Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has introduced legislation to establish an independent Anti-Corruption Bureau, a move that comes as President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency-related income faces renewed scrutiny during ongoing CLARITY Act negotiations.

Schumer Bill Targets Executive Branch Corruption

The Anti-Corruption Bureau Creation Act would create a seven-member federal agency equipped with investigative, subpoena, oversight, enforcement, and public-reporting powers. Board members would be subject to Senate confirmation and serve fixed terms.

Under the proposal, the bureau would be authorized to investigate corruption across the executive branch. It could also pursue the recovery of funds obtained through corrupt conduct involving presidents, senior officials, campaign figures, and major government contractors.

Schumer said the bill addresses concerns that public office can be exploited for private financial gain. He accused Trump of turning the presidency into a family business following his return to office in 2025.

"Donald Trump has turned the presidency into the most profitable scam of his life," Schumer stated. He added that Republicans have helped him "cash every check," while Democrats are pushing for stronger guardrails around public office.

The bill would empower private plaintiffs and state attorneys general to file lawsuits in the name of the United States, seeking recovery of funds tied to corruption by senior public figures.

Independent Funding and Structural Reforms

The proposed bureau would be financed through a dedicated Freedom From Influence Fund, a structure designed to shield the agency from presidential budget pressure.

The legislation would also establish a special three-judge division within the D.C. Circuit. This division could appoint temporary bureau members if vacancies or obstruction threaten the agency's operations.

Additionally, the bill would consolidate the Federal Election Commission, Office of Government Ethics, and Office of Special Counsel under a unified structure. Those agencies have operated independently for decades, each with distinct mandates and limited enforcement reach. Supporters argue this change would centralize anti-corruption enforcement.

Schumer said the bureau would have the authority to "follow the money" and "claw back corrupt profits." The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley, Alex Padilla, and Andy Kim.

Several advocacy organizations have endorsed the bill, including Public Citizen, Common Cause, Campaign Legal Center, CREW, Protect Democracy, and Defend the Vote Action Fund.

The White House has denied that Trump has conflicts of interest. Democrats, however, continue to cite Trump family business activities, including crypto ventures, as part of their broader ethics argument.

Trump Crypto Portfolio Draws Senate Attention

Trump's family crypto ventures have become a focal point in digital asset policy discussions. A wealth index estimate placed Trump family proceeds from crypto ventures at approximately $620 million.

Those ventures include World Liberty Financial token sales, the Trump memecoin, NFTs, and a stake in a Bitcoin mining company. Recent financial disclosures also revealed crypto-related income tied to WLF Holdco.

The disclosures listed more than $65.6 million from the sale of equity in WLF Holdco, along with $236 million in token-sale proceeds distributed by the same entity.

World Liberty Financial has attracted close attention because lawmakers are currently negotiating federal crypto market structure rules. Democrats have maintained that the CLARITY Act requires stronger ethics language before they can support it.

The CLARITY Act is a comprehensive crypto bill intended to define market rules and agency roles. It would determine how digital assets are classified and how jurisdiction is divided between the SEC and CFTC, a long-debated question that has shaped U.S. crypto enforcement for years. The bill also addresses DeFi regulation, stablecoin yields, and investor protections.

Senate negotiations remain slowed by disputes over ethics provisions and enforcement mechanisms. The ethics question has become intertwined with broader concerns about whether sitting officials should be permitted to profit from digital asset ventures while shaping the rules that govern them.

Trump reportedly agreed earlier this month to an ethics rule barring federal officials from issuing cryptocurrencies. That proposal would designate the Department of Justice as the primary enforcer.

Some Democratic negotiators rejected this approach. Senator Angela Alsobrooks called the DOJ-centered proposal "an unserious offer" and said she would not support the bill in that form.

The ethics dispute remains one of the principal barriers ahead of a possible Senate vote in early August. Lawmakers still need to resolve whether enforcement powers should extend to state attorneys general. Until the CLARITY Act or comparable legislation passes, digital asset markets continue to operate under existing SEC and CFTC frameworks that were not designed for cryptocurrencies.