Trump Cabinet

Cabinet and senior-agency appointments are a corruption-relevant lens because they place donor-connected, conflicted, or unqualified individuals at the head of federal agencies whose policy and enforcement decisions then flow to other actions in this corpus.

Senate-confirmed cabinet and acting/recess appointments to lead federal departments and major agencies in Trump's second term.

Ranked by appearances across this topic's actions.

• 
  Donald Trump

  Announced Blanche's nomination for Deputy Attorney General on November 14, 2024.
  7 actions
• 
  Kristi Noem

  Led Homeland Security when it approved the purchase on her last morning in office. Weeks earlier she told senators that buying the planes would save money on charters. She says the purchase was finalized under her successor.
  3 actions
• 
  Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

  As Health Secretary, telephoned Ohio Governor Mike DeWine in the fall of 2025 to urge him to spare kratom from a state ban and target synthetic 7-OH instead; his department oversaw the FDA changes that eased scrutiny of kratom.
  2 actions
• 
  Corey Lewandowski

  Noem's top adviser. Pressed for a one-on-one meeting with Palantir's CEO while the agreement sat unsigned, then told associates he would consolidate the company's work so it received less money. He says he played no role in contract review.
  1 action
• 
  Howard Lutnick

  Confirmed as Secretary of Commerce by 51-45 Senate vote on February 18, 2025. Previously chair and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of the 2024 Trump transition team; gave $8.75 million to MAGA Inc. during the 2024 cycle.
  1 action
• 
  Lee Zeldin

  Confirmed as EPA Administrator by 56-42 Senate vote on January 29, 2025. Four-term Long Island Republican congressman (2015-2023) with no prior climate or environmental policy role; voted against certifying the 2020 election results on January 6, 2021.
  1 action
• 
  Linda McMahon

  Confirmed as Secretary of Education by 51-45 Senate vote on March 3, 2025. WWE co-founder; former Small Business Administration administrator under Trump 1.0; chair of the America First Policy Institute; gave $20 million to MAGA Inc. during the 2024 cycle; co-chaired the 2024 Trump transition team.
  1 action
• 
  Markwayne Mullin

  As a senator and later Homeland Security Secretary, urged HHS officials to remove kratom-warning language from the FDA website and endorsed a crackdown on competing synthetic 7-OH products; a financial disclosure showed he held an investment of up to $1 million in Botanic Tonics and had not divested.
  1 action
• 
  Pete Hegseth

  Confirmed as Defense Secretary on January 24, 2025 by a 50-50 vote with Vice President Vance casting the tiebreaker, the narrowest Defense confirmation in chamber history. Three Republicans (Collins, McConnell, Murkowski) voted against. Previously Fox & Friends Weekend co-host and Army National Guard veteran with no prior senior government or large-organization management experience.
  1 action
• 
  Scott Bessent

  Confirmed as Treasury Secretary by 68-29 Senate vote on January 27, 2025. Founder of macro hedge fund Key Square Group and former chief investment officer for George Soros's Soros Fund Management; hosted Trump fundraisers in 2024 totaling roughly $57 million.
  1 action
• 
  Todd Blanche

  Confirmed as Deputy Attorney General by 52-46 Senate vote on March 5, 2025. Founded Blanche Law in 2022 specifically to represent Trump; led the defense in the 2024 New York hush-money prosecution that produced 34 felony convictions.
  1 action

Ranked by appearances across this topic's actions.

• 
  U.S. Department of Homeland Security

  Agreed on March 24, 2026 to buy five planes from Daedalus for $304 million under a no-bid contract. It has not released the contract and withheld its justification for skipping competition, citing national security.
  3 actions
• Botanic Tonics

  Enforcement-action links naming the company were removed from the FDA's kratom webpage; a cabinet secretary who held a stake in it, and the company's founder, pushed for the broader regulatory easing.
  1 action
• Daedalus Aviation

  Sold DHS the five planes for $304 million, including two Gulfstreams it resold at a markup of more than $11 million each. Its chairman, William Walters, gave $10,000 to Noem's political committee in 2024. It says its prices reflected a tight market.
  1 action
• Department of Health and Human Services

  The health department, which oversees the FDA, removed links to kratom enforcement actions from the agency's website by the end of 2025 after pressure from Mr. Mullin.
  1 action
• 
  Palantir Technologies

  Received a $1 billion DHS blanket purchase agreement after the $2.7 billion version it negotiated sat unsigned for months. It canceled a requested one-on-one between its CEO and Lewandowski and says it was given no explanation for the cut.
  1 action
• People Who Think

  A Louisiana Republican ad firm awarded $77 million without competitive bidding. It did not respond to ProPublica's questions.
  1 action
• Safe America Media

  Received $143 million, the largest share. A Delaware company created days before it won the deal, listed at the Virginia home of Republican operative Michael McElwain. It paid the Strategy Group as an undisclosed subcontractor.
  1 action
• The Strategy Group

  Noem's campaign ad firm: it made her 2022 ads for governor and was paid by her political committee into February 2025. Safe America then hired it to run DHS ad shoots, including Mount Rushmore, for $226,137, and it did not appear in public contract records. Its chief executive is married to Tricia McLaughlin, who was DHS's spokesperson.
  1 action

Derived from the organizations and individuals involved.

• Consumer Goods & Hospitality
• Cryptocurrency
• Defense & Aerospace
• Dietary Supplements & Wellness
• Energy & Environment
• Federal Government
• Financial Services
• Investment Firms
• Media & Entertainment
• Political Committees & Political Money
• Private Foundations & Donor Networks
• Professional Services
• Professional Sports
• Technology & AI
• Telecommunications
• Transportation & Infrastructure
• Trump Family Business