Warren, Bennet Question Big Tech CEOs on Million-Dollar Gifts to Trump’s Inaugural Fund

Warren, Bennet Question Big Tech CEOs on Million-Dollar Gifts to Trump's Inaugural Fund

Payouts "suggest that Big Tech companies are trying to curry favor and skirt the rules."

"These donations raise questions about corruption and the influence of corporate money on the Trump administration, and Congress and the public deserve answers."

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) wrote to the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Uber, pushing them to explain their million-dollar gifts to President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural fund.

"We are concerned that your company and other Big Tech donors are using your massive contributions to the inaugural fund to cozy up to the incoming Trump administration in an effort to avoid scrutiny, limit regulation, and buy favor," wrote the senators.

Every single one of these Big Tech companies is currently under scrutiny from federal regulators for antitrust violations, violations of privacy, or harms to workers, consumers, or competition. Lawmakers in both parties have voiced support for regulating tech platforms, in recognition that there is currently no comprehensive set of rules for the tech sector.

"You have a clear and direct interest in obtaining favors from the incoming administration: your company and many other Big Tech donors are already the subject of ongoing federal investigations and regulatory actions," the senators continued.

The tech firms' activity before the federal government includes:

• Amazon, which donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, is the subject of multiple ongoing regulatory actions, including multiple Federal Trade Commission (FTC) suits related to anticonsumer and anticompetitive practices, a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into fraudulent schemes to obtain credit, and over 300 open National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) cases alleging unfair labor practices.

• Apple CEO Tim Cook donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, while Apple is the subject of a DOJ antitrust suit, as well as over 20 open NLRB cases related to unfair labor practices.

• Google, which donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, was found by a federal court to have an illegal monopoly over the online search market. Google has promised to appeal the ruling, and the Trump administration's DOJ will decide whether to contest the appeal. Google is also the subject of over 20 open NLRB cases related to unfair labor practices.

• Meta, which donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) into the improper use of financial data and an FTC antitrust suit for monopolistic practices.

• Microsoft has donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund and is the subject of multiple open investigations by the FTC for anticompetitive practices.

• OpenAI CEO Sam Altman personally donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, while OpenAI is the subject of an open FTC investigation for consumer harm, and an SEC investigation for misleading investors.

• Uber donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, along with an additional $1 million from Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The company is the subject of an ongoing FTC investigation for predatory practices.

"It is critical that federal regulators continue to evenhandedly apply competition, consumer protection, anti-discrimination laws and any other rule or law that applies to your company," wrote the lawmakers. "But the industry's efforts suggest that Big Tech companies are trying to curry favor and skirt the rules."

The lawmakers are requesting answers from these companies by January 31th, 2025.

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