Take Care LedgerA dated, sourced record of the second Trump administration

Cabinet Financial Disclosures and Ethics Complaints

Updated2026-11-09 Covers2025-01-23 to 2026-11-08

Summary

Several of Trump’s appointees took office while owning assets in industries their own agencies regulate. Inspectors general (independent watchdogs inside agencies), watchdog groups and members of Congress have also questioned how some appointees used government resources. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick handed his firm, Cantor Fitzgerald, to his sons. The firm later earned fees from a company that had received a $1.6 billion letter of intent from Commerce.1,2 ProPublica reported on a firm with long ties to Secretary Kristi Noem’s political career. The firm was a hidden beneficiary of about $220 million in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ad contracts that were awarded to two other companies.3 ProPublica also reported on the firm that Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg co-founded. Companies it owns hold missile-defense contracts in a program he oversees.76 Noem was removed in March 2026.4 Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned in April.5 An inspector general found she accepted unreported gifts.66 The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) found that two officials missed deadlines to sell off investments: the Treasury Secretary and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator.9,56 Trump’s own accounts made about 28,700 securities trades from January 2025 through June 2026, by Bloomberg’s count.111 The House passed a ban on stock purchases by members of Congress that did not cover the President. It failed to advance in the Senate on Sept 30, 2026.112 As of November 2026, no prosecutor has charged any official under the federal conflict-of-interest law. Watchdog complaints about other appointees have produced no reported finding.55

Background

A conflict of interest is when an official’s own money interests could sway an official decision. The main federal law on this, 18 U.S.C. § 208,45 covers executive-branch employees. It makes it a crime for one to take part “personally and substantially” in a matter that affects his own money. The same goes for his spouse’s or his minor children’s money. The exception is when he has a written waiver, which is official permission in writing.6 A set of federal rules, the Standards of Ethical Conduct, says how executive-branch employees must behave (5 C.F.R. part 2635).46 One of those rules bars officials from using their public office to endorse, or promote, products (§ 2635.702).7,47 Section 208 does not cover adult children. The exception is when their interests are tied to the official through trusts or similar arrangements.2,6

Some advisers are part-time “special government employees” (SGEs). They must follow some, but not all, ethics rules. A federal law limits them to no more than 130 days of work in any 365-day period (18 U.S.C. § 202(a)).48 They file only confidential financial reports. An employee who works past that limit must file a full public report.8 An ethics agreement is an official’s written plan for avoiding conflicts. It must generally be carried out within three months of the Senate’s approval of the official (5 C.F.R. § 2634.802).71 The Hatch Act is a law that limits political activity by federal employees on the job. It bars them from using “official authority or influence” to affect an election (5 U.S.C. § 7323(a)(1)).70

Some officials are left out of § 208: the President, the Vice President, members of Congress and federal judges (18 U.S.C. § 202(c)).48 Trump has claimed a “presidential exemption” from the conflict-of-interest law.9 ProPublica, citing the New York Times, reported in 2025 that the Justice Department’s (DOJ) public-integrity section was down to a handful of lawyers.10

What happened

Holdings and divestment

Doug Burgum was confirmed as Interior Secretary on Jan 30, 2025.11 AP records show that he earned income while he was North Dakota governor. The income came from leasing family land to oil companies.11 Mehmet Oz was confirmed to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Apr 3, 2025. At the time he held $550K+ in UnitedHealth, the largest Medicare Advantage insurer. His ethics agreement promised that he would sell those holdings once he was confirmed.12,41 A federal ethics watchdog found that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had failed to “timely comply” with a required sale of his investments.9 On Dec 7, 2025 Bessent said on CBS that he had just sold his North Dakota soybean farm “as part of my ethics agreement.” In August he had said he had finished all but 4% of the required sales.121 A lawsuit says Education Secretary Linda McMahon and WWE failed to protect children from abuse. The suit was allowed to go forward (Dec 11, 2025). It concerns conduct before she took office.33 On Oct 19, 2026 Judge James Bredar rejected McMahon’s and WWE’s challenge to Maryland’s Child Victims Act, the law that removed the deadline for child sex-abuse suits. So the suit moves ahead. The ruling does not decide whether abuse took place. McMahon says she did not supervise the announcer accused in the suit and did not know of his actions.122 OGE wrote to Sen. Ted Cruz in a letter dated Dec 8, 2025. The letter said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford “failed to timely comply” with his ethics agreement. The agreement required him to sell his Republic Airways stock within 90 days of his Jul 9, 2025 confirmation. In February 2026, he disclosed selling $5M to $26M of the stock. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a watchdog group. On May 19, 2026, it asked a Senate subcommittee to have Bedford step aside from Republic matters.56,85

On Mar 5, 2026, ProPublica published about 3,200 financial-disclosure records for more than 1,500 appointees. Feinberg co-founded a firm called Cerberus Capital Management. ProPublica reported that Cerberus owns, or owns most of, at least four companies that received Golden Dome awards. Golden Dome is a program of up to $151 billion, and its director reports to Feinberg. ProPublica also reported that his ethics agreement let him move his Cerberus stake into irrevocable trusts for his adult children. An irrevocable trust is one that cannot be undone. The Pentagon said Feinberg has no “direct responsibility for any Golden Dome acquisitions,” and Cerberus said he has given up his stake. The records also showed stock sales by Attorney General Pam Bondi. At times her sales came just before markets fell on tariff announcements. (A tariff is a tax on goods coming into the country.) ProPublica gave no dates or amounts. The officials it named either did not respond or said they had no insider information. At least a dozen appointees withheld the names of their former clients, including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. They cited the confidentiality rules that govern lawyers.76 On Mar 30, 2026, the Financial Times (FT) reported on a broker acting for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The broker had tried to buy a multimillion-dollar stake in a defense-industry fund weeks before the Feb 28 strikes on Iran. The trade did not take place. The Pentagon called the report “entirely false and fabricated,”60 and House Oversight Democrats asked Hegseth to keep his investment records.119 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor reported in June 2026 that he sold $1.7M to $3.5M of Robinhood stock. CREW describes Robinhood as a partner in OPM’s “Tech Force” program. On Aug 21, CREW asked OPM’s inspector general to examine Kupor’s role in choosing partners.63

Lutnick and Cantor Fitzgerald

On Feb 18, 2025, Lutnick named his sons Brandon, 27, and Kyle chairman and executive vice chairman of Cantor Fitzgerald.1 On Mar 19, he told Fox viewers to “buy Tesla.”7 House Oversight Democrats opened an inquiry.116 Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Maxine Waters asked OGE to investigate under the rule against endorsing products.117 His family donated to Trump’s White House ballroom (Oct 20, 2025).14 In October 2025, he sold his Cantor interest to trusts for his four children. It was “a move designed to comply with federal ethics rules,” Bloomberg Law reported. Around the same time, one of the trusts borrowed an undisclosed sum from Tether. Cantor manages Tether’s reserves. Commerce’s response is not in the record.54 In 2026 Commerce issued a $1.6B letter of intent to USA Rare Earth. The company then hired Cantor as the lead firm finding buyers for a $1.5B share sale. That role earns fees.2 On Feb 25, 2026, Sens. Warren, Van Hollen and Wyden asked Lutnick when he learned of Cantor’s role. They also asked whether his family benefited. Commerce gave no public response.2 His 2025 disclosure reported $250M+ in income. That included a $192M payment from Cantor. The filing calls it “a tax distribution handled under the ethics agreement he signed before taking office.”13 A Hatch Act complaint against him is described below, under Endorsements, Hatch Act complaints and inspector-general appointments.

Crypto, World Liberty Financial and the envoys

On Jan 23, 2025, six days after the launch of the $TRUMP memecoin, Executive Order 14178 came out. An executive order is a written order from the President to the agencies he runs. It is not a law passed by Congress. This order put federal crypto policy under a working group led by crypto and AI adviser David Sacks. It told the group to study a “national digital asset stockpile.”42 In a Mar 2, 2025 post, Trump named coins for a national crypto reserve. On Mar 6, he signed an order creating a bitcoin reserve. That order did not confirm the other named coins as holdings.15 CREW then found that White House officials held up to $2.35M in the named coins.16 On Apr 7, 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo. It stated that DOJ “is not a digital assets regulator.” It also shut down DOJ’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team.18 ProPublica reported that Blanche then held $159K–$485K in crypto. His ethics agreement required him to get rid of it within 90 days of his March 2025 confirmation. Until then, he was to stay out of matters affecting those holdings.6 He got rid of it in late May–June 2025, mostly by transferring crypto to his adult children and a grandchild. They fall outside § 208.6 Ethics experts Virginia Canter and Kedric Payne told ProPublica the memo violated § 208 and his ethics agreement. DOJ declined to comment.6

Envoy Steve Witkoff’s sons Alex and Zach co-founded the “Executive Branch” club. Its membership fee was reported to be $500,000 (Apr 26, 2025).19 Zach also co-founded the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial (WLF). He was in Islamabad when Pakistan’s Crypto Council signed an agreement with WLF (April 2025).20 On May 1, MGX made a $2B investment, and WLF’s stablecoin was used to settle it. A stablecoin is a digital coin meant to hold a steady value. MGX is an investment firm in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and it is backed by the state.21 The New York Times reported that Steve Witkoff was involved both in that deal and in talks about chip exports to the UAE (Sept 15).22 Sacks’s firm, Craft Ventures, held a stake in a company that owned all the reserve tokens. Government-ethics scholar Kathleen Clark called his waivers “sham ethics waivers” (late 2025).17 Public Citizen reported that Steve Witkoff’s WLF stake was sold to his sons in January 2026. His OGE disclosure, released in March, showed that he partly owned SC Financial Technologies, a WLF affiliate. That January, the affiliate signed a memorandum of understanding, a written statement of shared plans, with Pakistan’s finance ministry. In the same month, Reuters reported Pakistan’s agreement to use WLF’s USD1 stablecoin.57,87 On Feb 19, 2026, Trump named Jared Kushner Special Envoy for Peace. Kushner did not receive Senate confirmation (the Senate’s approval of a nominee) and did not file a public financial disclosure.88 CREW asked the White House on Mar 11 to obtain one.89 On Oct 14, CREW sued to block him from the role. The suit notes that about 99% of the more than $6B managed by his firm, Affinity Partners, comes from foreign investors. Those investors include Saudi, Qatari and Emirati sovereign funds, which are funds owned by governments.59 On Aug 14, 2026, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) gave conditional approval to a WLF trust bank led by Zach. It required “passivity commitments” from the owners tied to Trump and to the UAE. Zach Witkoff said, “We welcome continuous scrutiny from Federal regulators for many years to come.”23

Pulte, FHFA and the mortgage pledges

On Aug 15, 2025, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte referred Fed Governor Lisa Cook to DOJ for mortgage fraud. He said she claimed two homes as her main home.24 DOJ opened a criminal investigation in September.118 On Sept 17, Bloomberg reported that Bessent had made two principal-residence pledges on the same day in 2007. A principal-residence pledge is a promise to a lender that a home will be the borrower’s main home.25 Bessent’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, called the report “nonsensical,” the White House called it “inaccurate,” and the lender, Bank of America, said it knew both were second homes.25 On Oct 30, about a dozen Fannie Mae ethics and investigations staff were fired. The Wall Street Journal reported they had been looking into whether Pulte’s aides wrongly obtained Democrats’ mortgage records.26 On Nov 3, Reuters reported that FHFA’s acting inspector general, Joe Allen, had been removed. He was reportedly preparing to tell Congress that FHFA was not cooperating with his investigators. His predecessor, Brian Tomney, had left in April 2025 under unclear circumstances.43 The Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’s auditing arm, opened an investigation into Pulte on Dec 4.27 On Sept 30, 2026, FHFA called its inspector general’s budget an “extraordinary outlier.” It cut the office’s FY2027 funding to $20M. The President’s budget had asked for $55M. Acting Inspector General James Hodge said the office would lose up to 80% of its staff. He said it would also lose its ability to run criminal investigations.83 On Oct 1 Democratic leaders in Congress demanded that Pulte resign. They included Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Elizabeth Warren and Maxine Waters.43,84

DHS contracts and staffing under Noem

Noem’s adviser Corey Lewandowski is unpaid. DHS said he had worked only 69 of the 130 days that a special government employee may serve in a year. A DHS employee kept the count (Aug 14, 2025).8 Axios reported that several administration officials doubted the figure. House Oversight Democrats wrote on Mar 18, 2026 that “DHS has not provided the requested information.”8,82 ProPublica reported on Strategy Group, a Republican firm with long ties to Noem’s political career. It said the firm was a hidden beneficiary of about $220M in DHS ad contracts. The contracts went to Safe America Media and People Who Think, for a campaign in which Noem appeared. DHS used the border “national emergency” to skip competitive bidding (Nov 14, 2025).3 Reuters reported that Lewandowski fired a Coast Guard pilot over Noem’s missing blanket. The pilot was later rehired.30 Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as Secretary on Mar 24, 2026. That day, DHS added about $303 million to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flight contract with Daedalus Aviation. The contract was no-bid, meaning no other companies competed for it. The added money was to buy five planes. One was a $108 million Boeing 737 that Daedalus had reportedly bought for under $90 million. These details come from a letter dated Oct 8 and released Oct 9. Sens. Peter Welch, Richard Blumenthal and Adam Schiff wrote it. It describes New York Times reporting published Oct 4.77,91 Daedalus chairman William Walters gave $10,000 in 2024 to Noem’s political action committee (PAC), American Resolve. The company says he did not know of the tie. Firms he led received more than $900 million in DHS contracts while she ran the department.77,91 Noem called the report “factually incorrect” and “libelous.”91 In the letter released Oct 9, the senators demanded records from Mullin.77,92 On Oct 22, 2026 CBS and NBC reported that the Justice Department had opened an investigation of Lewandowski after a referral from the DHS inspector general. Two sources told CBS that it is looking at whether he used his DHS job for financial gain. His lawyer said the department had not contacted him and that he denies wrongdoing. No charge has been filed.123

Travel and use of government resources

FBI Director Kash Patel flew the bureau’s Gulfstream jet to watch his girlfriend perform. Steven Palmer, head of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, was then fired. The Guardian said this happened amid Patel’s “outrage” over reports of the jet use (Oct 31, 2025).28 Sen. Dick Durbin released a whistleblower’s account. It said Patel’s use of an FBI jet delayed the evidence team’s response to the Brown University shooting (Feb 24, 2026).29 The same day, CREW asked DOJ’s inspector general to investigate Patel’s trip to the Milan Winter Olympics. The FBI said it was “not a personal trip.”67,90 The record does not include the FBI’s response on the jet. Labor’s inspector general (IG) investigated whether Chavez-DeRemer’s aides set up official events as cover for her personal trips.32 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy launched a family reality show (May 8, 2026). Companies his department regulates sponsored it, including Boeing, Toyota and United Airlines. CREW said it was “funded by the very industries his agency oversees.”31 On Jul 7, 2026, CREW filed a second complaint with the Transportation Department (DOT) inspector general. Duffy had reposted, from his official account, his wife’s promotion of her book. The post included a link to buy it.69,94 The record does not include DOT’s response. Agriculture Department (USDA) Under Secretary Michael Boren reportedly pressed the Forest Service in July 2026 to send extra aircraft to a fire near his Idaho ranch. He reportedly pressed for about nine aircraft, at a cost of nearly $115,000, for a fire of about seven acres. CREW asked USDA’s inspector general to investigate on Aug 17, and no response from Boren is reported.61,96 The Labor IG’s report came out Sept 3–4, 2026. It found that Chavez-DeRemer drank alcohol at the office and had staff do personal errands on federal time. It found that she accepted unreported gifts, such as rodeo tickets, and combined official travel with personal trips. It also found that she had an “inappropriate and unprofessional relationship” with a senior agent on her security detail. She resigned the day before her scheduled interview, so her account is not in the findings.66,93

Endorsements, Hatch Act complaints and inspector-general appointments

CREW filed Hatch Act complaints with the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the office that handles them. Lutnick told Fox Business viewers to vote so that “this communist” “doesn’t run New York City,” and CREW named him in a complaint on Aug 13, 2025. CREW named Bessent, Noem, Navarro and press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Oct 13, 2025 for comments on the New York mayoral race.80 CREW asked the new Special Counsel, Charles Baldis, on Aug 20, 2026 to resolve six complaints. They had been waiting for 2 to 12+ months.55,81 Public Citizen, citing Government Executive, looked at the 8 inspectors general Trump installed from January 2025. It reported that 6 of them had held earlier political or policy jobs in the administration. They included Labor’s Anthony D’Esposito and USDA’s John Walk. Walk was sworn in on Jan 5, 2026 after serving as a senior adviser to Agriculture Secretary Rollins.44 CREW asked the inspectors general’s Integrity Committee on Apr 8, 2026 to investigate D’Esposito over his political statements.86 The committee sent the complaint to OSC, which accepted it for review on Oct 14.65 On Jan 27, 2026, CREW asked the Energy Department’s inspector general to look into Assistant Secretary Audrey Robertson. She had appeared, with her title, in a jeweler’s catalog.58 On Jul 9, CREW asked the Federal Reserve’s inspector general to review Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman. She had attended a Bank of America dinner hours after a rate decision. Bowman said it complied with the rules.62 On Oct 9, CREW asked OGE to investigate White House adviser Peter Navarro. He had promoted his book Why Fauci Must Rot in Prison from his White House office and under his title.64 Lutnick’s “buy Tesla” remark, the subject of a request to OGE, is described above under Lutnick and Cantor Fitzgerald.

The President’s own trading

Trump filed his first annual financial disclosure of the term with OGE on Jun 13, 2025. It covered 2024, and it showed that he kept his businesses. NBC News reported that many of his key assets are held in a revocable trust run by his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. A revocable trust is one that the owner can change or cancel.97 His trades in stocks and bonds are reported separately on periodic transaction reports (OGE Form 278-T). Each trade is listed only as a dollar range.99 OGE released such reports on Aug 19, 2025. NBC News reported that they showed about 690 bond purchases worth at least $103 million from Jan 21 to Aug 1, 2025, and no sales. A bond is a loan to a company or government that pays interest. The companies whose bonds were bought included Qualcomm, T-Mobile USA, Home Depot, UnitedHealth Group, Meta, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and Citigroup. A senior administration official told NBC that “the president is not involved in these transactions.”99 On Nov 15, 2025, CNBC reported on three more reports. They showed more than 175 bond purchases from Aug 28 to Oct 2, 2025, worth at least $82 million and at most more than $337 million. Most were municipal bonds, which are bonds issued by cities and states. They included Intel bonds bought after the government took a roughly 10% stake in Intel on Aug 22, at Trump’s direction. They also included JPMorgan bonds bought in late August. That was before Trump asked DOJ on Nov 14 to investigate JPMorgan’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The White House has said an outside financial institution manages the portfolio.100

The White House released a report on Jan 15, 2026. It listed four purchases of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery bonds on Dec 12 and Dec 16, 2025, each valued at $250,001 to $500,000. The purchases came days after Netflix agreed to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studios and HBO Max. They also came after Trump said publicly that he expected to weigh in on the deal. A White House official told the Hollywood Reporter that “All investment decisions are made entirely by independent managers.”101 On Mar 4, 2026, OGE posted two reports signed Feb 26. One listed about 185 transactions from May to November 2025, nearly all of them purchases. They were in preferred shares of banks and other companies, and in perpetual notes, which are bonds with no end date. Many were flagged as reported more than 30 days after notification. An OGE reviewer’s note dated Mar 3 records “Filer paid late fees.” The other report listed a Netflix note bought Jan 2, 2026 for $500,001 to $1,000,000. At the time, Netflix’s agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery was still pending.103

On May 14, 2026, OGE released the reports for the first quarter of 2026. NBC valued the trades at $220 million to $750 million. CBS News counted 3,642 transactions from Jan 6 to Mar 30, valued at $212 million to $695 million. The trades included Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Apple, Oracle, Broadcom, Goldman Sachs and municipal bonds. An OGE reviewer’s note dated May 13 records “Filer paid late fee,” and a Jan 6 purchase of $500,001 to $1 million of Nvidia stock is labeled “UNSOLICITED.”104 Trump’s annual disclosure, filed Jun 30, 2026, listed more than 21,000 stock trades made for him in 2025. CNBC found eight investment accounts holding at least $858 million. JPMorgan, Schwab and UBS were among the managers. CNBC counted about 21,000 trades in 2025 and roughly 500 in his whole first term.105 On Jul 16, 2026, CNN reported that it had used AI to compare those trades with Trump’s Truth Social posts. It found at least 44 purchases in 21 companies made within a week before he praised the companies, their leaders or their products. In one example, $200,000 to $500,000 of Nvidia shares were bought days before an Apr 15, 2025 post. The post said permits for Nvidia’s AI supercomputers would be “expedited,” meaning sped up. In another example, a $1 million to $5 million Dell purchase came on Feb 10, 2026, about a week before a Trump speech in Rome, Georgia. There he told the audience to “go out and buy a Dell computer.” CNN also found 17 purchases in eight companies before he criticized them. It found no evidence that he used posts to lift his holdings. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, “There are no conflicts of interest.”106

On Aug 22, 2026, OGE posted a report listing 1,051 transactions in June 2026. Together they were worth $78.1 million to $263.1 million. By CNBC’s count, purchases topped $49 million and sales totaled at least $28.5 million. White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Wall Street Journal that the President plays no role in the trading. He said the accounts are discretionary, meaning the managers decide the trades. He said they use computer-based model portfolios that copy indexes such as the Schwab 1000.109 On Aug 29, 2026, CBS News reported that Trump’s accounts kept trading oil and gas stocks during the Iran war. One trade was a $500,000 to $1 million sale of ExxonMobil on Apr 7, the day he announced the ceasefire. ExxonMobil closed at $163.91 that day and opened 6.5% lower on Apr 8. Joint Economic Committee Democrats estimated his oil and gas holdings at $13 million to $46 million at the start of 2026. By mid-August, they estimated, the holdings had risen to $17 million to $61 million. CBS also reported that some 2026 transactions were filed late. Ingle said the portfolio is “independently managed by third-party financial institutions.”110 A Bloomberg analysis on Sept 16, 2026 found that Trump or his money managers made about 28,700 trades from January 2025 through June 2026, about 80 per market day. All members of Congress combined disclosed roughly 22,300. Truthout’s account of the analysis splits the congressional figure into 19,400 House and 2,900 Senate trades. Newser reports 22,200. Bloomberg also found about 20 cases in which Trump’s accounts bought into companies within a week of his promoting them in public. These included DoorDash, Nvidia and Tesla. Ingle said, “Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence, or provide input.”111

In Congress, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8 to 7 on Jul 30, 2025 to advance Sen. Josh Hawley’s stock-trading ban. The bill had been changed to cover the President and Vice President starting with the next term. Hawley was the only Republican to vote yes. Trump said “I like it conceptually,” earlier that day. Later, on Truth Social, he called Hawley a “second-tier Senator” who was “playing right into the dirty hands of the Democrats.”98 In his Feb 24, 2026 State of the Union address, Trump urged Congress to “pass the Stop Insider Trading act without delay,” naming Rep. Bryan Steil’s bill. The bill bars members of Congress, their spouses and their dependent children from buying individual stocks. It does not appear to cover the President.102 The House passed that bill, H.R. 7008, 232 to 198 on Jul 22, 2026. It did not cover the President or Vice President. It also included a photo-ID requirement for federal elections, added by Republicans. Democratic leaders had demanded that any ban extend to the President and Vice President. Fortune noted that the bill leaves untouched the more than 3,600 trades Trump disclosed for the first quarter.107 On Aug 12, 2026, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Robert Garcia sent Trump a 17-page letter. Garcia is the ranking member, or top minority-party member, of House Oversight. They asked Trump to name the managers who direct his trades. They asked how each manager was chosen, what instructions it was given and what process it uses. They also asked him to explain 30 transactions, with an Aug 28 deadline. Their release counted more than 17,000 trades worth up to $1.56 billion. It cited Nvidia and AMD purchases on Jan 6, one week before the administration loosened chip-export rules for China (see Government Equity Stakes and Chip Export Deals). It cited a $1 million to $5 million Axon purchase on Feb 10, two weeks before ICE announced a $220 million Taser contract. It also cited $25 million in Meta sales. Kelly denied any conflicts. The Trump Organization called the letter a “baseless political stunt,” according to MS NOW.108 On Sept 30, 2026, the Senate voted 53 to 47 to advance the House-passed bill. That was short of the 60 votes needed, and every Democrat voted no. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called it “a permission slip for corruption, not a stock-trading ban,” and objected to its voter-ID provision. He also noted that it does not stop the President from trading. The White House said “EVERY SENATE DEMOCRAT BLOCKED” the bill.112

Key dates

Why it matters

What 18 U.S.C. § 208 covers. The conflict-of-interest law covers the money interests of an official, his spouse and his minor children. A written waiver can allow an official to take part in a matter anyway.6 This record raises several legal questions under it. First, are Cantor’s fees on the USA Rare Earth sale counted as Lutnick’s own, through the family trusts? Sens. Warren, Van Hollen and Wyden asked about this.2 Second, was Blanche’s Apr 7, 2025 memo a matter that affected his crypto holdings? Canter and Payne say yes. DOJ declined to comment.6 Third, were Sacks’s waivers good enough? Clark called them “sham ethics waivers,” and Warren opened an inquiry.17,39 Fourth, did Kupor take part in choosing Tech Force partners while he held Robinhood stock?63 Fifth, is Feinberg’s oversight of Golden Dome “personal and substantial” participation in awards to companies Cerberus owns? Trusts for adult children fall outside the interests that § 208 counts as the official’s own.76 Sixth, is the Tether loan to a trust for Lutnick’s children his own interest? That depends on whether he keeps an interest in the trust.54 Because adult children fall outside § 208, Witkoff’s sale of his WLF stake to his sons leaves open whether any conflict rule reaches the family’s continuing stake.57 Lutnick’s disclosure filing says Cantor’s payment to him was handled under his ethics agreement.13 No court, OGE finding or prosecution has settled any of these questions.

Part-time advisers and financial reports (18 U.S.C. § 202(a); Ethics in Government Act). The Ethics in Government Act is a federal law that requires senior officials to file reports on their finances.49 DHS says Lewandowski served 69 days. The question is whether he served more than 130, which would require him to file a public report. DHS has not given its records to House Oversight.8 Ethics agreements must be carried out within three months of confirmation unless an exception is granted.71 OGE found that Bessent and Bedford sold their holdings late.9,56 The record does not confirm that Oz sold his holdings.41 CREW’s lawsuit makes two claims about Kushner. First, it argues that his continuing role needs Senate approval under the Appointments Clause. That part of the Constitution has the President appoint top officers with the Senate’s approval (Article II).75 Second, it argues that he must file a public report under the Ethics in Government Act, which covers senior officials whether they are paid or not. No ruling is reported.59

Endorsements, gifts and use of government property (5 C.F.R. §§ 2635.702, 2635.704; subpart B gift rules). Federal ethics rules bar officials from using their office for private gain, such as by endorsing products. They also limit gifts from outside sources and bar the misuse of government property.50 Lutnick’s “buy Tesla” remark is the subject of a request to OGE under § 2635.702.7,117 In a May 11, 2026 complaint to the DOT inspector general, CREW said Duffy’s sponsored show broke gift and travel rules.38 Its Jul 7 complaint relies on § 2635.702, which bars using an office for the private gain of relatives.69 Robertson’s catalog appearance raises § 2635.702(c), which bars using a government title to endorse a product.58 Navarro’s book promotion raises § 2635.807, which limits the use of an official title in connection with outside writing.64,73 Boren’s reported request raises the duty not to give “preferential treatment to any private organization or individual” (§ 2635.101(b)(8)).61,74 The FT report on Hegseth’s broker concerns 5 C.F.R. § 2635.703. That rule bars financial deals that use nonpublic information, meaning information the public does not have.72 The Pentagon denies the report.60 The Patel, Noem and Chavez-DeRemer matters concern the use of government aircraft, Coast Guard assets and official travel. Labor’s IG found that Chavez-DeRemer combined official and personal travel and accepted unreported gifts. The record contains no IG finding on Patel or Noem.28,30,66

Political activity (Hatch Act, 5 U.S.C. § 7323). Some officials approved by the Senate may take part in political activity while on duty. But they are still barred from using official authority to affect an election. For officials the President appoints, OSC reports its findings to the President, who decides on any discipline.70,55 No OSC finding is reported on CREW’s complaints or on the D’Esposito complaint.55,65

Government contracts (Competition in Contracting Act, 41 U.S.C. § 3301 and following). The Competition in Contracting Act is a federal law on how agencies buy goods and services.51 Federal contracts generally must be open to full competition among bidders. One exception is for unusual and compelling urgency. ProPublica reported that the ad contracts from which Strategy Group benefited relied on emergency justifications.3 Noem testified that Trump approved the ad campaign, and the White House denied it.4 A contract given without competition must rest on one of the exceptions in 41 U.S.C. § 3304 and have a written justification.78 The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the main rulebook for federal buying, tells agencies to avoid “even the appearance of a conflict of interest” (48 C.F.R. § 3.101-1).79 The senators’ letter asks which exception supported the Mar 24 Daedalus contract change and who approved it.77

Oversight of FHFA (Inspector General Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 401–424; GAO). The Inspector General Act is the federal law that sets up inspectors general inside agencies.52 The Fannie Mae staff fired on Oct 30, 2025 had been reviewing how Pulte’s aides obtained Democrats’ mortgage records.26 GAO’s investigation is open.27 FHFA’s Office of Inspector General told Congress on Oct 30, 2026 of “unprecedented” obstruction by the agency. FHFA denies it, saying it “delivered every document.”37 FHFA’s inspector general is paid for by fees FHFA charges the companies it regulates, not by money Congress sets aside. That let FHFA set the office’s FY2027 budget.43

Mortgage-fraud referrals (FHFA referral to DOJ). A referral asks prosecutors to look into a possible crime. Pulte referred Cook’s two principal-residence pledges to DOJ,24 which opened a criminal investigation.118 No referral or investigation about Bessent’s 2007 pledges appears in the record. Bessent’s lawyer, the White House and his lender disputed any comparison.25 Trump’s attempt to remove Cook is covered in Federal Reserve Independence.

The President’s securities trading (18 U.S.C. § 202(c); STOCK Act; 5 U.S.C. § 13105(l)). Because 18 U.S.C. § 202(c) leaves the President out of § 208, the criminal conflict-of-interest law does not apply to his trades. That is true even for companies affected by his administration’s decisions.48 The STOCK Act, a federal law on stock trading by officials, applies the ban on insider trading to the President (Pub. L. 112-105, § 9(b)). Insider trading means trading on information the public does not have.113 Under 5 U.S.C. § 13105(l), a filer must report a covered trade within 30 days of being notified of it. The report must come no later than 45 days after the trade.114 A rule, 5 C.F.R. § 2634.704, sets a $200 fee for a late report.115 OGE reviewer notes on the reports posted Mar 4 and May 14, 2026 record that the filer paid late fees.103,104 Because § 208 does not apply, disclosure is the only binding conflict-of-interest check on the President’s holdings.97 White House officials say independent managers make all investment decisions. They say neither Trump nor his family can direct the accounts.101,111 The Warren–Garcia letter asked whether particular trades were directed by those managers or by Trump. The ledger records no answer as of Nov 8, 2026.108 The record also does not explain the “UNSOLICITED” label on the Jan 6 Nvidia purchase.104

Outcome

Where things stand

The record shows no official charged under § 208 as of Nov 8, 2026, and no court or OGE finding has settled the conflict questions above. Trump removed Noem on Mar 5, 2026. That was two days after she testified that he had approved the ad campaign. NPR and other coverage also cited luxury-jet purchases and the fatal Minneapolis shootings. She was then named a State Department envoy.4 Chavez-DeRemer resigned on Apr 20, 2026. After the IG’s Sept 3–4 report, her lawyer said investigators did not find she broke any laws. No criminal referral is reported.5,66,93 The Justice Department opened an investigation of Lewandowski in October 2026 after a referral from the DHS inspector general. He has not been charged.123 Lutnick admitted to a 2012 lunch on Epstein’s island. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt then said Trump “fully supports” him (Feb 10, 2026).34 House Oversight questioned Lutnick behind closed doors (May 6) and released the transcript May 13.35,68 Patel was reportedly called to the White House over his conduct (Jul 10, 2026). He called the reported reasons false, and no departure is recorded.40,95 Pulte was made acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in June 2026 while still running FHFA. Democrats and three Republican senators objected.36 Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is a law that lets the government target the communications of certain people outside the United States.53 It lapsed on Jun 12 amid the dispute.120 Trump’s accounts kept trading through June 2026, the latest month reported in the record.109 The House-passed Stop Insider Trading Act, which does not cover the President, failed to advance in the Senate on Sept 30, 2026.112 The Warren–Garcia letter has no recorded response.108

Still under way: a GAO report on Pulte is expected in late 2026 or early 2027, and the probe remains open.27 FHFA’s Office of Inspector General reported obstruction on Oct 30, 2026, which FHFA denies.37,43 The table below lists CREW’s suit over Kushner’s role and its complaints to inspectors general, OGE and OSC. It also lists OSC’s review of D’Esposito and the requests from Congress for records from Hegseth and Mullin. The ledger records no results for any of them as of Nov 8, 2026. Gaps: Hegseth’s travel appears only in passing. Still missing are figures for Burgum’s land leases, proof that Oz sold his holdings, the GAO’s findings on Pulte, and Commerce’s response on the Tether loan. Related coverage: Inspectors General and Watchdogs, Justice Department and FBI Personnel Changes, Prosecutions and Investigations of Trump Critics, Crypto and World Liberty Financial, Gulf States, Israel and Gaza, Russia and Ukraine and The Epstein Files; for Musk, see Musk, DOGE and Conflict-of-Interest Questions.

Status

Item Status Latest development (date) What would change it
Lutnick: Cantor fees on the USA Rare Earth sale and the Tether loan Unresolved Senators asked when he learned of Cantor’s role. Commerce gave no public answer (Feb 25, 2026)2,54 An answer from Commerce, or a statement of whether he still has an interest in the trusts
Lutnick: “buy Tesla” endorsement Pending (OGE) Warren and Waters asked OGE to investigate under § 2635.702 (Mar 28, 2025)117 An OGE finding
Hatch Act complaints (Lutnick, Bessent, Noem, Navarro, Leavitt) Pending (OSC) CREW asked Special Counsel Baldis to resolve six complaints (Aug 20, 2026)55,81 OSC findings, which go to the President for officials he appointed70
Blanche crypto memo Unresolved Ethics experts said it broke § 208. DOJ declined to comment6 No place to decide it appears in the record
Sacks waivers Pending (inquiry led by Warren in Congress) Clark called them “sham ethics waivers”; Warren opened an inquiry (late 2025)17,39 Findings from the inquiry, or an OGE response
Witkoff family’s WLF stake Unresolved Stake sold to his sons (Jan 2026). OGE disclosure released March 202657 No place to decide it; § 208 does not reach adult children6
Kushner as envoy without Senate approval or a public report Pending (CREW suit) CREW sued to block him from the role. No ruling reported (Oct 14, 2026)59 A ruling on the Appointments Clause and disclosure claims
Bessent’s sale of investments Unresolved Federal ethics watchdog found he failed to “timely comply” (2026)9. He said he sold his soybean farm “as part of my ethics agreement” (Dec 7, 2025)121 A public record that the sale is done
Bedford’s Republic Airways stock Concluded Sale finished about four months late. CREW asked that he step aside from Republic matters (May 19, 2026)56,85 Action by the Senate subcommittee on that request
Oz’s UnitedHealth and HCA holdings Unresolved No confirmation of the promised sale (as of Nov 8, 2026)41 A public record of the sale
Feinberg and Golden Dome awards Unresolved Pentagon says he has no direct role in buying. No ruling or finding recorded (Mar 5, 2026)76 A review by OGE or an inspector general
Hegseth broker report Pending (House Oversight Democrats’ request for records) Pentagon calls the FT report false. Democrats asked him to keep his records (Mar 31, 2026)60,119 A response to the records request
Stop Insider Trading Act (President not covered) Blocked Senate vote to move the bill forward failed, 53–47 (Sept 30, 2026)112,107 A new vote in the 120th Congress
Warren–Garcia letter on the President’s trades Unresolved No response recorded by the Aug 28 deadline (as of Nov 8, 2026)108 A White House response or a demand from the Oversight Committee
Noem’s time at DHS Concluded Removed. Later named a State Department envoy (Mar 5, 2026)4 —
Strategy Group ad contracts Unresolved ProPublica reported emergency justifications. White House denied approving the campaign (Nov 14, 2025)3,4 A review by an inspector general or GAO
Daedalus aircraft contract change Pending (senators’ demand to DHS for records) Welch, Blumenthal and Schiff demanded records from Mullin (Oct 9, 2026)77,92 DHS handing over the records
Lewandowski’s days as a special government employee Unresolved DHS’s 69-day count not backed by records given to House Oversight (Mar 18, 2026)8,82 DHS release of the day logs
Lewandowski: Justice Department investigation Pending (DOJ) Opened after a DHS inspector-general referral; no charge (Oct 22, 2026)123 A decision to charge him or close the case
Chavez-DeRemer Concluded Resigned. IG report released Sept 3–4, 2026. No criminal referral reported (Apr 20, 2026)5,66,93 —
CREW complaints on Patel, Duffy, Boren and Kupor Pending (DOJ, DOT, USDA and OPM inspectors general) Latest filed on Kupor (Aug 21, 2026)67,90,38,69,94,61,96,63 Findings by the inspectors general
CREW complaints on Robertson, Bowman and Navarro Pending (Energy and Fed inspectors general; OGE) Latest filed on Navarro (Oct 9, 2026)58,62,64 Findings by the inspectors general or OGE
D’Esposito complaint Pending (OSC) OSC accepted it for review (Oct 14, 2026)65 An OSC finding
GAO investigation of Pulte Pending (GAO) Report expected late 2026 or early 2027 (opened Dec 4, 2025)27 The GAO report
FHFA inspector general’s budget In force FY2027 funding cut to $20M (Sept 30, 2026). The IG reported obstruction, which FHFA denies (Oct 30, 2026)43,83,37 No pending action recorded
Pulte as acting DNI In force Serving while also running FHFA. FISA Section 702 lapsed (Jun 12, 2026)36,120 No pending action recorded
Bessent’s 2007 pledges Unresolved No referral or investigation recorded. Lender said it knew both were second homes (Sept 17, 2025)25 A referral by FHFA or DOJ
McMahon WWE suit Pending (civil suit) Allowed to go forward (Dec 11, 2025)33. Judge Bredar rejected the challenge to Maryland’s Child Victims Act (Oct 19, 2026)122 A ruling in the suit

Who is affected

The questions in this article reach the public through federal spending, federal staff and oversight offices. Contract money is involved where the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Pentagon and the Commerce Department gave or offered funds to firms tied to officials or their associates.3,77,76,2 Federal employees are involved where officials fired or directed them, at Fannie Mae, the Coast Guard, the Labor Department and the Forest Service.26,30,66,61 The staff of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) inspector general are involved through a budget set by the agency they oversee.43 A whistleblower links a delayed Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) evidence response to FBI Director Kash Patel’s jet use.29 A surveillance law lapsed during the dispute over Pulte’s two jobs.120

Key players

Chronology

Sources

  1. Bloomberg: Lutnick taps two sons to run Cantor · Timeline 2025-02-18 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  2. CNBC: Democratic senators press Lutnick on USA Rare Earth deal · Timeline 2025-02-18 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  3. ProPublica: Noem DHS ad campaign / Strategy Group · Timeline 2025-11-14 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  4. NPR: Kristi Noem fired as Homeland Security secretary · CNN: Kristi Noem out as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas · Timeline 2026-03-05 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  5. NBC News: Chavez-DeRemer resigns amid misconduct probe · CNBC: Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer resigns · Timeline 2026-04-20 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  6. ProPublica: Todd Blanche held crypto while shutting down DOJ crypto unit · Timeline 2025-04-07 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  7. CNBC: Lutnick urges “buy Tesla” · CNN: The Trump administration can’t stop shilling for Tesla · Timeline 2025-03-19 → ledger ↩↩↩

  8. House Oversight Democrats: letter to DHS re Noem and Lewandowski (Mar 18, 2026, PDF) · Yahoo News (Axios): White House believes Corey Lewandowski is fudging his work hours · Timeline 2025-08-14 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  9. CNN: presidential exemption · Timeline 2026-(throughout) → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  10. ProPublica: DOGE’s Gavin Kliger received conflict warnings before CFPB firings · Timeline 2025-04-17 → ledger ↩

  11. Seattle Times: Senate confirms Doug Burgum as Interior secretary · Timeline 2025-01-30 → ledger ↩↩↩

  12. Roll Call: Oz’s ties to insurers · Healthcare Brew: Oz confirmed as CMS head · Timeline 2025-04-03 → ledger ↩↩

  13. CNBC: Lutnick reports $250M+ income · Timeline 2025-02-18 → ledger ↩↩

  14. CNN: ballroom donors list · NBC News: list of donors · Timeline 2025-10-20 → ledger ↩

  15. White House: Establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile · CNBC: Trump announces strategic crypto reserve · Timeline 2025-03-06 → ledger, 2025-03-02 → ledger ↩

  16. CREW: White House officials own up to $2.35M in proposed reserve assets · Timeline 2025-03-02 → ledger ↩

  17. NPR: Sacks under fire over vast AI investments · Timeline 2025-(late) → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  18. DOJ: Blanche memo “Ending Regulation By Prosecution” (PDF) · Timeline 2025-04-07 → ledger ↩↩

  19. CNBC: Donald Trump Jr. co-founds new private members club, Executive Branch, with a $500,000 fee · Timeline 2025-04-26 → ledger ↩

  20. Reuters: Pakistan to partner with WLF · NYT: Trump, Pakistan deals · Timeline 2025-04-(late) → ledger ↩↩

  21. ABC News: $2B Emirati-backed deal · CoinDesk: USD1 chosen for $2B MGX-Binance settlement · Timeline 2025-05-01 → ledger ↩↩

  22. NYT: Trump, UAE chips, Witkoff, World Liberty · Timeline 2025-09-15 → ledger ↩

  23. CNBC: Trump family-backed crypto firm World Liberty gets conditional bank charter approval · WSJ: Trump family’s new crypto bank is backed by Abu Dhabi sheikh · Timeline 2026-08-14 → ledger ↩

  24. NBC News: Trump–Cook feud · CNN: Trump pushes for Cook resignation · Timeline 2025-08-15 → ledger ↩↩↩

  25. CNBC: Bessent made contradictory mortgage pledges, like Fed’s Cook · Timeline 2025-09-17 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  26. WSJ: Trump administration fires Fannie Mae ethics officials · WSJ via MSN: Fannie Mae watchdogs probed how Pulte obtained records · Timeline 2025-10-30 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  27. NBC News: GAO opens investigation into FHFA chief Bill Pulte · Scotsman Guide: FHFA watchdog accuses Pulte of ‘unprecedented’ obstruction · Timeline 2025-12-04 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  28. Guardian: FBI fires top official amid Patel’s outrage over reports of agency jet use · Timeline 2025-10-31 → ledger ↩↩↩

  29. MS NOW: Patel’s jet use delayed shooting response · Timeline 2026-02-24 → ledger ↩↩↩

  30. Reuters: Noem aide entered cockpit before firing pilot · The Times: Noem fired pilot over blanket · Timeline 2026-03-05 → ledger, 2025-11-14 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  31. CNN: Duffy returns to reality TV roots, sparking criticism · Timeline 2026-05-08 → ledger ↩↩

  32. NBC News: staffers on leave amid IG probe (Jan 17 2026) · Timeline 2026-04-20 → ledger ↩↩

  33. Axios: WWE lawsuit to proceed · CBS News: McMahon named in WWE lawsuit · Timeline 2025-12-11 → ledger ↩↩

  34. NBC News: Lutnick defends visiting island · Timeline 2026-02-10 → ledger ↩

  35. NYT: Lutnick questioned on Epstein ties · Timeline 2026-05-06 → ledger ↩

  36. CBS News: Trump stands by Pulte as acting DNI amid FISA fight · CBS News: House rejects last-minute extension for key FISA spy power amid Bill Pulte uproar · Timeline 2026-06-09 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  37. Scotsman Guide: FHFA watchdog accuses Pulte of ‘unprecedented’ obstruction · National Mortgage News: FHFA inspector general is gone amid wider changes · Timeline 2026-10-30 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  38. NPR: Duffy’s ‘Great American Road Trip’ raises ethics questions (May 12, 2026) · Timeline 2026-08-19 → ledger ↩↩

  39. Sen. Warren: launch investigation into Trump crypto and AI czar’s ethics conflicts · Sen. Warren: questions OGE on Sacks COI · Timeline 2025-(late) → ledger ↩↩

  40. Independent: Patel cancels trip for urgent White House meeting · Timeline 2026-07-07 → ledger ↩

  41. STAT: Dr. Oz to sell UnitedHealth, HCA stocks · Timeline 2025-04-03 → ledger ↩↩↩

  42. Federal Register: EO 14178 · Timeline 2025-01-23 → ledger ↩

  43. National Mortgage News: FHFA inspector general is gone amid wider changes · Government Executive: Housing finance agency chief moves to slash watchdog’s budget, leading Democrats to demand his resignation · Timeline 2025-11-03 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  44. Public Citizen: Undoing Accountability — an update on Trump’s attacks on inspectors general · Timeline 2026-01-05 → ledger ↩

  45. Cornell LII: 18 U.S.C. § 208 — Acts affecting a personal financial interest legal authority ↩

  46. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. part 2635 — Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (incl. subpart B, Gifts From Outside Sources) legal authority ↩

  47. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. § 2635.702 — Use of public office for private gain legal authority ↩

  48. Cornell LII: 18 U.S.C. § 202 — Definitions (§ 202(a) special Government employee; § 202(c) exclusions) legal authority ↩↩↩

  49. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. § 13103 — Persons required to file (Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95-521, § 101) legal authority ↩

  50. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. § 2635.704 — Use of Government property legal authority ↩

  51. Cornell LII: 41 U.S.C. § 3301 — Full and open competition (see also § 3304(a)(2), unusual and compelling urgency) legal authority ↩

  52. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. Part I, Chapter 4 — Inspectors General (§§ 401–424) legal authority ↩

  53. Cornell LII: 50 U.S.C. § 1881a — Procedures for targeting certain persons outside the United States (FISA § 702) legal authority ↩

  54. Bloomberg Law: As Lutnick sold Cantor to his children, Tether gave them a loan (Mar 18, 2026; excerpt) · Open Cabinet: home · Timeline 2025-10 → 2026-03-18 → ledger ↩↩↩

  55. CREW: Hatch Act complaint against Lutnick · CREW: complaint against administration officials (Oct 13, 2025) · CREW: OSC must resolve pending complaints · Timeline 2025-08-13 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  56. NOTUS: Bedford’s Republic stock sale (Apr 10, 2026) · CREW: hold Bedford accountable (May 19, 2026) · Timeline 2025-12 → 2026-05-19 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩

  57. Public Citizen: Conflict Coin (Apr 27, 2026) · Timeline 2026-01 → 03 → ledger ↩↩↩

  58. CREW: complaint on DOE official (Jan 27, 2026) · Timeline 2026-01-27 → ledger ↩↩↩

  59. CREW: White House must reveal Kushner’s conflicts (Mar 11, 2026) · CREW: suit to block Kushner as envoy (Oct 14, 2026) · Timeline 2026-02-19 → 10-14 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  60. Al Jazeera: Pentagon denies Hegseth’s broker sought defence investment (Mar 31, 2026), citing FT · House Oversight Democrats: letter to Hegseth (Mar 31, 2026) (PDF) · Timeline 2026-03-30 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  61. CREW: Trump appointee reportedly demanded special firefighting treatment (Aug 17, 2026) · Timeline 2026-07 to 08-17 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩

  62. CREW: Fed watchdog should investigate Bowman dinner (Jul 9, 2026) · Timeline 2026-07-09 → ledger ↩↩

  63. CREW: IG must investigate Kupor (Aug 21, 2026) · Timeline 2026-08-21 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  64. CREW: Navarro’s book promotion (Oct 9, 2026) · Timeline 2026-10-09 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  65. CREW: CIGIE must investigate D’Esposito · Raw Story: D’Esposito complaint accepted · Timeline 2026-01-05 → ledger, 2026-10-14 → ledger ↩↩↩

  66. Seattle Red: Watchdog rips ex-Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer · Congress.net: Inspector General report brands former Labor Secretary’s office “toxic and humiliating” · Timeline 2026-04-20 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  67. CREW: DOJ IG should investigate Patel’s Olympics trip · NYT: Patel’s Olympics trip · Timeline 2026-02-24 → ledger ↩↩

  68. House Oversight: Comer Announces Secretary Lutnick to Appear Voluntarily (title from search listing) · Timeline 2026-05-06 → ledger ↩

  69. CREW: DOT watchdog should investigate Duffy’s promotion of his wife’s book · Timeline 2026-05-08 → ledger ↩↩↩

  70. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. § 7323 — Political activity authorized; prohibitions legal authority ↩↩↩

  71. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. § 2634.802 — Requirements (ethics agreements; three-month compliance period) legal authority ↩↩

  72. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. § 2635.703 — Use of nonpublic information legal authority ↩

  73. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. § 2635.807 — Teaching, speaking and writing (§ 2635.807(b), use of official title) legal authority ↩

  74. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. § 2635.101 — Basic obligation of public service (§ 2635.101(b)(8)) legal authority ↩

  75. Cornell LII: U.S. Constitution, Article II (§ 2, cl. 2, Appointments Clause) legal authority ↩

  76. ProPublica: Documents Reveal a Web of Financial Ties Between Trump Officials and the Industries They Help Regulate · Timeline 2026-03-05 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  77. Sen. Peter Welch: Welch, Blumenthal, Schiff demand answers from DHS over new reporting on Noem’s luxury jet purchases · Dakota News Now: Report: Kristi Noem bought jets at marked-up prices on last day leading DHS · Timeline 2026-03-24 → 10-09 → ledger ↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩

  78. Cornell LII: 41 U.S.C. § 3304 (Use of noncompetitive procedures) legal authority ↩

  79. Cornell LII: 48 C.F.R. § 3.101-1 (Standards of conduct, general) legal authority ↩

  80. CREW: complaint against administration officials (Oct 13, 2025) · Timeline 2025-10-13 → ledger ↩

  81. CREW: OSC must resolve pending complaints · Timeline 2026-08-20 → ledger ↩↩

  82. House Oversight Democrats: letter to DHS re Noem and Lewandowski (Mar 18, 2026, PDF) · Timeline 2026-03-18 → ledger ↩↩

  83. Government Executive: Housing finance agency chief moves to slash watchdog’s budget, leading Democrats to demand his resignation · Timeline 2026-09-30 → ledger ↩↩↩

  84. Government Executive: Housing finance agency chief moves to slash watchdog’s budget, leading Democrats to demand his resignation · Timeline 2026-10-01 → ledger ↩

  85. CREW: hold Bedford accountable (May 19, 2026) · Timeline 2026-05-19 → ledger ↩↩

  86. CREW: CIGIE must investigate D’Esposito · Timeline 2026-04-08 → ledger ↩

  87. Reuters: Pakistan to partner with WLF · NYT: Trump, Pakistan deals · Timeline 2026-01-14 → ledger ↩

  88. CREW: White House must reveal Kushner’s conflicts (Mar 11, 2026) · Timeline 2026-02-19 → ledger ↩

  89. CREW: White House must reveal Kushner’s conflicts (Mar 11, 2026) · Timeline 2026-03-11 → ledger ↩

  90. CREW: DOJ IG should investigate Patel’s Olympics trip · Timeline 2026-02-24 → ledger ↩↩

  91. Sen. Peter Welch: Welch, Blumenthal, Schiff demand answers from DHS over new reporting on Noem’s luxury jet purchases · Dakota News Now: Report: Kristi Noem bought jets at marked-up prices on last day leading DHS · HuffPost: Kristi Noem spent her last day at DHS buying 5 extremely overpriced jets from a donor: report · Timeline 2026-10-04 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  92. Sen. Peter Welch: Welch, Blumenthal, Schiff demand answers from DHS over new reporting on Noem’s luxury jet purchases · Timeline 2026-10-09 → ledger ↩↩

  93. Seattle Red: Watchdog rips ex-Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer · Congress.net: Inspector General report brands former Labor Secretary’s office “toxic and humiliating” · Timeline 2026-09-03 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  94. CREW: DOT watchdog should investigate Duffy’s promotion of his wife’s book · Timeline 2026-07-07 → ledger ↩↩

  95. Independent: Patel cancels trip for urgent White House meeting · Timeline 2026-07-10 → ledger ↩

  96. CREW: Trump appointee reportedly demanded special firefighting treatment (Aug 17, 2026) · Timeline 2026-08-17 → ledger ↩↩↩

  97. SAN: Trump earns $57M from crypto firm, financial disclosures show · Fortune: White House report suggests Trump’s crypto empire could be worth nearly $1 billion · NBC News: Trump’s financial disclosures reveal tens of millions in income from guitars, Bibles and watches · Timeline 2025-06-13 → ledger ↩↩

  98. CBS News: GOP Sen. Josh Hawley and Democrats vote to advance congressional stock trading ban · Timeline 2025-07-30 → ledger ↩

  99. NBC News: Trump bought more than $100 million in bonds since January, filings show · Al Jazeera: Trump has bought more than $100m in bonds in office, disclosure shows · Timeline 2025-08-19 → ledger ↩↩

  100. CNBC: Trump buys at least $82 million in bonds since late August, financial disclosures show · Timeline 2025-11-15 → ledger ↩↩

  101. Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo Finance: Trump bought Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery bonds in days after megadeal was announced · OGE: Trump Form 278-T dated Jan 14, 2026 · Timeline 2026-01-15 → ledger ↩↩↩

  102. Spectrum News: Trump’s call for Congress stock ban draws bipartisan support · Timeline 2026-02-24 → ledger ↩

  103. OGE: Trump Form 278-T dated Feb 26, 2026 (part 1) · OGE: Trump Form 278-T dated Feb 26, 2026 (part 2) · Timeline 2026-03-04 → ledger ↩↩

  104. NBC: Trump ethics filing reveals thousands of trades · CBS News via Yahoo: Explore Trump’s 3,600 stock trades · OGE: Trump periodic transaction report, May 8, 2026 (PDF) · Timeline 2026-05-14 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  105. ABC7: Trump made $1B from crypto, disclosure shows · CNBC: Trump, Republicans and the congressional stock-trading ban · Timeline 2026-06-30 → ledger ↩

  106. Common Dreams: Trump touted 20+ corporations days after buying their stock · Newser: Report: Trump praised firms after buying stock · BeInCrypto via Yahoo News: Trump praised over 20 companies on Truth Social after buying their stock, CNN finds · Timeline 2026-07-16 → ledger ↩

  107. Roll Call: Congressional stock-trading bill passes the House · Rep. Steil: House passes Steil’s congressional stock trading ban · Fortune: The House just passed a stock trading bill that exempts Trump’s 3,600 Q1 trades · Timeline 2026-07-22 → ledger ↩↩

  108. Sen. Warren: Warren, Garcia press Trump on thousands of stock trades · CNBC: Democrats demand Trump reveal stock managers, explain suspicious trades · MS NOW: Questions about corruption and Trump’s financial dealings linger · Timeline 2026-08-12 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  109. Quartz via Yahoo Finance: Trump June stock disclosure, 1,000+ trades worth up to $263M · CNBC: Republicans to tout congressional stock-trading ban at midterm convention as Trump trades · Timeline 2026-08-22 → ledger ↩↩

  110. CBS News: Trump’s oil and gas stock trades continued during Iran war, filings show · Timeline 2026-08-29 → ledger ↩↩

  111. Newser: Trump’s 29K stock trades outpace all of Congress · Truthout: Since 2025, Trump made more stock trades than all 535 Congress members combined · Democracy Now!: Bloomberg: Trump made nearly 28,700 stock trades in 17 months · Timeline 2026-09-16 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  112. WHAM/Sinclair: Senate Democrats block bill restricting Congress members from trading stocks · White House: Democrats unanimously vote against the Stop Insider Trading Act · Timeline 2026-09-30 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  113. GovInfo: Pub. L. 112-105, Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012 (§ 9(b)) legal authority ↩

  114. Cornell LII: 5 U.S.C. § 13105 — Contents of reports (§ 13105(l), periodic transaction reports) legal authority ↩

  115. Cornell LII: 5 C.F.R. § 2634.704 — Late filing fee legal authority ↩

  116. CNN: The Trump administration can’t stop shilling for Tesla · Timeline 2025-03-20 → ledger ↩

  117. CNBC: Lutnick urges “buy Tesla” · CNN: The Trump administration can’t stop shilling for Tesla · Timeline 2025-03-28 → ledger ↩↩↩

  118. ABC News: DOJ opens criminal investigation of Cook · Timeline 2025-09-04 → ledger ↩↩

  119. House Oversight Democrats: letter to Hegseth (Mar 31, 2026) (PDF) · Timeline 2026-03-31 → ledger ↩↩

  120. EFF: Victory! 702 has expired · Timeline 2026-06-12 → ledger ↩↩↩↩

  121. CNBC: Treasury Secretary Bessent says he has divested his soybean farm · Timeline 2025-12-07 → ledger ↩↩

  122. The MoCo Show: Maryland federal judge allows child sexual abuse lawsuit against WWE and McMahons to move forward · Inside Higher Ed: McMahon dealt legal blow in ring boys case · Timeline 2026-10-19 → ledger ↩↩

  123. CBS News: DOJ investigating Trump ally Corey Lewandowski over role at DHS, sources say · NBC Washington (NBC News): DHS watchdog refers its Corey Lewandowski investigation to Justice Department for review · Timeline 2026-10-22 → ledger ↩↩↩