Trump Administration Drops Enforcement Cases Against Corporations That Funded Inauguration

A late-April 2025 analysis by watchdog group Public Citizen found the Trump administration had dropped or paused federal enforcement actions against at least 17 corporations that had donated to Trump's inaugural committee. More broadly, the group found companies facing 102 ongoing federal enforcement actions at inauguration time had given a combined $57 million to the inaugural fund, and dozens of those actions were halted or dropped within Trump's first 100 days.

Examples included Ripple Labs, which had faced a $1.95 billion SEC penalty demand but settled for $125 million after donating nearly $4.9 million to the inauguration, and Google, which donated $1 million and later benefited from a narrowed antitrust remedy.

The administration denied any quid pro quo and defended the decisions as lawful regulatory discretion. Ethics groups said the pattern, even without proof of explicit deals, corrodes public trust by suggesting donations can buy favorable treatment from federal regulators.