Trump’s Washington is allowing corruption to run wild with our tax dollars. The White House fired and defunded key watchdogs, tried to muzzle inspectors general, and set rules that make it harder to report wrongdoing. It pushed the Justice Department to protect allies and scale back anti-bribery work, while reorganizing parts of DOJ that fight crime and ensure access to justice. It moved to politicize the civil service and pull “independent” regulators under direct White House control. Campaign-finance and ethics enforcement were weakened by leadership purges, delays, and rule rollbacks. Together, these actions blur the line between party and government, reduce transparency, and make corruption easier to hide.
¶ The administration purged and defunded independent watchdogs
- On January 24, 2025, the White House fired roughly 17 inspectors general without the statutorily required 30‑day notice to Congress; even senior Republicans said the removals violated the law. (apnews.com)
- In September 2025, a federal judge found the administration unlawfully fired 17 inspectors general (though she declined to order reinstatement). (WSJ)
- On September 30, 2025, OMB moved to cut off funding to the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE), the “watchdog of watchdogs,” prompting CIGIE to warn Congress it would furlough staff and shutter oversight functions (including Oversight.gov). (washingtonpost.com)
- Following OMB’s action, IG hotlines and several IG websites began going dark during the shutdown; bipartisan Senate committee leaders demanded OMB restore the appropriated funds. (federalnewsnetwork.com)
- At the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered changes eliminating anonymous IG reporting, imposing tight deadlines, and raising complaint thresholds—moves whistleblower advocates said would chill legitimate reports. (apnews.com)
- On February 5, 2025, Attorney General Pam Bondi created a “Weaponization Working Group” to review Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Trump cases and other investigations targeting Trump allies, part of a suite of directives to align DOJ with White House priorities. (apnews.com)
- DOJ leadership ordered prosecutors to drop the federal corruption case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams; at least seven prosecutors resigned rather than carry out the directive, and an NPR‑covered ruling later dismissed the case “with prejudice,” citing the appearance of a political bargain. (npr.org)
- Internal DOJ reorganizations approved in September 2025 disbanded or cut key components (e.g., Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, Office for Access to Justice) and consolidated divisions, drawing criticism that core justice functions were being undermined. (reuters.com)
- The Attorney General directed reviews that could discipline or purge FBI employees tied to Jan. 6 investigations, raising concerns about retaliatory politicization inside law enforcement. (washingtonpost.com)
¶ Trump and Republicans paused and scaled back U.S. anti‑bribery enforcement
- On February 10, 2025, the President ordered DOJ to pause initiation of new FCPA cases for 180 days and to review and curb existing cases; law‑firm alerts and compliance advisories documented the government directive. (hklaw.com)
- By June 2025, DOJ announced a narrowed, more “targeted” FCPA approach, deprioritizing cases not tied to national‑security or cartel/TCO concerns—an explicit retreat from traditional foreign bribery enforcement. (reuters.com)
- Bondi’s day‑one memos also deprioritized enforcement against foreign influence and kleptocracy networks, further shrinking anti‑corruption capacity. (cnn.com)
- On January 20, 2025, the President reinstated a policy akin to “Schedule F,” reclassifying tens of thousands of policy‑influencing civil servants to make them easier to fire and replace with loyalists. (washingtonpost.com)
- The day‑one order was part of a broader effort to reshape the federal workforce via hiring freezes and removal of due‑process protections—changes unions and good‑government groups warned would corrode nonpartisan administration of law. (washingtonpost.com)
¶ The White House asserted direct control over “independent” regulators and legal interpretations, narrowing institutional checks.
- Executive Order “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies” (Feb. 18, 2025) forced independent regulatory agencies to submit significant rules for White House review and declared that the President’s or Attorney General’s legal interpretations are controlling on all executive officials. (whitehouse.gov)
- The administration also removed two FTC commissioners (Slaughter and Bedoya); they sued, arguing their firings were unlawful under long‑standing protections for independent agencies. (apnews.com)
¶ The administration undercut campaign‑finance enforcement and election oversight
- The President attempted to remove FEC Chair Ellen Weintraub by letter; Weintraub and legal experts said the firing was unlawful, and the episode contributed to an extended period without an FEC policymaking quorum. (reuters.com)
- The administration failed to fill vacancies promptly, leaving the FEC sidelined during key months of the 2025 cycle, according to nonpartisan reporting. (notus.org)
¶ The administration weakened federal ethics oversight and tolerated conflicts that undermine public trust
- The President ousted the Senate‑confirmed director of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) on February 10, 2025, then installed political allies in acting roles—moves former officials and members of Congress warned would compromise OGE’s independence. (politico.com)
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent missed ethics divestiture deadlines flagged by OGE, highlighting lax compliance at the highest levels. (reuters.com)
- The White House rescinded Biden’s executive ethics pledge (EO 13989) as part of a first‑day rollback, which watchdogs said opened the door to conflicts of interest. (crowell.com)
¶ The administration chilled whistleblowing and normalized partisan use of federal resources
- The Department of Defense’s new IG restrictions (anon‑tip ban, heightened thresholds, compressed timelines) drew warnings of retaliation risk and a chilling effect on reporting abuse, harassment, and fraud. (apnews.com)
- During the October 2025 shutdown, multiple agencies posted political messages blaming one party—conduct experts warned could violate the Hatch Act and anti‑propaganda laws. (politico.com)