The CORRUPTIONLAND map documents 100 instances of alleged corruption and/or abuses of power in Trump's Washington. This includes the misuse or perceived misuse of the powers of the presidency to benefit Donald Trump, his family, his businesses, or his political allies; to punish his critics and political opponents; and to advance personal self-interests over the national interest. It also tallies the money involved in those instances.

The map is built entirely from public sources, including court filings, government documents, congressional records, and reporting by established news organizations. Every entry links to its sources and, where applicable, includes the response of the people or agencies involved. We used AI tools to help fact-check entries, confirm sources, and identify discrepancies. It reflects the public record as of October 26, 2026.

We use "corruption" in its plain, widely understood sense: the use of public office or public power for private, personal, or political advantage rather than the public interest. In the documentary, this is used more colloquially as "for wrongdoing, for riches, or for revenge." Actions have generally been included when the public record alleges one or more of the following:

1. Money, assets, gifts, or business opportunities reaching the president, his family, their businesses, or his associates and allies in connection with official action or access to the government.

2. Official favors (pardons, dropped cases, contracts, regulatory decisions or public payments) benefiting political allies, donors, or business partners.

3. Government power (investigations, prosecutions, firings, funding decisions, licenses or security clearances) directed against critics, political opponents, or independent institutions.

4. The removal or disabling of officials and systems that hold the government accountable, such as inspectors general, prosecutors, election regulators, and public records.

5. Public money withheld, canceled, redirected, or spent in ways courts, auditors or Congress's own watchdogs have found unlawful or improper, or that officials tied to political targets.

Every entry must also meet three conditions:

- Documented. The core facts and allegations appear in primary records or in reporting by at least one established news organization.

- In the window. The action took place on or after the re-election of Donald Trump, covering the transition and the second term.

- Tied to official power. It involves the president, his administration, or his family's dealings with people who have business before the government.

An action can qualify even if it is legal. The question is often whether public power is alleged to have been used for private or political ends. Even if lawful, such actions may be deemed improper and corrupt.

The ledger's total, about $377 billion, is meant only as a measure of scale, i.e. the estimated dollar value of the public money, private benefit, and/or transaction volume involved in the 100 entries. It is not a claim that this sum was stolen, or that every dollar was lost to taxpayers or obtained illegally. This figure is meant to show the scope of alleged corruption in Washington today and how it appears to exceed what might be considered ordinary government corruption.

What is not counted:

- Amounts we could not document from a linkable public source.

- Potential or future value: deals not completed, proposals not executed, or exposure that has not materialized.

- Broader economic effects, such as the cost of tariffs imposed for political reasons.

- Harms with no reliable dollar value.

Many of the most serious entries, including firings of watchdogs, prosecutions of critics and attacks on the press, carry no dollar figure at all, so the total understates the full scope of what the ledger documents.

No one is accused of a crime by inclusion. Unless an entry states that someone has been charged or convicted, no person named in it has been charged with a crime in connection with that entry, and everyone named is presumed innocent.

The characterization is opinion, based on disclosed facts. Each entry sets out documented facts and links the sources for them. Describing those actions as alleged corruption reflects claims that have been made publicly by others, the facts presented, and/or ongoing proceedings and controversies, which readers can examine and judge for themselves.

Allegations are attributed. Where an entry reports claims made by others, in lawsuits, whistleblower complaints, congressional inquiries, or news reports, it aims to identify them as claims and says who made them.

We do not assert motive or a quid pro quo unless one is documented. Where a financial benefit and an official action occur close together, the entry reports the facts and the timing. It does not claim one caused the other unless a court, official finding, or the participants' own statements establish it.

Responses are included where available. The position of the people and agencies involved is presented alongside the facts, including denials and the legal justifications they have offered.

Court matters are described as they stand. Many cases and investigations described in the ledger are ongoing, and rulings may be appealed or reversed. Each entry reflects best attempts at concisely describing the status as of the as-of date.

Figures are approximate. Dollar amounts come from public sources, are rounded, and are subject to the counting rules above.

The ledger reflects the public record as of October 26, 2026. Events after that date may not be reflected until the next update.