Richard Painter, who served as chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, said the Trump family's business activity is far more problematic than Hunter Biden's dealings, as corruption tops voters' concerns. His remarks followed a Financial Times investigation into the reach of Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump's business empire, including meetings between the president's sons and foreign officials that coincided with the expansion of their business interests during their father's second term.

"I made a big stink about Hunter Biden. We had to take a firm stance that this was wrong," Painter told the Financial Times. "Donald Trump, he's encouraging it. And it's 1,000 times worse than [what] Hunter Biden did."

Republicans investigated Hunter Biden's work for the Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was vice president. Both Joe and Hunter Biden have denied any wrongdoing.

The FT documented at least 18 instances since January 2025 in which the Trump brothers met with foreign politicians or officials, including heads of state, ministers, and senior officials. Neither Eric Trump nor Donald Trump Jr. holds an official position in the US government, yet some foreign officials appear to view the pair as figures with influence in Washington. Painter said any diplomatic role would be inappropriate, since the brothers are not government emissaries and are not bound by the conflict-of-interest rules that bar federal officials from participating in matters in which they hold a financial stake.

"We have no way of knowing what was said in these conversations," he said.

The investigation also examined the vast sums of money moving through the family's businesses. According to the report, Trump's personal fortune grew by more than $2 billion last year, with over $500 million of that coming from token sales — sales of digital tokens to the public that crypto ventures use to raise funds — at World Liberty Financial, the crypto business his sons co-founded.

Since Trump returned to office, his privately owned company has announced 15 overseas projects, with another five mentioned in presidential ethics disclosures, the filings meant to surface officials' financial interests. Foreign licensing, development, and management revenues increased 40 percent to $63 million between 2024 and 2025. The brothers hold interests in sectors such as crypto, prediction markets — platforms where traders take positions on real-world outcomes — and critical minerals, the raw materials that feed supply chains for batteries and defense systems. Those business interests require federal regulatory approval, and government contracts have led ethics watchdogs to question whether the dealings can be considered separate from the presidency.

Painter also called out the names of Trump Jr.'s venture capital firm, 1789 Capital — a reference to 1789, the year the US Constitution took effect — and the Washington members' club, Executive Branch.

"When you name your company 1789 Capital — after the founding of the Constitution — or you have a social club called Executive Branch, that they've started up to sell memberships ... it's not subtle," he said.

A spokesperson for Trump Jr. maintained that he tells foreign officials he is acting as a private citizen, not as a representative of the Trump administration. The Trump Organization stated that its business is separate from the White House and that it complies with all applicable ethics laws.

Although the report does not establish that official favors were traded for business benefits, it leaves open the question of how the president's financial interests may connect to decisions that affect countries where his family does business.

As Walker Davis of the watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington put it: "We shouldn't have to wonder whether those decisions are what's best for Americans, or what's best for Trump's bottom line."