Eric Petry

How does Trump’s extraordinary self-enrichment since retaking office compare to historic instances of political corruption?

To learn more, read our latest Money in Politics Roundup: 1/3 bit.ly/3MSYmBN

Nine Solutions for Political Corruption A new era of anticorruption reform is long overdue.

The need for a new approach has never been clearer. Americans know the status quo isn't working. It's time for Congress to rein in corruption and build a government that works for everyone, not just the connected few.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

While these financial entanglements may not be illegal on their face because of loopholes in federal ethics laws, Trump has enriched himself financially on a scale unlike anything in U.S. history.

President Trump is using the White House to personally profit unlike any other president in U.S. history. The increase in his net worth in just the last year -- $3 billion -- is more than the total combined amount involved in the most notable American corruption scandals since the 1860s.

Money in Politics Roundup — February 2026 These stories on campaign finance and influence peddling are shaping the midterms.

Our new new Money in Politics Roundup explores the Trump administration's unprecedented profiteering and the key campaign finance stories shaping the midterms.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Money in Politics Roundup — February 2026 These stories on campaign finance and influence peddling are shaping the midterms.

In our new Money in Politics Roundup, we dig into Trump's $3 billion in profiteering last year, the midterm races where spending is heating up, potential changes in the law for better or worse, and more! www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Important point just now in the NRSC v. FEC argument: the Court's assumptions and predictions in past campaign finance cases have turned out to be wrong in practice. That's a big reason why Citizens United and other decisions have caused such harmful consequences for American politics.

Stronger Parties, Stronger Democracy: Rethinking Reform The Brennan Center considers whether relaxing certain campaign finance regulations in order to direct political money back into the official party organizations can help strengthen American democracy.

Discussion in NRSC v. FEC keeps returning to how the rise of super PACs has harmed parties. That's clearly true and underscores the need for reform, including ways to strengthen parties. But that's a job for Congress.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

The justices' questions in NRSC v. FEC about future challenges to other campaign finance laws highlights why this is an issue for Congress to address. Money in politics is a complex problem with many facets. But courts consider these laws in isolation.

Interesting to see the justices in the NRSC oral argument press Noel Francisco on future challenges to campaign finance law. This is making explicit how the dynamic at the Court works. Each law is considered in isolation, but the reality it’s a progressive chipping away of the rules.

Dark Money Hit a Record High of $1.9 Billion in 2024 Federal Races Spending by groups that do not disclose their donors has increased and become harder to trace.

Exhibit A: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Powerful point from Justice Sotomayor in today’s oral argument in NRSC v. FEC: “every time we tinker with Congress’s design [for campaign finance law] we make things worse. Indeed.

National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission The Brennan Center and Steptoe LLP filed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to reject the petitioners’ argument that limits on coordinated party expenditures violate the First Amendment.

NRSC v. FEC, happening now: Important point from Justice Sotomayor that the Court's interventions in campaign finance cases have caused more harm than good. Exactly right! As the Brennan Center argued in our amicus brief.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

NRSC v. FEC, happening now: Justice Alito asks who is helped and who is hurt by party coordinated spending limits. That's an important policy question, but it's for Congress to consider, not the courts! It does not weigh on constitutional analysis under the First Amendment.

NRSC v. FEC, happening now: Challengers say donors don't "launder" candidate contributions through parties because it's easier to write a massive check to a super PAC. Corruption is still corruption, even if there are easier paths for corruption.

Supreme Court Poised to Take Another Swipe at Campaign Finance Law Congress, not the Supreme Court, should make the rules for political party fundraising.

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a challenge to campaign finance rules aimed at guarding against political corruption. @eepetry.bsky.social explains what’s at stake:

These consequences of the Court's interventions show why judges are poorly suited to evaluating the complex policy considerations involved in regulating campaign spending. Lawmakers are much better suited to the task, and it's time for Congress to act!

Supreme Court Poised to Take Another Swipe at Campaign Finance Law Congress, not the Supreme Court, should make the rules for political party fundraising.

The Supreme Court's track record in campaign finance cases since Citizens United has been the explosion of dark money, super PAC corruption, and cratering confidence in American democracy.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

How Congress Can Rein in Surging Political Corruption Federal lawmakers can protect the American public by passing a new law to fully implement the Constitution’s oldest anticorruption safeguards.

President Trump has already made well over $1B off the presidency in his 2d term. Many of the deals he is profiting from appear to violate the Constitution’s foreign and domestic emoluments clauses. But Congress needs to codify them. Our new paper explains how: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

How Congress Can Rein in Surging Political Corruption Federal lawmakers can protect the American public by passing a new law to fully implement the Constitution’s oldest anticorruption safeguards.

Corruption is hardly a new problem, but the abuses taking place now are unlike anything seen in generations. Here’s what Congress can do about it: bit.ly/43MmpHM

Codifying the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses To prevent corruption, the Constitution prohibits the president and other officials from receiving untoward benefits. Congress, however, must take action to enable enforcement.

To prevent corruption, the Constitution prohibits the president and other officials from receiving benefits from outside influences. However, Congress must act to ensure these provisions are enforceable. Our latest report offers recommendations for reform. bit.ly/3XdgCaq

State Legislatures Can Push Back Against Citizens United State lawmakers can fight the influence of big money in politics by passing trigger laws that would go into effect if the Supreme Court’s misguided ruling is reversed.

A strategy that helped antiabortion activists in their quest to overturn Roe v. Wade could also work for campaign finance reform: enacting state "trigger laws" that challenge the legitimacy of Citizens United. bit.ly/3Xsczat

State Legislatures Can Push Back Against Citizens United State lawmakers can fight the influence of big money in politics by passing trigger laws that would go into effect if the Supreme Court’s misguided ruling is reversed.

There's an underutilized tool states can use to directly challenge Citizens United and build momentum for legal change. My colleague @jayswanson.bsky.social and I write about the potential for trigger laws in our latest piece.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

A number of Trump’s actions in his second term potentially violate the Emoluments Clauses — which bar the president and other federal officials from receiving benefits from foreign governments, as well as federal or state governments. Join us for a Reddit AMA: 

The D.N.C.’s New Leader Seeks to Curb Dark Money Influence in 2028 Primaries

The DISCLOSE Act—which would require dark money groups to disclose contributions of $10k+—passed the House in 2010 and came within one vote of defeating a Republican filibuster. It's since passed the House multiple times in democracy packages. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/u...

My latest with @lisadanetz.bsky.social explaining what we can do to combat political corruption

Corruption in the United States The threat that corruption poses to democracy has never been greater, requiring bold reforms to return power to the American people.

During the Gilded Age, demonstrations and political organizing led to reforms that reduced corporate influence over elections. Today, intense pressure from the public is needed to fight corruption and restore accountability. bit.ly/4mcMsPL

THREAD: This morning, President Trump and members of his cabinet announced a set of sweeping, unprecedented, and unwarranted actions to impose federal control over local policing in Washington, D.C.

Online Ad Spending in 2024 Election Totaled at Least $1.9 Billion The most comprehensive analysis to date shows the scale of political spending on the four largest digital platforms, as well as stark differences in strategy between candidates, parties, and outside g...

NEW: The most comprehensive analysis to date of online political spending in 2024 shows that groups spent at least $1.9 billion, with striking differences in how candidates, parties, and outside groups used their ad dollars.

www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

The question isn’t hypothetical: the president now oversees regulators with power over his own business interests. That’s a structural threat to democratic accountability that Congress can and should fix.