Corporations, Billionaires Flood Inauguration With Cash To Buy Trump’s Favor
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Public Citizen released a research memo and tracker revealing the unprecedented level of special interest financing of the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee, Inc.. The committee has surpassed its goal of raising $150 million in donations already, and is likely to collect up to $200 million in the end.
The research memo includes analysis of how prior administrations’ Inaugural Committees have operated, finding that while the self-serving motivations of Inaugural donors has a long and troubling precedent, the scope of donations and, in many cases, the fear of retribution driving the donations to the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee represents a worrying shift.
The tracker includes all corporate donors who have publicly announced donations or pledges to the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee (the Inaugural Committee eventually reports all donors of $200 or more to the Federal Election Commission, but not until 90 days after the Inauguration). The donations have been in amounts of $1 million to $5 million each from Big Tech and other companies and wealthy business leaders and lobbyists with business pending before the upcoming Trump administrations.
“The record-breaking cesspool of special interest financing for the Trump Vance Inaugural Committee raises serious concerns about the ability of corporations and wealthy special interests to purchase influence over public policy or lucrative government contracts,” said Craig Holman, a government ethics expert at Public Citizen. “The record-shattering abuses of the 2025 Trump Vance Presidential Inaugural Committee, Inc should signal the immediate need for legislation to prevent this influence peddling.”
To put an end to the ability of corporations, special interests, and billionaires to buy favors and influence from incoming administrations, legislation must be passed to establish source prohibitions, contribution limits, and full disclosure of donations and expenditures for Presidential Inaugural Committees.