WASHINGTON — Calling President Donald Trump the country’s “grifter in chief,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a new bill on Thursday to stop federal government corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act would allow individuals to file claims to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption and establish an independent bureau to enforce anti-corruption laws.
“This bill is just common sense — a basic, straightforward way to make sure all facets of government serve the people and no one else,” Schumer said at an event hosted by the nonprofit consumer rights advocacy organization Public Citizen. “I’m not going to pretend this legislation’s a panacea. It’s not. But it’s a big, important first step at a time when the public is calling on Congress to act.”
The Senate minority leader from New York is co-introducing the bill with Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla of California, Andy Kim of New Jersey and Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
“The salience of this topic has reached new heights, driven primarily by the unethical and corrupt behavior of this executive branch under Donald Trump,” Public Citizen Co-President Lisa Gilbert said at Thursday’s event.
“This isn’t just an issue of affordability, the buzz word of the day," she said. "It isn’t just an issue of inequality. It’s an issue of the elite using their wealth to lobby, to give campaign contributions, to act corruptly and try to adjust the rules of the game to benefit themselves. And when the worst offender of all is your president, it’s pretty hard to believe that the system could ever be changed.”
The White House had not responded to Spectrum News’ request for comment about the proposed legislation before this story was published.
In June, a federal filing showed Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion through his crypto businesses last year, including more than $500 million from his World Liberty Financial business selling new crypto products and more than $600 million from sales of “meme” coins stamped with his likeness.
Shortly after the filing became public, Trump dismissed concerns that he is profiting from the presidency, saying, “I’m profiting because the stock market is going up. Everybody is profiting."
The White House has repeatedly said Trump put his business in a trust managed by his sons and is not involved in its decisions and that there are no ethics issues to discuss.
“I’m profiting because the stock market is going up. Everybody is profiting. Thank you, President Trump,” he told a reporter on the tarmac before leaving for North Dakota on Wednesday.Forbes estimates Trump’s net worth at $6 billion — up from $2.3 billion in 2024, before he became president.
“Trump’s corruption isn’t a victimless crime,” Schumer said. “As Trump swims in the billions of dollars his family has made off the presidency, Americans are drowning in at least $3,100 in higher costs from the very same policies that are enriching Trump.”
Schumer said his proposed legislation is in response to Americans “crying out for Congress to crack down on this unprecedented corruption … so that we can make sure it never, never happens again.”
A Brennan Center for Justice poll earlier this year found that 92% of all voters, including Republicans, Democrats and independents, believe corruption is a problem in government and politics. The poll found that 81% of voters support the creation of a new federal ethics enforcer.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act has two main goals: to help Americans reclaim money that was stolen from them through government corruption and to create a system to prevent it from happening again, Schumer said.
The bill creates a private right of action that mirrors the False Claims Act — a federal law that prevents companies and individuals from making illegal financial claims against the government.
Schumer said his bill empowers individuals, including state attorneys general, to file a claim to recover money the federal government stole from the public through corruption.
To prevent future government corruption, the bill would also establish guardrails “to ensure that no president, this one or any other one, can ever turn public office into a private fortune again,” Schumer said.
To prevent interference by a president, the anti-corruption bureau would have a self-sustaining funding source to ensure its independence, similar to the Federal Reserve, which is primarily funded through interest on the U.S. government debt it owns. The bill is also designed to prevent a president from dismantling the bureau or firing its commissioners by requiring a panel of judges to appoint temporary replacements, so the bureau never loses its quorum.
“This bill isn’t just about this moment,” Schumer said. “It’s about restoring America’s trust in government long term.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.