As lawmakers grow increasingly frustrated with President Donald Trump’s planned $1.8 billion lawsuit settlement fund and his thousands of stock trades totaling hundreds of millions dollars, a trio of House Democrats is launching a new caucus aimed at fighting malfeasance in government.
The new End Corruption Caucus — details of which were shared first with MS NOW — is launching at the direction of Reps. Jason Crow, D-Col., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Mike Levin, D-Calif., spanning the party’s centrist to progressive wings.
“Corruption is poisoning our politics,” Crow said in a statement. “From the disastrous Citizens United decision, to the President using his office to enrich himself and his family, our democracy is buckling under the influence of billionaire donors and special interests.”
“We must take on corruption to lower prices, restore trust, and help working families,” Crow added.
The effort revives an older version of the anti-corruption caucus, which launched in 2020, but has been dormant for years.
So far, six House lawmakers — all Democrats — have joined the new coalition. Reps. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and Chris Pappas, D-N.H., have also joined as inaugural members. No Republicans have joined.
In a letter outlining the caucus’ goals, Crow, Ocasio-Cortez and Levin said the group has five legislative priorities: ending the “influence” of dark money, corporate political action committees (PACs), and special interests in politics; “enforcing accountability” in government; ending the “revolving door” of individuals who exit government and become lobbyists; barring foreign interference in elections; and stopping government “weaponization.”
“The influence of big money in politics is a major reason why everyday Americans struggle to trust our institutions and our work in Congress,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement.
“It is time that we put Americans first and earnestly work to restore the faith and integrity of our lawmaking,” she added.
As part of the launch of the caucus, MS NOW is told, the three Democrats are also introducing a congressional resolution denouncing “corruption in all its forms and opposes the implementation of policies that benefit special interests and corrupt politicians at the expense of the American people.”
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The new caucus takes a page from what Democrats have made a central tenet of their midterm election pitch to voters: fighting government corruption. And it serves as a likely preview of House Democrats’ expected legislative and oversight goals should they win control of the chamber in this November’s election.
“At no other point in American history have we seen corruption so rampant in our politics,” Levin said in a statement. “We have a president using the office to enrich himself, his family, and his friends.”
“We must confront this corruption head-on, hold the powerful accountable, and ensure our government works for the people again,” Levin added.
Since Trump returned to office, Democrats have repeatedly raised concerns about what they see as rolling corruption in the administration, from accusations that the president is weaponizing the Justice Department to go after his political enemies, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, to questions of self-dealing by members of the president’s family, such as his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is doubling as a businessman and U.S. peace envoy.
Recent reports have also raised questions of insider trading, as Trump has engaged in a series of stock trades in just the past few months involving companies directly impacted by his administration’s decisions.
The White House has repeatedly insisted everything is above board.
Kevin Frey is a congressional reporter for MS NOW.
Jack Fitzpatrick covers Congress for MS NOW. He previously reported for Bloomberg Government, Morning Consult and National Journal. He has bachelor's and master's degrees from Arizona State University.