ANTI-CORRUPTION
Corruption fuels authoritarianism by turning public institutions into tools for personal gain and weakening trust in our government. We confront abuses that undermine democratic governance.
We expose abuses of power, demand transparency, and fight to ensure the government serves the public — not those seeking to undermine democratic institutions.
Democracy Defenders Action exposes corruption and strengthens accountability through oversight, investigations, policy advocacy, and litigation. We use public records requests, research, and legal action to expose conflicts of interest, challenge abuses of power, and push for a more transparent government.
- Our Policy, Oversight, and Ethics team has published reports examining threats to democratic governance, including:
- Profiting During Paralysis, a look at congressional stock trading during the 2025 government shutdown.
- Autocracy vs. Democracy in America: The First 100 Days, a report highlighting efforts to defend democratic institutions and the victories of pro-democracy forces during the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
- American Autocracy Threat Tracker, a comprehensive catalog published in 2024 tracking Donald Trump and his associates’ plans, promises, and propositions to erode our democratic principles.
- We advocate for reforms that prevent corruption and establish stronger guardrails against conflicts of interest, including those involving cryptocurrency.
- With partners, Democracy Defenders Action released Freedom 2025 – 10 Principles, a series of cross-partisan commitments to advance American freedoms and oppose governmental corruption.
