factor in their vote. More than half told the AP Voter Poll it was “crucial” – slightly more than said the same about the cost of living.
The Not Above the Law coalition has been documenting that corruption week by week in its Wrong Priorities Watch, as families paid more for gas and groceries and Trump signed a budget law cutting SNAP by nearly $187 billion. Since the 2024 election, the Trump family has pocketed more than $2.9 billion, while 5.2 million people have lost access to nutrition assistance programs like SNAP. Starting in January, the new Congress has a mandate to follow the money and get answers.
“Voters made clear that corruption matters to them, and the record shows why,” said Praveen Fernandes, Not Above the Law co-chair and Vice President of Constitutional Accountability Center. “Week after week, Americans have watched public office being used to reward donors, protect allies, and grow the Trump family’s wealth. The incoming Congress has a real opportunity to bring these issues into the open and show that government can work for the people it serves.”
Here are just a few of the examples documented in Not Above the Law’s Wrong Priorities Watch:
PARDONS FOLLOWED THE PAYMENTS.
- Trump pardoned a banker whose family gave millions to his super PAC and hired his former lawyer. Venezuelan banker Julio Herrera Velutini’s daughter gave $3.5 million to Trump’s super PAC and hired Alina Habba, Trump’s former personal lawyer, on a contract worth up to $50 million. The family fired Habba last week, after Trump called the deal “totally obnoxious and outrageous,” urged the family not to pay her, and suggested she donate to his future presidential library. She keeps $14.5 million.
- Trump pardoned the founder of Binance, his family’s crypto partner. The exchange had pleaded guilty to violations tied largely to Iran sanctions. The Trump family’s crypto venture relies heavily on Binance.
- Trump’s appointees ended an inquiry into whether a convicted fraudster bought his commutation. Trump commuted the sentence of a private equity executive convicted in a $1.6 billion fraud. Political appointees then ended an investigation into whether $2.5 million or more bought that clemency.
DONORS GOT THE POLICIES THEY PAID FOR.
- Big Oil has gotten every policy favor it asked for. Trump asked oil executives for $1 billion in 2024 in exchange for tax and regulatory breaks. He has delivered on every ask.
- Big Tobacco won a policy reversal a week after lunch with Trump. Altria and Reynolds each gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration and $10 million to his super PAC. A week after their executives lunched with Trump, the FDA reversed its flavored vape policy.
- Companies with government business are paying for Trump’s ballroom. Donors have committed $333 million to Trump’s White House ballroom, about half from executives and companies with federal contracts. Nvidia pledged $25 million months after striking a deal with Trump to sell advanced chips to China.
THE FAMILY BUSINESS IS THE PRESIDENCY.
- Trump made billions in a single year. Trump reported more than $2.2 billion in income for 2025, most of it from crypto.
- Trump-son backed companies are receiving billions in federal funds. Companies backed by funds tied to Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have collected $3.2 billion in federal contracts, investments, and loans – most of it after Trump returned to office.
- Trump’s accounts bought stocks ahead of favorable government decisions. Trump’s accounts made more than 3,600 trades in early 2026, including purchases of Nvidia, Palantir, and Axon shortly before his administration awarded those companies deals and approvals.
TAXPAYERS FOOT THE BILL.
- Trump’s IRS settlement created a fund for his allies and shielded his family from audits. Trump settled his own lawsuit against the IRS with a $1.8 billion fund he effectively controls, which could pay allies including Jan. 6 defendants. The deal also bars audits of himself, his sons, and the Trump Organization. The fund was never formally canceled, Trump appealed to reinstate it, and the audit shield remains in place.
- Taxpayers paid for TV ads promoting the president. The government spent nearly $22 million airing pro-Trump ads before the midterms. They kept running even after a judge ordered them stopped.
- Taxpayers are covering the cost of Trump’s vanity projects. The administration has spent at least $1.6 billion in tax dollars promoting the president’s image and brand, from the ballroom to his “triumphal” arch.
THE NEW CONGRESS HAS A MANDATE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.
- Voters want a Congress that does its job. About 7 in 10 voters told the AP Voter Poll that Congress isn’t doing enough to check the president – including about 4 in 10 Republicans.
- The questions start in January. Incoming House Oversight Chair Robert Garcia has named four areas of investigation: Trump family corruption, DHS and ICE abuses, corporate corruption, and the Epstein cover-up. His message to the administration: “Lawyer up.”
- The administration is already pushing back. On Sunday, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the Justice Department would represent officials facing congressional oversight. “If you work in this administration, you have a lawyer,” he said. “It’s me.”