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May 12, 2025

Blog Post BigLawEthics in GovernmentExecutive BranchTrump 2.0

Democrats at Law Firms That Surrendered to Trump

Trump started his second term in the White House by targeting law firms in retaliation for their past legal work and personnel decisions that displeased him. While some firms pushed back against these assaults on their independence, more than a few BigLaw firms caved. Within the first months of the year, they bowed to Trump’s demands, surrendering in order to avoid (potentially illegal) executive orders that could damage their business interests.

May 09, 2025 | Watchdog Weekly

Xaver Clarke

Newsletter Consumer ProtectionCorruption CalendarCryptocurrencyDOGEElon MuskEthics in GovernmentRevolving DoorTechTrump 2.0

Corruption Calendar Week 16: The Grift That Keeps On Giving

This week, the Trump brothers Eric and Don Jr. embarked on a world tour to make real estate deals while the administration used the threat of tariffs to push Starlink into other countries. Trump allies engaged in price fixing and fraud were given a pass seemingly as a reward for their donations to the president, our retirement savings were placed under the eye of a greedy insurance executive, and consumer protections were targeted by House Republicans eager to find tax breaks for the rich.

May 02, 2025 | Watchdog Weekly

Fatou Ndiaye

Newsletter Climate and EnvironmentCongressional OversightConsumer ProtectionCorruption CalendarDOGEElon MuskEthics in GovernmentTech

Corruption Calendar Week 15: Trump, Binance and MGX—A Crooked Match Made In Dubai.

This week, the Trump family continued to blur the line between politics and business with Trump 2028 merch and a billion dollar deal with Binance and MGX. Trump Jr. and Eric Trump’s potential stock sales and a new elite Washington club further expose this convergence. President Trump’s pardons of allies, Elon Musk’s apparent sway over personnel picks, and the rollback of consumer and coal miner protections add to the ethical concerns.

April 30, 2025

Toni Aguilar Rosenthal

Blog Post Ethics in Government

Inspectors General Tracker 

Inspectors General are a crucial part of the apparatus that keeps the government accountable to the public it is supposed to serve. 

Inspectors General have spent decades building careful systems for overseeing the activities of the Executive branch, acting as crucial watchdogs that root out actual inefficiency, waste, fraud, corruption, and abuse throughout the government.

April 25, 2025 | Watchdog Weekly

Jacob Plaza

Newsletter Corruption CalendarEthics in GovernmentExecutive Branch

Corruption Calendar Week 14: The All-American Meme Coin Oligarchy Wants To Extract Oil and Gas At National Monuments 

This week, Trump once again leveraged his office to boost the price of his meme coin, $Trump. Meanwhile, firms that donated to Trump’s campaign or lobbied aggressively seem to be securing exemptions to his tariffs. But as the oligarchs are finding clever ways to enrich themselves, the risks of public health and environmental crises have grown. Read below for the full overview of corruption this week:

April 23, 2025

Toni Aguilar Rosenthal

Press Release Department of JusticeEthics in Government

Revolving Door Project Condemns Trump Installing Sycophants, Conspiracists, and Corporate Hacks in U.S. Attorneys Offices

In response to the Trump administration’s reckless appointments of conspiracy theorists and corporate hacks to US Attorney positions across the country, Revolving Door Project (RDP) announced a project to track their appointments. RDP senior researcher, Toni Aguilar Rosenthal released the following statement: