The findings suggest that corporate donations to President
Donald Trump’s second inauguration are yielding favorable outcomes for the
companies involved.
Corporations
facing federal lawsuits and investigations aren't giving millions to Trump's
inauguration out of the kindness of their hearts. They're buying goodwill.
The watchdog group Public Citizen cross-referenced FEC data
published on Sunday with its Corporate Enforcement Tracker, which monitors
companies embroiled in federal legal actions.
According
to the report, corporations under federal investigation or enforcement lawsuits
contributed a total of US$50 million to Trump’s inaugural committee. Trump
raised a record-setting US$239 million for his second inauguration, the filings
show.
“Corporations facing federal lawsuits and investigations
aren't donating millions out of goodwill,” said Rick Claypool, a researcher
with Public Citizen. “They're attempting to buy influence. When a company is
under investigation or prosecution, that influence can mean having cases
dropped, settlements withdrawn, or even pardons granted.”
Notable
companies whose federal enforcement cases were dismissed after donating to
Trump’s inauguration include Bank of America, Capital One, Coinbase, DuPont,
and JPMorgan Chase.
The report also highlights potential benefits for Google,
which donated US$1 million. During an ongoing antitrust case, the Trump Justice
Department abandoned a proposed breakup plan that would have required Google to
divest its artificial intelligence assets. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s
parent company, Alphabet, was among several prominent corporate leaders given
high-profile roles during the January ceremony.
Other
inauguration donors have reaped different rewards. For instance, after Intuit,
the tax preparation giant, donated US$1 million, the Trump administration moved
to dismantle the IRS’s free Direct File program—a move that critics say serves
Intuit’s interests.
Former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich drew attention to the
pattern on social media noted, Apple donated US$1 million. Trump exempted most
of Apple's imports from tariffs.
Coinbase donated US$1 million. Trump's SEC dropped a major
lawsuit against them.
Observers
have raised growing concerns about apparent pay-to-play corruption in the early
months of Trump’s second term. Critics argue the administration has effectively
put a “For Sale” sign on the White House.
Further blurring the lines between governance and corporate
influence, CBS News reported that this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll was
largely sponsored by private companies—a departure from the traditional support
of the American Egg Board. Sponsors included Amazon, YouTube, and Meta, which
funded various stations at the event.
“Nothing says Happy Easter in Trump 2.0 like corporate
sponsorships at the White House Egg Roll,” Public Citizen commented. “They
never miss an opportunity for a little old-fashioned corporate bribery.”
