A $400 million super PAC tied to President Trump’s political advisers has been described by him as “my money that I control.” This week, a campaign finance watchdog submitted a formal complaint to the Federal Election Commission, arguing that a sitting federal officeholder cannot lawfully run spending on behalf of that kind of group.
According to The New York Times, The group MAGA Inc. has received fundraising from Trump since his 2024 re-election win. Federal rules stop officeholders from steering how money is spent at organizations that face no donation caps.
Officeholders and federal candidates may ask for and steer gifts only to committees that must follow tight limits. Super PACs, by contrast, may collect and use unlimited soft money.
Watchdog filing leans on Trump’s own descriptions of MAGA Inc. spending
The Campaign Legal Center complaint highlights remarks Trump made in public, including comments from the Oval Office this month. “I’m going to spend whatever amount of money necessary to try to help us. And this is money from MAGA Inc,” he said. “This is my money that I control.”
Punchbowl News later asked him about plans for “MAGA Inc., the super PAC that you, your allies control.” Trump cut in to say, “Not my allies.” He then stated, “I control it.”
Saurav Ghosh, who directs federal campaign finance reform at the Campaign Legal Center and signed the filing, called the setup Mr. Trump described a “clear violation.” “As is often the case with Donald Trump, he says the quiet part very loudly,” Ghosh said. “This is a clear line he has transgressed,” he added.
MAGA Inc. spokesman Alex Pfeiffer rejected the filing as “frivolous” and said the Campaign Legal Center “smears the Trump administration.” He added, “MAGA Inc. fully complies with the law.” Questions about financial entanglements extend to the Trump and Lutnick sons, who have ties to federal mining deals carrying billions in taxpayer support.
On Sept. 4 in the Oval Office, Trump outlined how he said spending choices get made. “How do I make it? I sit down, and I say, ‘Let’s do this, let’s do that,’” he said. “I’m going to be making contributions to various campaigns of people that I think are good.”
The super PAC has reported $10 million in spending on the Texas Senate contest. By Thursday, two additional super PACs connected to MAGA Inc. and handled by Trump’s political operation had booked almost $140 million more, according to the account.
Statute language bars federal officeholders from soliciting, receiving, directing, transferring, or spending funds from soft-money groups. Ghosh said a sitting president cannot do that. The FEC’s six-seat board currently has only two confirmed commissioners, too few to convene a formal meeting.
Published: Sep 20, 2026 12:15 pm