Schumer proposes Anti‑Corruption Bureau probing Trump crypto ties

Sen. Chuck Schumer introduced the Anti‑Corruption Bureau Creation Act on Thursday, proposing a federal agency to investigate, enforce and prevent corruption in the executive branch. The bill cites disclosures that President Donald Trump reported more than $2 billion in 2025 earnings, including about $1.4 billion linked to cryptocurrency.

Under the proposal, the bureau would consolidate enforcement powers now spread across several offices. The Federal Election Commission, the Office of Government Ethics and the Office of Special Counsel would be placed ‘under one roof’ within the new agency. The bill would permit private citizens and state officials to seek recovery of funds alleged to have been obtained through corrupt acts.

The agency would be led by a bipartisan board of seven members confirmed by the Senate. The legislation grants the bureau broad authority to investigate executive‑branch corruption and includes mechanisms for enforcement and restitution when officials are found to have enriched themselves at the public’s expense.

Schumer described the bureau as having ‘real teeth’ and said it ‘replaces a broken patchwork of watchdogs, none of which were built for this moment, with one, powerful anti‑corruption agency, ready to act anywhere, anytime corruption strikes.’ He framed the bill around findings in the text that the president disclosed more than $2 billion in 2025 earnings, roughly $1.4 billion tied to crypto, and that members of the president’s family held more than $1 billion in a crypto fund linked to foreign governments.

Senators Andy Kim, Alex Padilla and Jeff Merkley cosponsored the bill. The introduction coincided with a forum held by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Van Hollen on the president’s ties to the cryptocurrency industry. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

The proposal comes as Democrats consider separate market‑structure legislation for digital assets known as the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act. Some Democrats have said ethics provisions negotiated for that bill do not go far enough to address the president’s potential conflicts tied to crypto. Industry leaders and some lawmakers have urged a vote on the CLARITY Act.

Republicans hold a slim majority in the House and retain significant numbers in the Senate, so the anti‑corruption bureau would need bipartisan support to advance. If enacted before 2028, the measure would face a near‑certain presidential veto; overriding a veto requires two‑thirds majorities in both chambers. Lawmakers face a shortened calendar with just over a week before a month‑long state work period.

John Reed Stark, a former Securities and Exchange Commission official, noted after a public forum that ‘Of all the experts and political insiders I spoke with yesterday, not one could say for sure what happens this week with the CLARITY Act.’

If passed, the bill would consolidate ethics and election enforcement functions into a single agency with enforcement and recovery powers. Supporters argue the structure would streamline investigations and close gaps between existing offices; opponents raise concerns about concentrating authority and the political dynamics of confirming a seven‑member board.