Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• FBI recorded Tom Homan accepting $50,000 in cash from undercover agents; Trump administration closed investigation — The FBI recorded Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, accepting $50,000 in cash from undercover agents posing as business contractors on September 20, 2024, allegedly in exchange for promises to secure government contracts in the border security industry. Federal officials under the Biden administration had planned to monitor whether Homan would follow through after his appointment. However, after Trump took office, officials appointed by Trump reviewed and closed the investigation, with FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stating no credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing was found.
• Tom Homan investigation into bribery closed by Trump DOJ — The New York Times reported that Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, was recorded in September 2024 accepting a bag containing $50,000 in cash during an undercover FBI investigation. The cash was provided by undercover agents posing as businessmen seeking government contracts related to border security. After Trump took office, DOJ officials shut down the investigation. Emil Bove, a former Trump personal attorney now serving as a federal appeals court judge, expressed skepticism about the case.
• FBI closed investigation into Tom Homan bribery allegations — FBI agents caught Tom Homan, now Trump's "border czar," on video accepting $50,000 in cash from agents posing as business executives after he promised he could help them win government contracts for border enforcement in a second Trump administration. The FBI and Justice Department initially waited to see whether Homan would provide the aid he offered once he joined the new administration. The case stalled when Trump took office, and after FBI director Kash Patel requested a status update, Trump appointees officially closed the investigation. When asked about it, the White House, Justice Department, and FBI dismissed the investigation as politically motivated and baseless.

Supporting reports

• Erik Siebert resigns as US Attorney after Trump pressure — Erik Siebert, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, resigned on September 19 after facing pressure from Trump to file charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Siebert's predecessor had concluded there was insufficient probable cause to charge Comey.
• US attorney Erik Siebert resigns after Trump demands his removal for failing to indict political rival — Erik Siebert, US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, resigned Friday after his office concluded there was insufficient evidence to charge New York attorney general Letitia James with mortgage fraud. Trump publicly demanded Siebert's removal, claiming James was "very guilty of something" despite the investigation's findings. Trump later claimed he "fired" Siebert. The investigation, led under pressure from Trump ally Ed Martin, centered on allegations James misrepresented a Virginia home purchase; evidence showed conflicting intent but no clear criminal conduct.
• Trump administration fires US Attorney Erik Siebert after he declined to prosecute NY AG Letitia James on mortgage fraud charges lacking evidence — President Trump directed the firing of US Attorney Erik Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia after federal prosecutors found no clear evidence that NY Attorney General Letitia James committed mortgage fraud in her 2023 home purchase. Trump officials had pressured Siebert to bring criminal charges despite the absence of incriminating evidence. Siebert's last day was expected to be September 19, 2025. The firing threatens operational continuity at a major US attorney's office handling espionage and terrorism cases and raises concerns about weaponization of the DOJ against political adversaries.
• Erik Siebert resigned as interim U.S. attorney — Interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert resigned on Friday night following Trump's public demand for his removal. Siebert had declined to prosecute Trump's political opponents despite Trump's pressure.
• U.S. Attorney Erik Seibert resigns after refusing to indict Comey — Erik Seibert, the career prosecutor serving as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Maryland, resigned on September 19, 2025, after determining in September that there was insufficient evidence to indict former FBI Director James Comey. Seibert's resignation came under pressure from President Trump, who demanded the Justice Department indict Comey and others.
• Trump demanded removal of interim U.S. attorney Erik Siebert — Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he wanted interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Erik Siebert "out" after Siebert declined to prosecute New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully sued the Trump Organization for fraud, for allegedly committing mortgage fraud. Siebert also declined to prosecute former FBI director James Comey for allegedly lying to Congress. Siebert was Trump's own pick and had won support from both the Virginia Republican Party and Virginia's Democratic senators.

Supporting reports

• Director of National Intelligence revokes security clearance of ex-CIA officer Joel Willett — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard revoked the security clearance of Joel Willett, a former CIA officer, as part of a purge targeting 37 current and former intelligence officials. Gabbard accused those targeted of "politicizing and manipulating intelligence" but provided no supporting evidence. Willett subsequently announced his candidacy for Kentucky's U.S. Senate seat as a Democratic candidate, characterizing the clearance revocation as a "nakedly political act that is intended to silence dissent" occurring two weeks after his name surfaced as a potential candidate.

Supporting reports

• Federal Housing Finance Director's criminal referral against Lisa Cook unraveling — A criminal referral from Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, which was being used to justify an attempt to fire her by Trump, appears to be falling apart. A loan estimate for an Atlanta home purchased by Cook shows she declared the property as a "vacation home," contradicting claims that she committed mortgage fraud by reporting two different homes as her primary residence. The loan documents also contained language stating the primary residence stipulation exists "unless Lender otherwise agrees in writing."

Supporting reports

• Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte's relatives claimed primary residence tax exemptions for two homes in different states — Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, used documents to accuse Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud. Reuters reported that Pulte's own father and stepmother claimed primary residence tax exemptions for two homes in different states. When this was reported, one of the towns where they reside removed their primary residence exemption and charged them for back taxes.

Supporting reports

• Three former FBI agents filed lawsuit against Kash Patel — Three former FBI agents filed a lawsuit against FBI Director Kash Patel portraying him as a "partisan neophyte more interested in social media and swag" than professional law enforcement, occurring on the same day Patel mishandled the Kirk shooting investigation.
• Three former FBI officials sue Kash Patel for wrongful termination over Trump investigations — Three senior FBI officials—Brian Driscoll Jr., Steven Jensen, and Spencer Evans—filed a federal lawsuit in Washington DC against FBI Director Kash Patel and the federal government, alleging wrongful termination and unlawful political influence. The complaint alleges Patel stated he was instructed by the White House to fire agents who worked on Trump investigations, and that Emil Bove pressured officials to compile lists of agents involved in January 6 investigations. The officials seek reinstatement, backpay, and a declaration that their firings were illegal.
• Three former FBI officials sued Patel and DOJ for politicizing the FBI — Three former top officials at the FBI filed a lawsuit against FBI Director Patel, the FBI, Attorney General Bondi, the Department of Justice, and the president, accusing them of unlawfully politicizing the FBI and purging anyone who had ever worked on a criminal investigation of Trump. The lawsuit suggests Bongino had an "intense focus on [using] his social media profiles to change his followers' perceptions of the FBI."
• FBI director and deputy director focused on social media rather than investigation — FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, both MAGA influencers without law enforcement experience, appeared to prioritize social media activity over the investigation into Kirk's shooting. Hours after the shooting, Patel's personal social media account posted a picture of himself and Kirk; minutes later, Patel's official FBI account posted conflicting updates about the suspect's custody status. Both officials appeared focused more on posting than conducting investigative work.

Supporting reports

• Department of Justice reverses position on voting rights cases under Attorney General Pam Bondi — Under Attorney General Pam Bondi, the U.S. Department of Justice has reversed its position on numerous voting rights cases, including Louisiana v. Callais. The reversal signals a shift away from federal enforcement of voting-rights protections and aligns the DOJ with conservative legal arguments attacking the Voting Rights Act.

Supporting reports

• Republicans block release of Epstein files in Rules Committee vote — All eight Republicans on the House Rules Committee voted to block the release of the Epstein files after Trump warned them it would be a "hostile act" to vote for release. The Republicans who voted to block were Virginia Foxx (NC), Michelle Fischbach (MN), Ralph Norman (SC), Chip Roy (TX), Nick Langworthy (NY), Austin Scott (GA), Morgan Griffith (VA), and Brian Jack (GA). Democrats have secured 216 signatures on a discharge petition and expect two special election victories to provide the votes needed to force a floor vote on release.

Supporting reports

• Bill Pulte refers Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook for criminal investigation into alleged mortgage fraud — William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a Trump appointee, referred Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to the Department of Justice for alleged mortgage fraud, claiming she misrepresented her homes as primary residences to secure favorable rates. The DOJ opened a criminal investigation and issued subpoenas. Cook denies wrongdoing, calling discrepancies a clerical error. Former officials and experts called Pulte's direct involvement "bizarre," as criminal referrals typically originate from the FHFA's inspector general office, not the agency director.
• Housing Finance Agency director targeted Democrat with mortgage fraud allegations — Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte, who has been targeting Democrats with flimsy mortgage fraud allegations, posted that Federal Reserve Board member Dr. Lisa Cook obtained bank loans with "lower than allowed" interest rates while serving on the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's academic advisory council. Economist Justin Wolfers responded that Pulte's claim was dishonest: Cook was asked to give macroeconomic advice to an academic advisory council, not to set interest rates, and the Chicago Fed does not set rates.
• Trump administration officials accused Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud based on documents later shown to be inaccurate — President Trump sought to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook by alleging she committed mortgage fraud by claiming two homes as primary residences to obtain lower interest rates. Reuters reported that documents show Cook actually designated the Georgia property as a "vacation home" to her lender, and standardized forms were overridden by her personal application specifying it as a second home. Cook never claimed a primary residence tax exemption for the Georgia property and referred to it officially as a "2nd home." The allegations appear to be false.

Supporting reports

• DOJ official recorded discussing selective redaction of Epstein files — Joseph Schnitt, Acting Deputy Chief at the DOJ, was recorded on hidden camera by an operative associated with James O'Keefe discussing the handling of Epstein files. According to the video, Schnitt stated that files would be redacted to remove names of Republicans and conservatives while leaving Democratic names visible, suggesting partisan manipulation of sensitive investigative materials.
• James O'Keefe released video of DOJ official making statements about Ghislaine Maxwell — Right-wing activist James O'Keefe released a video showing Joseph Schnitt, the Department of Justice's acting deputy chief of special operations, stating that convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell was moved to a minimum security prison because the government is "offering her something to keep her mouth shut." Schnitt also told an undercover journalist that the Epstein files exist and that before release, the government will "redact every Republican and conservative person in those files and leave all the liberal, Democratic people."

Supporting reports

• DOJ official recorded discussing selective redaction of Epstein files — Joseph Schnitt, Acting Deputy Chief at the DOJ, was recorded on hidden camera by an operative associated with James O'Keefe discussing the handling of Epstein files. According to the video, Schnitt stated that files would be redacted to remove names of Republicans and conservatives while leaving Democratic names visible, suggesting partisan manipulation of sensitive investigative materials.

Supporting reports

• Trump publicly demands prosecution of political rivals including Letitia James — In a September post on Truth Social addressed to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Trump wrote: "What about Comey, Adam 'Shifty' Schiff, Leticia [sic]??? They're all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done. We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility." The statement explicitly demands prosecution of named political opponents and reflects Trump's stated intent to use the Department of Justice to punish rivals.

Supporting reports

• Trump attempts to remove Federal Reserve governor and other non-appointed officials — Trump is attempting to remove dozens of personnel he did not appoint, including a Federal Reserve governor, a top official at the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, prosecutors who investigated him, and leaders across the government including the National Archivist.
• Trump installs second deputy at FBI after souring on first — The White House installed a second deputy at the FBI after becoming dissatisfied with the first, continuing a pattern of rapid personnel changes across agencies.
• Trump pressures Treasury secretary to fire agency's second-in-command — Trump pushed his Treasury secretary to fire the agency's second-in-command, demonstrating continued pressure on cabinet officials to remove personnel who may not align with administration priorities.
• Trump removes acting FEMA administrator over disagreement on agency's continued existence — The White House removed the acting FEMA administrator after he stated the agency should continue to exist, contradicting others in the administration.
• Trump removes IRS director after two months over Treasury Department clash — Trump replaced the head of the IRS less than two months into the job because appointee Billy Long clashed with officials at the Treasury Department. This removal is part of a broader pattern of Trump firing appointees and career officials across multiple agencies.
• Trump removes two DOJ antitrust officials over alleged deal-making with lobbyists — Two top DOJ antitrust officials were removed from their roles after clashing with senior officials at the agency. They accused their colleagues of cutting deals with favored lobbyists. One of the removed officials has publicly questioned the integrity of other DOJ officials.
• Department of Justice launched criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — The Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into Lisa Cook, a governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve, for allegedly committing mortgage fraud by claiming two separate properties as her primary residence. Pro Publica reported that three Trump Cabinet members—Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin—have engaged in the same conduct but face no investigation.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired CDC director Susan Monarez — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired newly confirmed CDC Director Susan Monarez after she refused to preapprove recommendations from a vaccine advisory panel that Kennedy had stacked with anti-vaccine advocates. This action followed Kennedy's earlier purges of thousands of CDC advisors and staffers who did not share his opposition to vaccines.
• Trump fires Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — President Trump removed Lisa Cook from her position as a Federal Reserve governor. This action raised concerns about central bank independence, as it represents part of a broader pattern of Trump's attacks on the Federal Reserve's autonomy. Trump's nominee to replace Cook stated he would respect Fed independence, but the removal itself signals potential politicization of monetary policy.

Supporting reports

• Trump directs DOJ to investigate ActBlue, Democratic fundraising platform — President Trump ordered the Department of Justice to investigate ActBlue, an online portal that has raised hundreds of millions in small-dollar donations for Democratic candidates over two decades. The investigation targets a Democratic fundraising tool while Trump's appointees have not similarly investigated WinRed, the Republican equivalent. This action represents a direct use of federal prosecutorial power to disadvantage the opposing party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Supporting reports

• Trump directs FHFA head Pulte to publicly accuse Democratic opponents of mortgage fraud and demand Cook's resignation from Federal Reserve — Bill Pulte, appointed by Trump to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has publicly accused New York Attorney General Letitia James, California Senator Adam Schiff, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook of owner-occupancy mortgage fraud via social media and referrals to the Department of Justice. Trump has demanded Cook resign and threatened to fire her if she does not step down. Cook, the first Black woman appointed to the Fed, denies the allegations and states she will not be "bullied" into resigning. The accusations remain unverified.
• Sen. Adam Schiff accused Trump administration of mortgage-based political persecution — Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), who is being criminally investigated after a referral from Bill Pulte, stated that the Trump administration's use of mortgage investigations against political opponents is "patently false" and that Pulte is "essentially doing the president's bidding." Schiff stated that "Mortgage is their new weapon to go after their critics" and that the administration will "manufacture anything to go after their critics."
• Trump administration weaponized Federal Housing Finance Agency against political opponents — The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration weaponized the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to investigate mortgage records of political opponents. Bill Pulte, a homebuilder heir appointed to lead the agency overseeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, initiated probes into mortgages of prominent Democrats and a Biden-appointed Federal Reserve official. Pulte partnered Fannie Mae with Palantir, a data analysis firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, and took an unusually active role at both firms.
• Bill Pulte weaponized Federal Housing Finance Agency to investigate Democrats for mortgage fraud — Bill Pulte, Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, weaponized the typically low-key, non-political agency to open investigations of Democrats for alleged mortgage fraud. Pulte made a criminal referral against Senator Adam Schiff and others, and provided the justification for Trump's attempted firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, citing mortgage fraud concerns. Pulte posted on social media that "fraud will not be tolerated in President Trump's housing market."

Supporting reports

• Trump threatens investigation of Chris Christie — Trump threatened to investigate former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie over the 2013 "Bridgegate" scandal after Christie criticized Trump's views on separation of powers during an ABC News interview. The threat represents potential retaliation for political criticism.

Supporting reports

• DOJ investigates former intelligence officials — The Department of Justice launched investigations into former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, alleging they made false statements to Congress regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. This move is part of a broader effort to undermine the credibility of intelligence agencies that have scrutinized Trump's actions.
• Attorney General Bondi launched criminal investigations into political opponents — Trump loyalist Attorney General Pam Bondi initiated criminal investigations into Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. The investigations were based on allegations of mortgage fraud made by William Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. All three targets have denied the allegations. The investigations follow a pattern of targeting Trump's political opponents and critics.
• DOJ launched investigations into Comey and Brennan — The Department of Justice launched investigations of former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan, alleging they made false statements to Congress regarding the investigation into Russian operatives' attempts to assist Trump's 2016 campaign. The investigations represent a continuation of Trump's focus on the Russia investigation.

Supporting reports

• Trump acknowledged potential involvement in Bolton raid — When asked whether he knew about the FBI raid on John Bolton ahead of time or had involvement, Trump stated: "I could know about it. I could be the one starting it. I'm actually the chief law enforcement officer." The statement suggests potential presidential direction or knowledge of law enforcement action against a political critic.

Supporting reports

• DOJ delays full release of Epstein Files to House Oversight Committee — The Department of Justice announced it would provide selected Epstein Files documents incrementally over time rather than delivering the full set to the House Oversight Committee as scheduled. Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-CA) stated the committee demanded complete compliance with its bipartisan subpoena and called partial, handpicked productions "wholly insufficient and potentially misleading." Garcia also disputed Chairman James Comer's characterization of former AG Bill Barr's deposition testimony regarding Trump's connection to Epstein.
• DOJ transmitted first batch of Epstein documents to House Oversight Committee — The Department of Justice handed over the initial batch of Epstein-related documents to the House Oversight Committee. The DOJ is employing a piecemeal approach to document transmission. The House Oversight Committee stated its intention to make records public after thorough review to redact victims' identities and child sexual abuse material, and to consult with DOJ to ensure released documents do not negatively impact ongoing criminal cases.
• House Oversight Committee received incomplete Epstein files from DOJ — The Department of Justice sent the House Oversight Committee its first tranche of Epstein-related files in response to a congressional subpoena on Friday. House Oversight Ranking Member Robert Garcia stated that only 3% of the 33,000 pages contained new information; the remainder were already in the public domain. Garcia alleged the White House, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Speaker Mike Johnson were engaged in a "massive cover-up" by withholding the full unredacted client list and information about those involved in Epstein's crimes, instead releasing documents in limited tranches.

Supporting reports

• Ed Martin demands New York AG Letitia James resign — The New York Times reported that Ed Martin, Trump's "weaponization czar" who was recently selected by the DOJ to investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James, sent a letter to her lawyer last week in which he said that her resignation would be considered an "act of good faith" and "best serve the good of the state and nation." While James' lawyer didn't directly respond to calls for her client to resign, she wrote a letter to the DOJ calling Martin's visit to James' apartment last week a "truly bizarre, made-for-media stunt" that is "outside the bounds of DOJ and ethics rules."

Supporting reports

• Tulsi Gabbard revokes security clearances of 37 intelligence officials — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that, at Trump's direction, the agency is revoking the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials, several of whom were involved in an assessment ordered by then-President Barack Obama involving Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Gabbard accused the officials of "abus[ing] the public trust by politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards."

Supporting reports

• Chattah accuses Nevada senators of corruption without evidence — Sigal Chattah, interim U.S. attorney for Nevada, accused Nevada's Democratic U.S. senators Catherine Cortez-Masto and Jacky Rosen of committing corruption without providing evidence. She made cryptic references to bodies being buried, stating, "You know, a lot of these people, I know that they're scared because I know where a lot of the bodies are buried because I come from the defense world" and "Sometimes we even choose the location to bury them."

Supporting reports

• Essayli pressures subordinates to pursue MAGA-aligned cases — Bill Essayli, interim U.S. attorney for Los Angeles, has repeatedly pressured his subordinates in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's Office to pursue cases aligned with Trump's political agenda despite warnings of insufficient evidence, according to reporting by Bloomberg Law.
• Sarcone publicly confirms DOJ investigation into New York Attorney General James — John Sarcone III, interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, publicly confirmed the DOJ's investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of Trump's foremost political adversaries. While confirming the probe, Sarcone disparaged James by accusing her of being improper, unprofessional, and unethical. This public confirmation appeared to violate internal DOJ policies regarding commentary on ongoing investigations.

Supporting reports

• DOJ issues subpoenas to New York attorney general Letitia James — The Department of Justice issued two subpoenas to New York Attorney General Letitia James. One subpoena relates to the civil fraud case James's office brought against Trump, which resulted in a $500 million judgment against the president. The second concerns James's investigation into the National Rifle Association. NBC News reported the government's cases focus on whether James deprived Trump and the NRA of legal rights in civil lawsuits. James's lawyer characterized the action as political retaliation and weaponization of the DOJ.

Supporting reports

• Ed Martin appointed special counsel to investigate Letitia James — Ed Martin, whose nomination for DC U.S. Attorney was withdrawn due to lack of Senate confirmation prospects, was appointed as special counsel to lead a criminal investigation of New York Attorney General Letitia James for allegedly depriving Trump and NRA President Wayne LaPierre of civil rights in separate prosecutions, and to investigate Senator Adam Schiff for alleged mortgage fraud.
• Federal prosecutors investigate New York Attorney General Letitia James — Federal prosecutors opened an investigation into the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, focusing on whether her civil suits against Trump, his businesses, and the National Rifle Association constituted deprivation of legal rights under color of law. James's office responded that any weaponization of the justice system should concern all Americans and reaffirmed confidence in its litigation.