Blatant, Spit in Your Face, Corruption From Trump, Inc.

Blatant, Spit in Your Face, Corruption From Trump, Inc.

Blatant, Spit in Your Face, Corruption From Trump, Inc.

Editor: Donald Trump is convinced that he and his family… and his cronies, can get away with the money and no one will stop him. I think he’s misjudged the situation; at least I hope so. We will find out in about 85 days whether all the dark money and corruption will keep the MAGA’s in office. The only thing I believe that can end this unimaginable corruption is an enormous voter turn out. A turn out so big and impressive for the Democrats that there won’t be but a handful of GOP/MAGA legislators left in office. They stopped Viktor Orban in Hungary and we can stop Trump, but it will take a dramatic tsunami of opposition to him to make it happen. If you are not registered to vote, get off your ass and get signed up, we will need every disgusted, ashamed, humiliated and outraged citizen to vote- Calamity, aka D.S. Mitchell

By William Jones

It seems most administrations face accusations of some level of corruption. But few have had the scale that has been tied to Donald Trump’s second term.  Since January 2025, nonpartisan trackers, congressional investigators, and journalists have documented a pattern that can no longer be ignored. Several government benefits including appointments, contracts, dropped investigations, pardons, and policy decisions all flowing toward the President and his family alongside his donors and allies. Still, there are many defenders of the administration who insist this is ordinary political discretion, or even a crackdown on fraud committed by others. In truth, the volume and consistency of the cases below suggest something more deep-rooted and against the political culture of this great nation. Voters deserve a clear account of what has actually been documented, and what remains contested.

1) Family Business and Conflicts of Interest

The hallmark of corruption allegations involves members of the President’s own family profiting from decisions made inside his administration. Reports show his first term senior adviser, and son in-in-law, Jared Kushner, reportedly sought to raise more than five billion dollars for his private equity firm from Gulf governments, including Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously serving as a key U.S. envoy to the region, a dual role that watchdogs say blurs the line between diplomacy and personal enrichment. Separately, reporting has tied a six-hundred-twenty-million-dollar Pentagon loan for a small manufacturing startup to intervention from a senior trade adviser, arriving only months after a venture capital firm run by Donald Trump Jr. took a stake in that same company. The U.S. Air Force has also signed a contract with a drone manufacturer backed by Trump Jr. and brother Eric. Taken individually, any one of these could be coincidence. Taken together, critics argue they describe a pattern in which proximity to the President’s family has become a predictable path to federal money.

2) Donor Access and Pay-to-Play Appointments

Nonpartisan trackers such as the Campaign Legal Center have catalogued dozens of instances in which political donations or financial arrangements appear to have shaped major personnel and policy decisions; including Cabinet and ambassadorial appointments, pardons and commutations, and the dropping of federal investigations. One case that drew particular attention involved a bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario; the President moved to block a competing bridge from opening, a decision that came within hours of its owner making a million-dollar donation tied to securing a meeting with the Commerce Secretary. In another instance, at least twenty Cabinet members are reported to have directed more than thirty million dollars toward efforts that personally benefited the President through political donations, property spending, stock holdings, and contributions to Trump-aligned funds. Congress has also opened a probe into more than sixty million dollars in corporate payments to the President’s planned presidential library, after the original fund was dissolved and the money’s destination became unclear.

3) Regulators and Enforcement Bending to Financial Interests

A third pattern involves officials responsible for oversight instead holding financial stakes in the industries they regulate. The acting Attorney General reportedly ordered the termination of several crypto-related investigations while personally holding hundreds of thousands of dollars in crypto investments. The FAA Administrator held millions of dollars in an airline’s stock for months after taking office. And a top aide to the Homeland Security Secretary has been accused of soliciting kickbacks from a federal contractor, the private prison operator GEO Group, in exchange for contract growth. Even routine government spending has drawn scrutiny; a no-bid contract to clean the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool went to a firm tied to a longtime presidential supporter, and the pool has since turned green with algae. Meanwhile, taxpayers are now reported to be covering roughly half the cost of a new White House ballroom, despite earlier assurances that private donors would foot the entire bill. And if it was totally donor built what favors would  be doled out? The stench is unimaginable.

4) Legal Settlements That Benefit the President Personally

Perhaps most striking is a reported settlement in which the President dropped a lawsuit against the federal government in exchange for the Justice Department establishing a fund of roughly $1.8 billion, described by the administration as compensation for ‘victims of lawfare.’ Government watchdogs have called the arrangement a use of federal legal machinery for personal financial benefit. Separately, dozens of former federal judges have signed court filings describing a related proposed IRS settlement as corrupting the judicial process itself, and Senate Judiciary Committee members have opened a records-preservation inquiry into how that deal was reached. These are not routine legal outcomes. They are settlements negotiated by an administration the President himself controls, resolving disputes in which he is both the plaintiff and the defendant. One judge, called the whole action a “fraud against the court.”

Why Has There Been No Criminal Conviction?

This remains one of the big questions. There have been congressional inquiries, administration disputes, and even watchdog reports, but none has led to criminal convictions. The White House itself has pointed to its own Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Its reports uncovers billions of dollars in fraudulent government contracts, benefit claims, and pandemic-era loans, and frames itself as the party rooting out corruption rather than committing it. Republican officials argue that personnel and policy decisions fall within a President’s normal discretion, that donor-funded ambassadorships and access have a long bipartisan history in American politics, and that much of the criticism, including a newly proposed ‘Anti-Corruption Bureau’ from Senate Democrats is itself politically timed ahead of the midterm elections. Americans should weigh the documented pattern above against that defense, and against the fact that discretion, poor judgment, and criminal corruption are not always the same thing, even when they look similar from the outside.

To Conclude

Democracy depends on public confidence that government decisions are made in the public interest rather than for private gain. Whether or not any individual case here ultimately results in prosecution, the sheer accumulation of documented conflicts including family enrichment, donor access, regulators with financial stakes, and self-benefiting legal settlements has pushed corruption concerns into the center of the national conversation in a way rarely seen in modern American politics. Congress, the courts, and the voters each have a role in demanding transparency and accountability, regardless of party.

Reference Links

https://campaignlegal.org/document/tracking-trump-administrations-most-corrupt-transactions

https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/murphy-details-unprecedented-corruption-of-trump-white-house-over-the-last-500-days

https://represent.us/trump-corruption-tracker/

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/resources/human-rights/2026-march/trump-administrations-rampant-pay-to-play-corruption-threatens-our-democracy/

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/epic-corruption-plain-sight

https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/whitehouse-renews-probe-into-cop-beaters-slush-fund-and-trump-family-tax-fraud-amnesty-deal/

https://www.ms.now/news/schumer-anti-corruption-agency-trump

https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/05/trump-administrations-full-scale-war-on-fraud/

OPINION: Joe Manchin Shows His Political Ass

OPINION: Joe Manchin Shows His Political Ass

OPINION: Joe Manchin Show His Political Ass

I think it is time to remove the obstructionists from the Democratic Party

D. S. Mitchell

Joe’s Talking on Fox

12/19/2021. Joe Manchin (D.W.V.) is on FoxNews (sic) telling Bret Baier he “cannot vote” for the Build Back Better bill. Finally after months of dancing about, throwing up one road block after another Manchin, playing with the press and his colleagues has finally come clean and said it out loud. He, the lone Democrat,  was now going to squash the bill, that would have given assistance to 70% of his constituents.

Out of Touch

I am dumbfounded. How could this rich, fat, white, yacht sunning, coal mine owning, entitled man be so cruel, and corrupt? How can he shut his eyes to the basic needs of the most vulnerable people in his state? West Virginia is one of the poorest states in this country, it seems Joe wants to keep it that way. By standing against the BBB act Manchin is not only denying West Virginians food on the table, affordable prescriptions for life saving medicines, and dentures in their mouths, but every other person in the country. Without remorse, apparently.  Enraged, I switched to CNN where Jake Tapper was interviewing Bernie Sanders (I.Vt).

Unrestrained Passion

Bernie Sanders went after the failed senator from West Virginia with unrestrained passion. Bernie called Manchin a “coward” for not standing up to the lobbyists and special interest groups (which Manchin is part of). Bernie, is also a wealthy man, just like Joe Manchin. But, Bernie seems to have a deep well of human empathy, decency, and compassion, which apparently, Manchin cannot understand or emulate. Is Manchin capable of embarrassment?  Being the only Democratic senator that is willing to let kids go hungry, not only in West Virginia, but across the nation, should make him red faced with shame and embarrassment.

Purge the Party 

It is time to purge the Democratic party of obstructionists, like Manchin, that are willing to stop a president and his policies by their single vote. Joe Manchin you were not elected president of the United States. Get in line and support President Biden and the Democratic platform. Support voting rights. If you are a Republican, Mr. Manchin, run as one, don’t pretend to be a Democrat. Be brave. Be courageous. As I see it Mr. Manchin, is intent on his legacy being nothing more than the dark smear left by a wet fart.

Quotes on Courage

Here’s a brief collection of some pretty smart comments by some pretty smart people on the topic of courage in life and politics.

1.) “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen,” Winston Churchill

3.) “Courage conquers all things,”  Ovid

4.) “The strongest, most generous and proudest of all virtues is courage,” Michel De Montaigne

Conclusion

It is time to fight the obstructionists in the Democratic party. Joe Manchin cannot be allowed to stand in the way of progress much longer. He has ‘shown his ass.’ as they say in Texas, and a few other places; time for Mr. Manchin to vote with his party or leave the party.

OPINION: Stop Voter Suppression

OPINION: Stop Voter Suppression

Voter suppression and subversion is nothing new

OPINION:

Stop Voter Suppression 

Election Subversion & Suppression: dilution of voter’s Influence

 

By William Jones and D. S. Mitchell

Look to the Constitution

The U.S. Constitution defines who is eligible to vote. For example, you must be a U.S. citizen over 18 years of age to vote. Each person can vote only once in a given election. Pretty straight forward stuff.

To Clarify

Voter fraud means ineligible votes get counted (ex. husband votes for Trump using dead wife’s mail-in ballot.) Voter suppression refers to any effort to prevent eligible voters from being allowed to vote.(ex. politicians divide up congressional districts to benefit their own political party, diluting the opponents impact at the ballot box.) Any manipulation of the vote goes against the democratic ideal.

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Senator Sinema, Has Heads Shaking

OPINION:
Senator Sinema, Has Heads Shaking

Kyrsten Sinema is taking lots of money from big pharma

OPINION:

Senator Sinema, Has Heads Shaking

Are There Moles Within The Democratic Party?

By William Jones

A Minority of Two

Senator Kyrsten Sinema has emerged as one of the two biggest roadblocks to President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan.  She left D. C.  recently for a fundraising trip to Europe. Sinema’s trip came amid ongoing negotiations over the bill and was a slap in the face to Democrats. Senators Sinema and Joe Manchin, are the lone Democratic senate holdouts blocking the President’s proposal. These two holding out against the majority of their party, is a big deal.

Just Tell Us What You Want

Bernie Sanders, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, recently criticized Sinema. Sanders just wants to know what she would support. Other senators have similarly accused Sinema of stonewalling her own party, refusing to define a position. President Biden is said to be “exasperated” after hours of talks with her. He and others have complained that Sinema doesn’t “move” from her position in negotiations and show so little respect, she often fails to  “return calls from the White House.”

Looking Across The Pond

Lawmakers are barred from raising money from foreign sources. However,  members of Congress occasionally travel overseas to solicit donations from Americans living abroad. Those overseas donors tend to be affluent and well-connected. Ms. Sinema’s office declined to tell reporters how long she would be abroad. They also declined to disclose what countries she was visiting, or how the trip was being paid for. No further information was provided regarding additional fund-raising for her campaign.

Big Pharma

Aside from looking for off shore money the Arizona senator has been soaking up donations from the pharmaceutical industry and other corporate groups who want to kill key parts of the bill. I am here to report she has continued to make time to meet with those donors.

$5,800 Per Seat

Last month, Sinema held a fundraiser with five business groups that oppose President Biden’s bill, charging attendees up to $5,800 to attend a 45-minute event. Earlier this month, Sinema left Washington to go to Arizona, where she attended a ritzy donor “retreat” at a high-end resort and spa, with no small donors in sight.

Refuses to Meet Constituents

Sinema’s refusal to engage elected members of her own party has extended to her constituents. Numerous constituents have complained that Sinema will not meet with them, either in her office or at a town hall. She has steadfastly refused to hold a single town hall since her election. Multiple groups within the sate of Arizona have already launched efforts to raise money in support of a Democratic primary challenger in 2024.

Hecklers Chase Sinema

Tensions have continued to rise between Sinema and her own constituents.  Arizona protesters repeatedly confronted the senator at several locations this month. Some even heckled her during a class presentation at Arizona State University and  then followed  her into a campus restroom. The Intercept reported that Sinema teaches an ASU class on fundraising, including topics like “how to cultivate large individual donors,” “opportunistic fundraising” and “corporate giving.” The topics alone leave little doubt as to her priorities.

Mounting Pressure Campaign

Senator Kyrsten Sinema, the ‘moderate’ Arizona Democrat who has objected to the size and scope of President Biden’s sweeping legislative agenda, has been trailed all over the country by progressive activists in an effort to intensify public pressure on her.  Besides the bathroom incident, activists have followed her onto an airplane and even to the Boston Marathon.

Deeply Disappointing

The United States Senate is split 50 Democratic senators and 50 Republican senators. V.P. Harris is then available to provide the tie breaking vote. Democrats need every Democrat to stand united to pass any bill. These facts have greatly empowered both Mr. Manchin and Ms. Sinema as the party’s vocal holdouts. Ms. Sinema has pushed for the House to adopt a separate, bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill while the larger budget package is being negotiated. She called the delay in voting on the infrastructure package “inexcusable” and “deeply disappointing” in early October.

Conclusion

Kyrsten Sinema is on rocky ground with her electorate. Angry constituents are confronting her, she is pissing off the crowd in the White House, and she has angered nearly all of her fellow senate Democrats. Sometimes there isn’t enough money to save your reputation.  Sinema was sent to the Senate to work for her constituents not the drug companies. Wake up Senator Sinema. The country is begging for what is in this bill, do your part to make it happen.

 References

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/13/us/politics/kyrsten-sinema-fundraising-europe.html

https://www.salon.com/2021/10/14/kyrsten-sinema-ditches-senate-negotiations-for-fundraising-trip-to-europe/

The Deepening Swamp

The Deepening Swamp

D. S. Mitchell

Diggin’ For Dirt

As a political junkie, my ears perked up when I heard the White House Visitor Log will no longer be publicly available. Journalists and nosy neighbor’s are similar in some respects. We want to know what’s going on. It just drives us bird dogs, tail chasing crazy when there are secrets. It makes no sense to me. Why would an administration that is already embroiled in multiple scandals, on multiple fronts, decide to hide the visitor log information?

It Is Obvious

The answer is obvious. The White House does not want the public to know which corporate executives, lobbyists and other people of interest visit the West Wing of the White House. The more the President and his associates try to run a secret government, the more we will investigate. Us nasty, disgusting, journalists will dig around to uncover “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why” and “how”. And, that process all starts with the basic, “why”?

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