President Trump’s efforts to direct millions of dollars to their future President’s Library have attracted a new attention to the identification of donors or lack of visibility in potential interests, which are funding it, Washington is a matter of concern, facing previous presidents of both sides.
According to documents shared with CBS News, two major Senate Democrats say they are preparing to introduce a bill on Wednesday, which will regulate the funding for the President’s libraries.
“Donald Trump is using his President’s library as a tool for bribery, while he is still in office,” said Sen Elizabeth Warren said Massachusetts said.
Warren said, “Trump’s Future Library is coming directly from companies and special interests, which require a favor from Trump.” “There are no rules right now.”
The effort was inspired by a series of declarations about the gifts to Trump Library, including a vaguely appointed Boeing 747 US Air Force given From Katri royal family For the use of the President, after which it will be donated to the library for Mr. Trump’s Post-Pressidency.
The income of four major legal settlements with the President is also allegedly bound to his library fund. Multimilian-dollar settlements are stems against the cases of Shri Trump Meta, ABC News, X (East Twitter) And of great qualityParamount is the original company of CBS News.
According to CBS News reviews of news reports and court documents, the funds of four settlements alone can be up to $ 63 million.
Sensor. Warren and Blutenal, with three household members, reps. Jreds Moscovitz (D-Flow), Melani Stansbury (DNM) and Jamie Ruskin (D-MD) are proposing several measures for the President’s libraries to raise money. The contribution of $ 10,000 per person of them is Cap, while the President is still serving in the office.
The law also proposes a quarter revelations for all donations of $ 200 or more, and implements a two -year “cooling of” period after the end of its tenure, during which a President cannot accept donations from foreign nationals, federal government contractors or individuals seeking the presidency. Finally, the bill also clearly prevents the use of library donation for individual expenses.
“Right now, there are basically no rules,” Warren said. “Settlements show all those who have pending trade in front of the federal government, that if they have received enough money and can make it to Donald Trump through their future President’s Library, they can get better treatment from the US government.”
The White House did not respond to the CBS News request for comments.
Funding is largely opaque and irregular
The total amount raised to the Trump Library till date is much higher than the President’s publicly declared legal settlements. For example, with the $ 239 million remaining funds raised by the Trump-Wance inauguration Committee Technical companies And CEOs like Amazon, Openi, Apple and Uber were expected to be redirected in the library, according to which Multiple news ReportsIt is not clear how earlier those funds have already moved. Donations of inauguration funds need to be reported publicly, while the President’s libraries are not under such obligation.
The Trump administration accepted from Qatar in May also has a $ 400 million jet Slate He leaves the office shortly before in the Trump Library.
Alon Skuy / Getty Images 
In addition to those examples, funds for the private foundation supporting the President’s libraries are largely opaque and irregular, the experts said.
An expedition Finance Advocate Brett Cuppel said, “No one outside the organization knows who contributes to the fund of the President.” “This information is provided to the IRS, but not made public.”
While the campaign funds are historically regulated by the campaign under a series of laws passed after the Watergate scam, there is no restriction on donation to the President’s libraries, Cuppel said. While in the office, the President can donate unlimited library to anyone – including foreign nationals, federal contracts along with individuals seeking presidential positions and corporations.
“Lack of transparency may increase the presence of incompatibility,” Cuppel said. “No one will know who is donating in the President’s library, while the President is still in the office and is making a policy of the government.”
Trump Library Organizations and Trump Organization trustees did not respond to the request of CBS News for comments.
Obama President Foundation, which oversees the development of former President Barack Obama’s library in ChicagoWas Established In January 2014, Obama’s second term begins a year after. The Foundation said that it will disclose all donors and donations Website In an effort to increase transparency. it was estimated The construction of the center in June 2021 will cost around $ 700 million.
Library Foundation of President George W Bush began Attempts to raise money in the spring of 2009, after leaving the post. The Foundation did not publicly disclose its donors. Cost of that effort Viewed in At $ 250 million. George W. Bush in the campus of Southern Methodist University at the President’s Center, Dallas, Opened in 2013,
The first President Library was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt did it in 1938. Since then, the President’s libraries have been built and maintained with a mixture of private and federal funds. The library is usually constructed with private donations, and sometimes with the support of local government or university partners. The library is then transferred to the federal government and maintained by the National Archives and Record Administration, or slogans, which oversees the preservation of the President’s documents and is a Congress budget for maintaining library structures.
Two non -profit organizations behind the Trump Library
According to the correction records reviewed by CBS News, in the previous year, Trump family and colleagues have set up two funds for President Library Donation. Both are included in Florida as non -profitable.
First, Donald J. The Trump Presidential Library Fund Inc. was created in December 2024, before President Trump was sworn in, and shortly thereafter ABC announced that it will donate The President brought the future Trump Library against the network to claim $ 15 million one defamation. According to incorporation documents, the fund was established by Jacob Roth, a lawyer from Florida, who also filed paperwork for both of them. Trump vance opening committeeAnd this Trump Vance Inauguration Committee Inc.in November. As Incorporation document For the organization, the Fund aims to “preserve and preserve the legacy of President Donald J. Trump and his presidential post.”
A few months later, in May, a second non -profit organization was included under the name. Donald J. Trump presidential library foundationThere are three listed trustees: Eric Trump; Tiffany Trump’s husband, Michael Bowlos; And James Kelly, a New York Attorney, who represented Mr. Trump between 2020 and 2022 Legal battle Against his niece, Mary trump,
The foundation was designed to celebrate the heritage and historical records of “Steward, Protected, Protected, and President Donald J. Trump and his presidential record,” According to filing,
There may not be rules for whether the money can go to the President’s Library Fund, but there are strict rules for how non -profit funds can be spent.
Non -profitable 501 (c) (3) as S, tax laws restrict the use of funds from a presidential library for personal benefit. IRS is in charge of implementing all conflict-interest laws for non-profit organizations, although experts doubt the agency’s political will to implement those provisions.
“501 (C) (3) S is used for charitable purposes. Funds are being used to that extent, and outside the scope of a President’s library, this is something that IRS will have to see,” said Viriginia Canter, which acts as a lawyer for senior morality of Treasury Department under Republican and Democratic Administrations.
There is no indication that Mr. Trump or his family are using funds for libraries for personal expenses.
Past library dispute
While living in the Trump family office, a library fund is not the first to face criticism on donation. President Bill Clinton faced important pushbacks after forgiving billionaire businessman Mark Rich, who fled to Switzerland. Prosecution In more than 50 cases of wire fraud in 1983, raccizoring, trade with Iran during an ambargo and developed over $ 48 million in US income taxes.
Clinton’s forgiveness – which was released a few hours before leaving the office in January 2001 – had to face some of his closest investigations. Friendly nationsWho said that Rich’s forgiveness was purchased. He pointed to $ 450,000 donation RichThe ex -wife, Dennis Rich, was given to the Clinton Library Foundation and the additional $ 100,000. He donated the 2000 Senate campaign of Hillary Clinton.
And in 2008, there was a GOP lobist with relations with Bush administration Caught On the video, he allegedly urged a donation for his President’s Library in exchange for setting up a meeting with the top officials of the White House. (This was a sting operation installed by a newspaper; no money changed.)
The Congress will require organizations raising funds to raise funds for the President’s libraries to pass the law, and have failed for nearly two decades on a large scale. Since 2007, the House has passed five bills regarding the finance transparency of the President’s Library – the most recent – but they have all stayed in the Senate.
