CREW about to testify before the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship about Trump’s brazen corruption
I’m about to testify before Congress
- Wed, May 20 2026 at 11:31 AM
Mark,
I’m about to testify before the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship about Trump’s brazen corruption, but I wanted you to be the first to hear what I’m going to say:
The Trump administration’s pay-to-play corruption, failure to tackle fraud and enabling of fraudsters puts small businesses at risk and harms the economy.
Congress can support the fight against fraud by supporting inspector general independence, federal civil servants who investigate fraud and legislation that prohibits the exchange of donations for pardons.
Trump routinely grants privileges to businesses that pay money to his companies, PACs and pet projects, giving them a seat at the table that most small businesses cannot afford.
Last week, corporate giants like Meta, Apple and Tesla, which contributed to Trump’s inauguration, ballroom or super PAC, were part of the White House delegation to China.
Yet small businesses—devastated by tariffs—did not get that kind of representation at the summit.
The administration’s removal of oversight mechanisms, including inspectors general, cuts to government operations and pardoning of fraudsters with impunity have hurt the government’s ability to fight fraud, leaving small businesses at risk.
In addition to undercutting fraud prevention, Trump has enabled fraudsters and wiped out payments owed to fraud victims by pardoning his political allies and donors. Experts warn this may deter future prosecutions, leaving small businesses at risk.
One egregious example was Trump’s pardon of a donor who was sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding investors and who prosecutors argued should pay more than $660 million in restitution. Thanks to Trump’s presidential pardon, he no longer has to pay restitution to his victims.
Another fraudster pardoned by Trump admitted to withholding about $39 million in payroll taxes from the IRS in his nursing home businesses and court documents demonstrate the toll his fraud took on patients and workers, including small businesses left with unpaid bills.
Fraud and corruption are corrosive to our democracy and instead of taking a holistic approach to deterring, detecting and preventing fraud, this administration’s anti-fraud efforts have targeted disfavored states and programs that the most vulnerable rely on.
Meanwhile, they’ve created a culture of impunity for rich, politically connected fraudsters and allowed small businesses to face more risk than ever.
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