"The five corporations with the most federal investigations or cases against them are Tesla (7), Amazon (6), Pfizer (5), Wells Fargo (4), and SpaceX (4)."
Public Citizen found that of 192 individual corporations currently
facing federal probes or cases, a third "have known ties with the Trump
administration."
"They or their executives have either contributed to
his inauguration, or Trump has nominated their former employees, investors, and
lobbyists," the group noted.
Public Citizen said its new Corporate Enforcement Tracker will
serve as "a resource for watchdogging ongoing federal investigations and
cases against alleged corporate wrongdoing that are at risk of being dropped,
weakened, or otherwise modified by the incoming Trump administration."
Corporate prosecutions plummeted to a 25-year low during Trump's first term, and Public Citizen's Rick Claypool—who is heading the new project—predicted that "it's likely Trump's second term will see a similar or worse drop-off in enforcement."
"Corporate crime enforcement fell during Trump's first
term," Claypool noted, "even as his administration pursued 'tough'
policies against immigrants, protestors, and low-level offenders."
Four of the companies listed on Public Citizen's tracker—Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and X—are helmed by billionaire Elon Musk, who donated heavily to Trump's presidential campaign and is set to co-lead a new advisory commission tasked with identifying spending and regulations to eliminate.
Tesla is facing investigations by the Justice Department,
Securities and Exchange Commission, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, and other agencies—probes that could be shut down by the
incoming administration, which is set to be packed with lobbyists and billionaires.
Reuters reported last
week that "Musk's potential to have extraordinary clout with the new
administration raises questions about the fate of federal investigations and
regulatory actions affecting his business empire, of which at least 20 are
ongoing, according to three sources familiar with SpaceX and Tesla operations
and the companies' interaction with the U.S. government, as well as five
current and former officials who have direct knowledge of individual probes
into Musk's companies."
"The inquiries include examinations of the alleged
securities violations; questions over the safety of Tesla's Autopilot and Full
Self-Driving (FSD) systems; potential animal-welfare violations in Neuralink's
brain-chip experiments; and alleged pollution, hiring-discrimination, and
licensing problems at SpaceX," the outlet noted.
Public Citizen also highlighted 16 companies that have
donated to Trump's inaugural fund as they face federal investigations or
enforcement actions: Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Bank of America, Coinbase, Ford, Goldman
Sachs, Kraken, Meta, OpenAI, Pfizer, Ripple, Robinhood, Stanley
Black & Decker, Toyota, and Uber.
"The five corporations with the most federal
investigations or cases against them are Tesla (7), Amazon (6), Pfizer (5),
Wells Fargo (4), and SpaceX (4)," the group said in a statement.
Concerns about the fate of investigations into major U.S.
companies were amplified by Trump's choice to lead the Justice
Department. Public Citizen noted Tuesday that Amazon and Republic
Services, two lobbying clients previously represented by Trump attorney general
pick Pam Bondi, are among the corporations currently facing federal cases or
investigations.
In a separate report published Wednesday, Public
Citizen said that Bondi's record as a lobbyist raises "serious questions
about potential conflicts of interest" and provides "sufficient
grounds for senators to deny her confirmation."
"We depend on the DOJ to vigorously enforce our laws,
hold corporate wrongdoers accountable, and protect the rule of law," said
Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert. "Pam Bondi is simply
inappropriate for this post."
