‘Shameless venality’: how a flurry of lawsuits has thwarted Trump’s self-enrichment schemes

Courts have issued stinging rebukes to president’s ‘blatant’ financial ploys as pro-democracy groups defend ‘government of laws, not of men’ pillar

Donald Trump’s legal and political ploys to increase his wealth and boost Republican electoral prospects have fueled lawsuits by non-partisan groups, prompting federal judges to issue stinging rejections to some of the president’s schemes.

Several lawsuits were filed in 2026 against Trump’s schemes to benefit his bottom line by reducing potential tax liabilities, boosting his Truth Social platform financially by offering big investors early access to his posts, and helping Republicans by using federal funds to pay for highly partisan ads touting Trump’s record in the run-up to the midterm elections, in which Republicans suffered a heavy defeat.