Rep. Min Introduces Legislation to Hold Trump Accountable for Targeting Law Firms, Universities, and Nonprofits 

Washington, D.C. —  Today, Representative Dave Min (CA-47) introduced the Disclosure of Engagements with Attorney Law Firms (DEAL) Act to hold Donald Trump accountable for his almost certainly illegal settlements with nine major law firms, by requiring the Government Accountability Office’s Comptroller General to conduct a study on whether these agreements violate the Miscellaneous Receipts Act. This study would also potentially lay the groundwork for future efforts to stop Trump from his unprecedented efforts to intimidate universities, nonprofits, and media companies into agreeing to massive settlement agreements. 

 The Miscellaneous Receipts Act (MRA) requires any money collected by federal agencies or departments in the executive branch to be deposited into the Treasury, preventing the agencies and the executive office from using taxpayer money received for their own use without explicit authorization from Congress. This Act is intended to stop corruption and safeguard Congress’s authority over the federal budget. Trump did not receive approval from Congress to make settlement agreements with law firms totaling nearly a billion dollars in value, nor is it clear how he plans to use these funds, or the funds his administration is demanding from universities like Harvard and the UC system.  

These agreements are likely illegal and violate the Miscellaneous Receipts Act (MRA), and a report from the Comptroller General would offer substantive proof of Trump's wrongdoing. Specifically, the DEAL Act would require the Comptroller General to study and report on the settlements made by the nine law firms to determine if they violated the MRA.  

As a member of the House Oversight Committee, Rep. Min continues to lead on this issue. He sent letters to each of the nine law firms demanding answers about their agreements with Trump, and found their responses to be troubling and unsatisfactory. The law firms doubled down on their deals, which prompted another round of letters from Rep. Min seeking additional clarification (which they refused to provide). 

The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Delaney (MD-06), Hank Johnson (GA-04), and Thanedar (MI-13).  

Read the full text here.    

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