The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 25, 2025

President Donald Trump launched a cryptocurrency “meme coin” with his likeness on January 17th, just before inauguration day.  April 21st, with its value plummeting, the company offered top buyers of the coin a dinner with Trump and a personal tour of the White House.  That likely violates the Emoluments Clause.

The website for the meme coin loudly promotes a dinner with Trump at his Washington golf club for the top 220 owners of the coin, and for the top 25 owners, an “exclusive reception” and a “special VIP tour.”  But as of April 24th, any reference to touring White House was scrubbed from the site.  

With its value having fallen from $74.00 to a low of $7.66 on April 17, the price jumped after the announcement to $14.54 on April 23rd.  But it’s not the price of the coin that should worry Americans, but that corporations, special interests or foreign governments could exploit the offer as an opportunity to channel money to the notoriously transactional Trump in exchange for access and favors.

Jordan Libowitz of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington told  Mother Jones magazine, “This is about as unethical as you can get – essentially selling off access to the president.” 

We have a pre-scrubbing graphic,  and more on the Emoluments Clause, at  AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

April 23 – GetTrumpMemes.com via WaybackMachine.com – “Have Dinner With President Trump”

April 24 – GetTrumpMemes.com – “Have Dinner with President Trump” – Reference to White House Tour Scrubbed

American Constitution Society – (2019)  Profiting off the Presidency: Trump’s Violations of the Emoluments Clauses
Brennan Center for Justice – (2019)  How Will the Courts Handle the Trump Emoluments Cases?
American Democracy Minute – (2024) The Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause was Intended to Stop Bribery and Corruption.  Recently, Not So Much
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) – (2024)  The intensifying threat of Donald Trump’s emoluments
Mother Jones – Trump Crypto Coin Buyers Offered VIP Tour of White House
CoinStats – TRUMP Meme Coin Tumbles After Soaring on Exclusive Gala Announcement

Groups Taking Action:

CREW, Public Citizen

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Corruption #EmolumentsClause #DonaldTrump #TrumpMemeCoin

The post Trump ‘Meme Coin’ Cryptocurrency Scheme Selling Access to the President Raises Alarms for Emolument Clause Violations appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 24, 2025

Voting proof of citizenship efforts are afoot in Michigan while voters await the outcome of the federal SAVE Act and a Trump executive order requiring similar restrictions. This, despite no evidence of widespread noncitizen voting in Michigan, or anywhere else in the U.S.

In Michigan, a constitutional amendment which failed to achieve a two-thirds majority in the legislature, just received the go-ahead to collect signatures for a citizen ballot initiative instead.  If organizers meet the signature requirements, it could appear on the 2026 ballot.

The Michigan proposal require any new registering voters to show QUOTE “a birth certificate, passport and/or other documents,”  and would eliminate the use of sworn affidavits for voters without approved IDs.  Voters without citizenship documents could cast a provisional ballot, but must return with the documents within six days for it to count.  

While that may keep the 20 -that “2-0”- alleged Michigan noncitizens from voting,  

one in nine Americans don’t have ready access to citizenship documents, and over 5.8 million Michigan citizens don’t own a U.S. Passport, according to the Center for American Progress.    

On national proof of citizenship front, a federal circuit court ruling on President Donald Trump’s March 25th order is expected by April 24th, and the SAVE Act is in the U.S, Senate but unlikely to overcome the filibuster.

We have links to more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.  

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – New Trump Executive Order Attempts to Bypass Congress & States to Require Proof of Citizenship Documents & Mandate Election Deadlines
Michigan Advance/Votebeat – Michigan House GOP proposes proof-of-citizenship requirement for all voters
Michigan Advance – Board of State Canvassers greenlights petition seeking to block noncitizens from voting in Michigan
Center for American Progress – U.S. Passport ownership by state
Michigan Live – See how Michigan’s U.S. House members voted on bill (SAVE Act) requiring voters’ proof of citizenship

Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause MI, League of Women Voters MI, Promote the Vote MI

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #PromotetheVote #HJR B  #Michigan #ProofofCitizenship

The post Michigan Considers Proof of Citizenship Requirements While Awaiting Outcome of the SAVE Act Vote and Challenge to Trump’s Exec. Order appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 23, 2025

A parade of well-known brands and CEOs lavished a post-election tribute of $239 million dollars to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee,  according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission.  What was it used for?  Voters will likely never know.

Let’s start with the $5 million dollar donation by Pilgrim’s Pride, one of the world’s largest meat processors and subsidiary of a Brazilian company.  Cryptocurrency company Ripple gave almost $4.9 million, followed by billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens.  Stephens’ contributions to the inaugural and another $4 million to two Trump Super PACs likely earned him the nomination to be ambassador to the UK. 

In the latest FEC report, 61 donors gave  $1 million dollars or more.  Manufacturers included Toyota, Tyson, Boeing, and Nvidia.  Unsurprisingly, fossil fuel companies like Occidental, ExxonMobil and Chevron were on the list, as were pharmaceutical companies Merck, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and trade association PhRMA.  The transportation sector included United Airlines, Fedex, Uber and Delta.   McDonalds, Target, Verizon, Comcast and Amazon each gave $1 million as well.   

Federal Election Commission detail report:

What do donors get for their money?  Apple CEO Tim Cooke, who donated a million, got a tariff exception for Apple’s Chinese made products.  And where does that money go?  Federal law does not require disclosure of expenses for inaugural committees.

See the list of donors at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

American Democracy Minute – What are the Rules as to How Contributions to Inaugural Committee Funds Are Spent?  There Aren’t Any.
Federal Election Commission – Schedule 13-A Summary for the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee
Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee (via FEC) – Submitted Records
Federal Election Commission – Itemized Donations
Open Secrets – Warren Stephens donations in the 2023-24 Election Cycle
Yahoo Finance – Chicken, crypto, and Nvidia: The companies that helped Trump’s inauguration shatter fundraising records

CNBC – Apple regains $3 trillion market cap after Trump exempts tariffs on iPhones
Groups Taking Action:

Common Cause, Public Citizen,  C.R.E.W., Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #DonaldTrump #InauguralFund #MoneyinPolitics #Corruption

The post 61 Individual and Corporate Donors Gave $1M or More to Trump’s Inaugural.  Where did the $239M Go?  We’ll Likely Never Know. appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 22, 2025

In one of his most bone-chilling orders to date, President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Department of Justice and other agencies to open an investigation of Christopher Krebs, the former head of the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency. Krebs’ alleged crime? Publicly refuting Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Trump’s April 9th memorandum reads in part, “Krebs, through CISA, falsely and baselessly denied that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, including by inappropriately and categorically dismissing widespread election malfeasance and serious vulnerabilities with voting machines,” UNQUOTE.

On November 12th, 2020, Krebs had posted a joint statement from the Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees, which said, “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history,” and “There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised.” The two groups represent CISA, Secretaries of State, State Election Directors, and numerous election technology and cybersecurity organizations.

In addition to ordering the investigation, Trump stripped Krebs of his security clearance, and that of SentinelOne, the cybersecurity company where Krebs was Chief Intelligence and Public Policy Officer until his resignation April 16th.

We have Trump’s disturbing memo and the 2020 joint statement at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Associated Press – (2020) Repudiating Trump, officials say election ‘most secure’
CISA – (2020) Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees
Voice of America – (2020)Trump Fires Security Chief Who Said 2020 Vote Was ‘Most Secure’ in US History
CBS News – Fired director of U.S. cyber agency Chris Krebs explains why President Trump’s claims of election interference are false
The White House – Addressing Risks from Chris Krebs and Government Censorship
The White House – Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Addresses Risks from Chris Krebs and Government Censorship
Votebeat – Election officials alarmed as Trump orders probe of former cybersecurity chief​
SentinelOne – An Official Statement in Response to the April 9, 2025 Executive Order, Updated with Krebs Resignation
Cyberscoop – Trump signs order stripping Chris Krebs of security clearance

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #ExecutiveOrders #CyberSecurity #ChrisKrebs #CISA #Retribution

#Authoritarian

The post Chilling Trump Order Seeks Retribution Against Former CISA Head Who Pushed Back Against Trump’s Unfounded Claims of 2020 Fraud appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 21, 2025

A former Missouri Congressman and President Trump’s nominee for IRS Commissioner is under scrutiny for a sudden loan repayment for his failed U.S. Senate campaign.  He allegedly has ties to a company promoting nonexistent “tribal tax credits.”  

After former Missouri Congressman Billy Long ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2022, he was left with a $136,000 campaign loan debt, which investigative outlet The Lever reports remained largely unpaid since the campaign.  

In December 2024, President Donald Trump announced Long’s nomination as IRS Commissioner, though he was assigned a role as an “advisor” in the Office of Management and Budget until the current IRS Commissioner’s term ended.  From January 4th to the 18th 2025, his Senate campaign fund received an influx of cash totalling $136,900, mostly in $2900 increments,  according to Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports.   

But that’s not the only red flag.  Since his Senate campaign, Long has been associated with two firms doing business with White River Energy Corporation.  Four members of White River contributed to retire Long’s debt.  April 15th, U.S. Senate Finance Committee members, Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, called for the IRS to investigate the firm and its associates for peddling allegedly fraudulent “tribal tax credits.” 

We’ve linked to the campaign finance reports and more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl. 

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Missouri Independent – Donald Trump picks Missouri’s Billy Long to lead the IRS
The Lever – (Free Registration to Read) Trump IRS Pick Was Just Enriched By Tax Schemers
Missouri Independent – Billy Long’s bid to lead IRS under scrutiny over donations that paid off personal debt
Federal Election Commission –  Billy Long for Senate FEC Filing Summary
Federal Election Commission –  Billy Long for Senate FEC Itemized Receipts
U.S. Senate Finance Committee – Press Release – Wyden, Cortez Masto Call for Criminal Investigation into Evidence of Fraud by Promoters Affiliated with IRS Nominee Billy Long
U.S. Senate Finance Committee – Wyden-Cortez Masto IRS Tribal Tax Credits Letter 

Groups Taking Action:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, End Citizens United, Issue One

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE! 

Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

Want ADM sent to your email?  Sign up here!

Are you a radio station?  Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX

#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #BillyLong #IRSNominee #Corruption #MoneyinPolitics #Missouri

The post Former Congressman and Trump Nominee for IRS Commissioner Under Scrutiny for Campaign Finances and Ties to Alleged Tax Credit Scheme appeared first on American Democracy Minute.