Today, Donald Trump signed an executive order formally creating a fraud task force led by “fraud czar” JD Vance. As Vance takes on his new role and tries to distance himself from the administration’s unpopular war of choice with Iran, he is conveniently turning a blind eye to the rampant pay-to-play politics, and self-enrichment happening in the White House. 

Trump’s wealth increased by $1.4 billion in his first year back in office to a total of $6.5 billion, largely due to crypto deals. Trump and his family have collectively pocketed $2.25 billion through shady business dealings, corrupt oligarchs, and foreign payments. While Trump rakes in cash, he is demanding American taxpayers add to his windfall by suing the IRS for $10 billion.

In response, DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement:

“JD Vance’s first job as ‘fraud czar’ should be investigating Donald Trump and his family for the billions of dollars they have made off of the presidency, including the favors, pardons, and government positions bought by Trump’s wealthy friends, and the dropped investigations into powerful corporate elites after massive donations to the Trumps. The American people, regardless of party affiliation, want our government to take on real fraudsters, not abuse the office of the presidency to enrich themselves and go after their political enemies.”  

Here are just some examples of pay-to-play politics and self-enrichment happening right under Vance’s nose that should be his first priority: 

• Trump has paused investigations into companies and billionaires who have enriched his family and businesses, including securities fraud cases and investigations into crypto billionaires who infused over $1 billion into Trump-owned crypto ventures. 
• The administration has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into companies linked to Trump’s children, including at least four portfolio companies of Donald Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital.
  • Don Jr. and Eric Trump are also partners at the fund American Ventures, which is backing drone makers as the Pentagon aims to spend around $1 billion on related technology over the next two years.
• The White House has also made suspicious deals with Saudi Arabian officials after the country conveniently invested billions in Trump family ventures, and recklessly gave the UAE access to U.S. chips after a UAE royal family member invested $2 billion in the Trumps’ crypto firm. 
• Trump accepted a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar — possibly the biggest foreign gift ever — and plans to retrofit it at taxpayer expense for use as Air Force One.
• Trump has pardoned numerous donors convicted of financial crimes after they, or someone close to them, made massive donations to Trump’s organizations. 
• Trump’s disgraced Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem directed $220 million in taxpayer dollars for an ad campaign that heavily featured Noem, including money that went to a firm run by the department’s former spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin’s husband. Noem also directed $172 million for two private jets, $2.4 million for gold-detailed ICE vehicles, $700,000 for tricked-out ICE trucks, and $120,000 for Mustangs for ICE as Noem “systematically reduced” access to funding for natural disaster prevention programs.  
• Trump and Elon Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” generated at least $21.7 billion in wasteful spending, and was forced to rehire hundreds of the employees it fired.

Meanwhile, Trump and Vance’s signature legislative achievement sells out working families to pay for massive tax cuts for rich and powerful elites. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill is the largest wealth transfer from low-income and middle-income Americans to the ultra-wealthy. The cost of the tax cuts in the bill is 10 times higher than the cost of permanently extending the ACA tax credits that 20 million everyday Americans relied on, which Republicans refused to extend after they also cut $1 trillion from Medicaid.