Democratic lawmakers seek Pentagon probe into firms linked to Trump's sons

A group of Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday urged the Pentagon's Inspector General to launch an investigation after The Washington Post reported that 15 companies backed by U.S. President Donald Trump's sons had received $3.2 billion (around €2.8 billion) in federal contracts, investments and loans.

Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal and Tammy Duckworth, along with Representative Robert Garcia, called for an investigation into Defense Department contracts awarded to companies linked to Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr, CE Report quotes STA.

According to The Washington Post, companies backed by investment funds associated with Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have received more than three times as much in government contracts and other public financing during Trump's second presidential term than they did before he returned to office.

"We are concerned by growing signs of corruption and questions about whether the president's family and government officials are abusing their positions to influence Defense Department decisions, thereby undermining the competitive and politically independent procurement system designed to provide the U.S. armed forces with the best equipment and most effective technologies," the lawmakers wrote.

Trump's sons have built an extensive portfolio of defense technology start-ups in recent years, as the Pentagon has increased spending on next-generation weapons systems and advanced military technologies.

The Trump brothers maintain that their investments are driven by patriotic goals of creating jobs in the United States and strengthening the country's competitiveness with China in areas such as drones, artificial intelligence and other critical technologies.

Trump Organization spokeswoman Kimberly Benza said the president's sons are passive minority investors with no role in the day-to-day operations, strategic decisions or management of the companies, and have no influence over the awarding or oversight of government contracts.

One company backed by Donald Trump Jr., Vulcan Elements, received a direct federal loan of $620 million (around €540 million) from the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital. The Washington Post previously reported that the company was fast-tracked ahead of other applicants for the loan, while ProPublica reported that senior White House adviser Peter Navarro intervened on its behalf.

According to the lawmakers' letter, the Pentagon responded only by stating that the Office of Strategic Capital is committed to the highest ethical standards and conflict-of-interest procedures. The lawmakers described the response as inadequate, arguing that it demonstrated either a lack of awareness or a deliberate disregard for the possibility of corruption in the awarding of contracts, potentially at the expense of U.S. national security.

Donald Trump Jr.'s investments are primarily made through the venture capital firm 1789 Capital, which attracted billions of dollars in new investments after he became a partner in November 2024. According to The Washington Post, Trump Jr. is not a member of the firm's investment committee and does not make direct investment decisions, although he shares in the fund's profits as a partner.

Eric Trump invests in defense technology companies through American Ventures, an investment fund operated by Dominari Holdings. The firm is headquartered in Trump Tower in New York, and its executives are reported to have close personal ties to the Trump brothers.

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