Money, Money, Money
Pay-to-Play Politics in 2025/2026
Amid a Flood of Money Being Reported (& More Not Reported)
How’s ‘Cleaning the Swamp’ Doing in These Current Times of Trump ?
What happened to all the campaign promises to ‘Drain the Swamp’ ?
By Anne Applebaum
Kleptocracy, Inc. (1)
Kleptocracy Inc. (2)
Kleptocracy Tracker Timeline
A Project at Johns Hopkins
* https://www.linkedin.com/company/snfagora?trk=public_post_reshare-text
Follow along … Visit ‘The Kleptocracy Tracker’, a public log of political decisions that benefit private interests. Developed by journalist and SNF Agora Senior Fellow Anne Applebaum, the project builds on her reporting in The Atlantic to document a shift in American governance. Financial conflicts of interest are no longer hidden. They are accepted, promoted, and sometimes celebrated.
The timeline records actions taken by President Trump and his administration that raise concerns about the erosion of democratic norms. These include foreign-sponsored events at Trump-owned properties, regulatory changes by federal agencies, and business ventures involving the president’s family. Together, these entries point to a pattern: the use of public office to advance private gain.
In the article that launched the Klep project, “Kleptocracy, Inc.” (see links above), Applebaum called it the ‘way it is’…. It certainly is historic.
The numbers and legalities are material for those tracking the numbers. The scope of work of the Johns Hopkins Project does seem to be trending up, and up…
June 2026
Re: a NYT reported $1.6B Kazakhstan Mining Deal
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/ny-times-bombshell-details-trump-102257627.html
“The only special interest guiding the Trump administration’s decision-making is the best interest of the American people,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said. “Securing and reshoring America’s critical supply chains has been a top priority for President Trump, and Secretary Lutnick along with the rest of the administration continue to take historic action to safeguard America’s national and economic security.”
$4 billion in deals for the Trump family since the beginning of the 2025 presidency?
Crypto – Oil/Gas Middle East Investments into new Trump family companies – $3B
Persian Gulf – Trump branded real estate deals – $425M
Quatari-contributed jumbo jet -$150M
Trump name branding/licensing/merchandising – $128M (est)
Corporate deals (aggregated) – approx. $90B +
American Kleptocracy Clearinghouse
Rep. Mike Levin provides a tidy summing up of the tidal $$$ rush
