Pay-to-play
Pay-to-play is the conditioning of government access, contracts, or favorable action on political contributions or related transfers of value. Concrete forms include solicitation of campaign contributions in proximity to pending official decisions, the channeling of contractors toward party-affiliated PACs, and the use of inaugural committees or transition entities as conduits for access. Lawful political contributions made openly and without quid pro quo are ordinary; the abuse is the linkage between the contribution and the official action.
Documented entries (2)
2026
Trump blocked Gordie Howe Bridge opening, benefiting Moroun family donors who gave $1 million to Trump super PAC
President Trump refused to allow the Gordie Howe International Bridge — a completed Detroit-Windsor crossing built jointly by Canada and Michigan — to open, causing cancellation of a scheduled June 11, 2026 grand opening at the last minute. The Moroun family, which owns the competing Ambassador Bridge and donated $1 million to a Trump-aligned super PAC, stands to benefit from the new bridge remaining closed. Canadian officials, including Windsor's mayor, publicly named the Moroun family's financial ties to Trump as the likely driver of his opposition.
2025
Trump signs EO 14351 establishing Gold Card pay-to-play immigrant visa, bypassing congressional immigration criteria
President Trump signed Executive Order 14351 on September 19, 2025, creating the "Gold Card" program, which directs the Secretaries of Commerce, State, and Homeland Security to treat a $1 million "unrestricted gift" to the Department of Commerce as evidence of eligibility for EB-1, EB-2, or national interest waiver immigrant visas — categories Congress designed for merit-based immigration, not financial payments. The order was published in the Federal Register on September 24, 2025. The program bypasses the EB-5 investor visa framework Congress established at 8 U.S.C. § 1153(b)(5), which requires demonstrated job creation and minimum investment thresholds; the Gold Card requires neither.