Memo
Trump’s Transition: Confirmation Hearings Confirm Trump’s Wealthy First, Workers Last Agenda

This week, Senate confirmation hearings were held for several of President-elect Trump’s nominees for key administration posts, including Secretary of Defense, Attorney General, and Treasury Security. While nominees faced different committees and lines of questioning, the strategy was the same across the board: deny their extreme records and dodge questions about whose interests they really intend to serve.
One by one, nominees shrugged off their own conflicts of interest and made no effort to deny that the interests of billionaires, wealthy campaign donors, big corporations, and Donald Trump himself will always be the top priority for the next administration.
Working Americans were promised a President that would look out for them. Instead, they are getting an administration stacked with the super-wealthy (including five billionaires), Wall Street insiders, industry lobbyists, corporate shills, and Project 2025 architects who are ready on Day One to enact an agenda that benefits people like them at the expense of everyone else.
Let’s review this week of Trump nominee confirmation hearing red flags.
CONFIRMATION HEARING LOWLIGHTS
Pete Hegseth, nominee for Secretary of Defense
- Press Release: Hegseth Dodges Questions on Personal Misconduct, Extremism, and Inexperience
- Hegseth Fact Sheet
- Video Clips:
Russ Vought, nominee for Director of Office of Management and Budget
- Press Release: Russ Vought Ducks Concerns He Plans to Cut Social Security, Medicare and Fire Civil Servants
- Vought Fact Sheet
- Video Clips:
Chris Wright, nominee for U.S. Energy Secretary
- Press Release: Oil Man Chris Wright Offers No Apologies for His Company’s Misconduct
- Wright Fact Sheet
Scott Bessent, nominee for U.S. Treasury Security
- Press Release: Scott Bessent All-In On National Trump Sales Tax Against Working People, Deficit-Exploding Tax Giveaway For Fellow Billionaires
- Bessent Fact Sheet
- Video Clips:
Pam Bondi, nominee for U.S. Attorney General
- Press Release: Pam Bondi’s Unanswered Questions on Lobbying Conflicts, Cronyism, Record of Selling Out Office
- Bondi Fact Sheet
- Video Clips:
Kristi Noem, nominee for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
- Press Release: Kristi Noem Elevates Concerns Over Character, Ability to Protect Homeland from Threats
- Noem Fact Sheet
- Video Clip:
Sean Duffy, nominee for secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation
Doug Burgum, nominee for Secretary of the Interior
- Press Release: Doug Burgum Fuels Concern He’ll Put Oil & Gas Industry Profits Over America’s Public Lands, Taxpayers
- Burgum Fact Sheet
- Video Clips:
ACCOUNTABLE.US IN THE NEWS:
- New York Times: Doug Burgum, Trump’s Choice for Interior, Aims for ‘Energy Dominance’: “Governor Burgum’s close friendship and financial relationship with billionaire oil and gas executive Harold Hamm presents a clear conflict of interest for the nominee slated to oversee the federal oil and gas leasing program,” said Tony Carrk, the executive director of Accountable.US, a watchdog group.
- Salon: “Rigging the system”: Pam Bondi consistently sided with corporations that gave money to Republicans
- Associated Press: Watchdog group seeks investigation into RFK Jr. for voting from a ‘sham’ address
- Politico: Watchdog group accuses RFK Jr. of voter fraud
- USA Today: Donald Trump’s company will avoid deals with foreign governments but not foreign companies: Ethics watchdog Tony Carrk said his organization Accountable.us would be working to make sure the Trump White House abides by its pledges. “I think people do care. People want to know their elected officials are working for us and not themselves,” Carrk said. “Is that the top of mind issue every day? Maybe not. But I’m sure there are examples where a decision is made and after the fact it benefited him personally… and hurt average people.”
- U.S. News & World Report: Do Dr. Oz’s Health Care Stocks Create a Conflict of Interest?: According to a December statement from Accountable.US, a nonpartisan research group focusing on corporate and official special interest ties, Oz reported the stock holdings in public filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2022. Accountable.US found no evidence that Oz had sold his positions as of December 2024.
- Common Dreams: Hearing for Trump DOT Pick Highlights Conflicts of Interests, Push for More Auto Pollution
RECENT RELEASES FROM ACCOUNTABLE.US:
- Report: Trump AG Pick Bondi Frequently Sold Out Her Former Office to Big Corporate Donors at Public’s Expense
- Watchdog: Kristi Noem Brings Even More Conflicts of Interest for Incoming Trump Administration
- Watchdog: Senate Democrats Should Not Fast-Track Any Trump Nominee
- Incoming Trump Officials Need to Convince Us They Will Put Working Families Ahead Of The Interests of Themselves and Their Wealthy and Corporate Benefactors