Democratic lawmakers have been criticized by Open AI CEO Sam Altman after what some commentators are calling politically motivated scrutiny of major technology executives following revelations that several Big Tech leaders personally donated to President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, revealed the letter he was sent by Democrats – though other CEOs likely received similar letters.
In a letter, signed by Democrat Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO), dated January 17, 2025, Senate Democrats questioned Altman’s motivations behind his donation, insinuating that it was an attempt to influence the incoming administration’s policies.
Read the letter in full here.
“Big Tech companies, including OpenAI, have made million-dollar gifts to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugural fund in what appears to be an effort to influence and sway the actions and policies of the incoming administration,” the letter stated.
“We are concerned that your company and other Big Tech donors are using your massive contributions to the inaugural fund to cozy up to the incoming Trump administration in an effort to avoid scrutiny, limit regulation, and buy favor,” the letter bluntly adds.
The letter asks a list of questions and demands a response by January 31st, 2025.
Altman’s contribution is among several similar donations from other tech leaders, including Amazon, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. These donations are now being linked by Democrats to ongoing federal investigations into antitrust violations and labor law breaches, raising concerns about whether lawmakers are weaponizing their oversight powers for political gain.
OpenAI itself is under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for consumer harm and faces a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) probe for allegedly misleading investors.
Altman responded to the inquiry with a pointed remark on social media, stating, “funny, they never sent me one of these for contributing to democrats…”
His comment adds to growing allegations of partisan double standards.
Despite the senators’ concerns, political pressure campaigns against tech executives also set a dangerous precedent, where political donations could trigger retaliatory investigations, especially when the same scrutiny isn’t applied on a consistent basis.
Several major technology companies contributed to President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021, also at a time where Biden was promising tech regulation. Notable contributors included: Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Qualcomm, Verizon, Comcast, Charter Communications, Anthem Inc., Boeing, Pfizer, Uber Technologies Inc., Lockheed Martin, Bank of America, AT&T, and more. These contributions were part of the $61.8 million raised for President Biden’s inauguration events.
While Democrats frame their inquiry as a necessary check on corporate influence in politics, critics commenting on X have contended that it smacks of hypocrisy and selective outrage.
