Voters See Political Profiteering as Corrupt and Support Accountability and Transparency Measures for Congress

Trust in the federal government is at an all-time low, and politicians in both parties have profited from being in office. President Donald Trump is selling Trump coins as well as rapid alerts to his Truth Social posts in exchange for $100,000 a month, while former Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has made $130 million in stocks over her career. 

New Data for Progress polling finds that voters view most financial gains in politics as a form of corruption, and they strongly support policies that would promote transparency and limit elected officials’ ability to profit from their role in government.

Fifty-nine percent of voters say that politicians should not benefit financially from their positions in office under any circumstances, including similar percentages across party lines. Another quarter of voters across party lines say politicians should not be able to receive direct payments, but should be able to use their knowledge to make investment decisions. Only 9% of voters say politicians should be able to freely participate in the economy without restrictions based on their role in government.