Vice President JD Vance's financial disclosure and First Lady Melania Trump's $10.7 million (£8 million) earnings from Amazon's documentary have drawn congressional scrutiny over allegations that Jeff Bezos sought to buy political influence with the Trump administration.
The two disclosures, released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics on Tuesday, show Vance earning up to $7.4 million (£5.5 million), largely from Hillbilly Elegy royalties, and Melania earning $10.71 million (£8 million) from Amazon MGM Studios for her self-titled documentary.
Warren Calls $40m Amazon Deal 'Bribery in Plain Sight'
Senator Elizabeth Warren explicitly called Amazon's $40 million (£29 million) acquisition price tag for the Melania documentary 'bribery in plain sight' in letters to the Department of Justice and Treasury filed on 15 March 2026. Representative Hank Johnson joined Warren's investigation into whether the deal constituted a 'corrupt pay-to-play scheme' with the Trump administration, prompting formal congressional inquiries.
Industry reports from Variety confirmed the documentary's $75 million (£56 million) total budget included $35 million (£26 million) for marketing, making it the highest price ever paid for a commissioned documentary. Multiple members of Congress have written to Amazon president Andy Jassy questioning whether the project formed part of a pay-to-play arrangement.
The documentary garnered about $16.6 million (£12.4 million) at the theatrical box office worldwide despite Amazon's $40 million (£29.9 million) investment. The film registered a 6% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes despite a 99% audience score, with Guardian critic Xan Brooks calling it 'pure, endless hell' in his scathing review published on 30 January 2026.
MELANIA, the film
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 25, 2026
A Historic Moment
I am deeply humbled to have been surrounded by an inspiring room of friends, family, and cultural iconoclasts at the White House last night. Each of these individuals each brought their unique vision to the world, making a lasting… pic.twitter.com/NmAUuEQp2L
Amazon and Bezos Defend the Deal
Jeff Bezos defended the acquisition as a 'very wise business decision' and stated it was incorrect to claim Amazon's deal for the documentary was 'a way of buying influence' with the Trump administration, according to a CNBC interview on 20 May 2026. In the interview, Bezos acknowledged he understood why people had raised questions about the Melania documentary deal but insisted the allegations were false.
Trump dismissed claims that Amazon's substantial investment was an attempt to gain favour with his administration, calling those claims 'fake news' and emphasising 'it was done with my wife' regarding the $40 million deal.
Amazon's defence has been that streaming performance, not theatrical gross, is the real metric. The company has not publicly disclosed the documentary's streaming numbers, making it difficult to independently assess the deal's commercial rationale.
JD Vance's Crypto Holdings Under Scrutiny
Vice President JD Vance earned between $1.4 million (£1 million) and $7.4 million (£5.5 million) in 2025, with the majority stemming from book royalties for Hillbilly Elegy that generated between $1 million (£747,711) and $5 million (£3.7 million), according to the federal financial disclosure report.
His diverse investment portfolio includes cryptocurrency holdings and bitcoin worth between $250,000 (£180,834) and $500,000 (£373,748) held in a Coinbase account, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest. Vance's investment positions could raise potential conflict-of-interest questions within the Trump administration policies favouring cryptocurrency markets, though no formal charges have been filed.
The financial disclosure shows Vance's assets include real estate holdings alongside cryptocurrency investments, marking a significant increase from previous filings.
Vice President JD Vance disclosed holding over $250,000 in Bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/jgxg8C1JR2
— Crypto Town Hall (@Crypto_TownHall) June 30, 2026
Congressional Inquiry Seeks Answers
The political scandal surrounding these earnings continues as lawmakers investigate whether Amazon's payment was a corrupt attempt to influence Trump administration policies. Senator Warren and Representative Johnson have formally requested records from Amazon and the Trump administration about the deal.
No formal charges have been filed against any individual or company, and both Amazon and the White House have denied any wrongdoing. However, the congressional inquiry is expected to continue through the summer, with potential hearings later this year.
The scrutiny over both JD Vance's earnings and Melania Trump's Amazon documentary payment continues as lawmakers seek answers about potential influence-peddling. Trump's latest financial disclosure revealed Melania made a fortune from the Amazon deal, with Trump bringing in at least $2 billion (£1.5 billion) himself since returning to the White House.
