Democratic lawmakers are questioning Amazon over concerns that its contract with first lady Melania Trump’s documentary film production company does not comply with federal anti-bribery laws.
In a March 15 letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, shared exclusively with USA TODAY in advance, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and other members of Congress asked Amazon to answer questions about how the deal came to be.
Amazon MGM Studios acquired “Melania” and its accompanying documentary series for $40 million, and spent an additional $35 million on marketing, according to the New York Times. The film follows President Trump in the weeks leading up to her husband’s second inauguration. Despite poor reviews and little new information about the first lady, the film had a strong opening weekend, grossing $7 million.
Lawmakers now say in a letter that they want to know whether Amazon paid “exorbitant amounts” to win President Donald Trump’s support.
“The fact that Amazon is paying well above market prices to produce and promote the Trump family’s film, while seeking preferential treatment from the Trump administration, raises questions about Amazon’s exposure under federal anti-bribery laws,” the letter said. “When giant corporations send tens of millions of dollars to the family of a sitting president, it not only raises questions about corporate governance but also risks undermining public confidence in the fairness of our economic and political systems.”
The letter says Amazon stands to benefit from preferential treatment from the Trump administration.
Trump frequently attacked Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos during his first term, but by the time Trump was reelected, it became clear that the two had developed a better relationship. Amazon donated $1 million to President Trump’s inaugural fund, and Bezos himself attended Trump’s swearing-in ceremony.
When President Trump announced widespread tariffs in April 2025, reports surfaced that Amazon planned to show higher retail costs due to the tariffs, drawing the ire of the White House. But Amazon quickly clarified that it would no longer display tariff breakdowns on its products, and Trump said he had spoken directly to Bezos about it.
“Jeff Bezos has been very nice. He’s been great. He resolved issues very quickly,” Trump told reporters about the call, according to the pool report. “He did the right thing. He’s a good guy.”
The lawmakers’ letter to Amazon alleges that the company has a financial stake in the Trump administration’s decisions, including its online retail monopoly, tariff and trade agreements, and FTC lawsuits alleging tax cuts. (Amazon’s legal representatives said at the time that the FTC’s lawsuit was “false on the facts and the law.”)
The letter also cites a USA TODAY report that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited one of the Bezos’ Blue Origin space facilities in February 2026. The company has received billions of dollars in defense contracts and was cited in the letter as another potential financial benefit for good relations with the Trump administration.
Lawmakers asked Amazon to respond to a series of questions about the Melania deal by March 30 to “help Congress understand the circumstances surrounding this deal and assess Amazon’s compliance with applicable federal anti-bribery laws.”
“Big companies should not be able to bribe their way out of paying taxes and fines imposed for breaking the law,” she said in a statement in response to questions. “If Amazon bribed the Trump administration, the company and its executives should be subject to criminal penalties.”
In the letter, Amazon is asked to explain the commercial basis for the film’s rights and marketing spending, its interactions with the Trumps and other officials related to the film, Amazon’s bribery and corruption compliance framework related to “Melania,” and all financial arrangements related to the film.
In addition to Warren, the letter was co-signed by Rep. Hank Johnson (R-Ga.), Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). Warren has issued similar letters of inquiry to companies, including another recent letter to Amazon over concerns about overcharging schools for essential items.
‘Melania’ could break documentary acquisition record
“Melania” is widely considered to be one of the most expensive non-concert documentaries of all time. The film was controversial from the start because it was directed by Brett Ratner, who hasn’t directed a movie since he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in 2017, although Ratner denies the allegations.
This is the first project for President Trump’s production company, Muse Films. The Times reported that Disney was the next bidder for the rights, offering about $26 million less than the $40 million paid by Amazon-MGM Studios. In another documentary comparison, the 2022 Oscar winner for Best Documentary, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Wasn’t Televised), was acquired for a record-breaking sum of over $12 million, Variety reports.
USA TODAY reached out to Amazon and representatives for Melania Trump regarding questions in the March 15 letter, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Lawmakers are not the first to raise allegations of bribery. Amazon has responded to such accusations in the past, saying, “The only reason we licensed this movie is because we thought our customers would love it.”
Little is revealed about the first lady in the documentary.
The film spans just 20 days, including the first lady’s dress fittings, meetings with designers, and travel between the Trumps’ homes, but not much was revealed about the first lady, who was not featured in her 2024 memoir of the same name. Instead, the focus was on picturesque visuals and an upbeat soundtrack. She described it as something other than a documentary.
“Some people say this is a documentary, but it’s not,” she said at the Trump Kennedy Center premiere, the day before the film’s theatrical release. “My films are very deliberate acts of authorship, inviting us to witness events and emotions through the window of rich images.”
The Atlantic reported, “Mr. Ratner seems desperate to find action, but nothing has come of it,” while Variety called it “state-sanctioned propaganda from Communist China in the 1960s.” As of March 13, Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 11% rating on the Tomatometer, but a 98% on the viewer-driven Popcornmeter.
This movie is available on Prime Video.
Contributors: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, Jay Stahl, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.
