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After CBS and ABC’s Trump settlements, Democrats want to curb presidential library gifts

BBG News

As a passionate film enthusiast, I find myself voicing my concerns over the increasing number of corporate sponsors backing President Trump’s future presidential library. The Democratic representatives seem to echo my sentiments, as they raise their voices in alarm.

In order to resolve Donald Trump’s lawsuit concerning alterations in a CBS “60 Minutes” episode, Paramount Global consented to contribute $16 million towards funding a future library and covering the former president’s attorney costs.

Previously, The Walt Disney Company committed $15 million towards Trump’s presidential library as part of a settlement related to false statements about Trump made by ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos. Additionally, the nation of Qatar recently gifted a $400-million Boeing 747-8 luxury aircraft for Trump’s personal use; this plane will eventually be registered to his library, regardless of its final form.

On a Wednesday, a team of forward-thinking legislators, spearheaded by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts, presented the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act as a proposal. This act aims for openness in dealings and sets limits on contributions to presidential libraries, to prevent corruption.

Warren stated during a video conference with reporters that this fresh legislation aims to prevent presidential libraries from being misused for corrupt practices like bribery, and he emphasized that blocking such suspected corruption in high-ranking positions of government is crucial progress we all need to support.

Hollywood Inc.

Former President Trump initiated a lawsuit for approximately $20 billion, accusing CBS’s “60 Minutes” of altering an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris to portray her favorably. Trump contended that this manipulated interview posed a threat to the election.

Currently, these legislators – such as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) – are not receiving backing from Republican members of Congress.

Nevertheless, they argued, it’s crucial to enact this legislation, as currently there are no regulations explicitly addressing the offering of gifts or bribes to attempt to influence the president by private individuals or corporations.

This proposal aims to instate a limit for donations, ban contributions from lobbyists and foreign entities, as well as postpone fundraising activities until after a president has left office, except for nonprofit organizations.

Politics

A significant number of leading Republican lawmakers in Congress have voiced apprehensions regarding the 747 agreement, among them being the concern that the aircraft could pose a potential security threat.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I must emphasize that breaking the rules comes with significant consequences. You might face either criminal or civil penalties, and these penalties could potentially amount to the same value as the gift you’re trying to obtain unlawfully.

This regulation additionally prevents the transformation of a donation for personal gain, addressing concerns that the Qatar plane acceptance might lead to such misuse.

It’s unclear what benefits Qatar might be receiving, according to Warren. She suggests that all these questionable activities are occurring due to the lack of regulations governing presidential library contributions.

Under the legislation, quarterly disclosures would be required.

Blumenthal stated that it’s important for people to understand who is influencing a president in power, primarily through contributions to their library. He added that these regulations should apply equally to both Republicans and Democrats since the donations could potentially create issues regardless of the political affiliation of the president. Put simply, he believes transparency is crucial in such situations.

Some critics strongly criticized former President Clinton for granting a pardon to the late financier Marc Rich, a wanted commodity trader, following a substantial donation of $450,000 from his wife to Clinton’s presidential library.

Hollywood Inc.

This week’s significant agreement was the culmination of numerous negotiations over several months between influential figures with conflicting objectives, such as the President, the Ellison family, and media magnate Shari Redstone.

Apart from settling with CBS “60 Minutes” and ABC, Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., also contributed $22 million to Donald Trump’s presidential library. This contribution was a part of the $25-million settlement that Meta agreed to pay following a lawsuit after they suspended Trump’s account on January 6, 2021, in response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The Elon Musk-owned social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, donated $10 million.

Contribuations towards Trump’s inauguration events this year, not just limited to monetary donations, will likely be directed towards the library too. Additionally, funds raised for the opportunity to dine with Trump at Mar-a-Lago are also expected to be included in these contributions, as stated by Warren’s office.

Previously, it’s been suggested that Warren and others think Paramount’s settlement with Trump might have been a form of bribery. There is widespread belief that resolving their legal issues with Trump was necessary for the approval of Paramount’s potential $8-billion merger with David Ellison’s Skydance Media by the Federal Communications Commission.

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2025-07-16 22:32

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