Senator Elizabeth Warren is leading a congressional investigation into Amazon’s $40 million acquisition of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, demanding to know whether the tech giant violated anti-bribery laws in an attempt to curry favor with the Trump administration.
The Massachusetts Democrat, joined by Representative Hank Johnson of Georgia and three other lawmakers, sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy demanding answers about the deal by March 30. At the heart of the inquiry: why Amazon MGM Studios paid such an unprecedented sum for “Melania”—approximately $26 million more than Disney, the next highest bidder—making it one of the most expensive non-concert documentaries in history.
The financial commitment extends far beyond the rights purchase. Amazon allocated a $35 million marketing budget for the film, bringing the total investment to $75 million. Industry experts have questioned the commercial rationale behind the bid, particularly since Amazon reportedly does not expect to recoup its investment on the project.
Approximately 70 percent of the $40 million payment—roughly $28 million—will go directly to Melania Trump. The documentary, which follows the First Lady through the weeks before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, earned $7 million during its opening weekend despite harsh reviews from critics who described it as “favorable propaganda.” On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds just an 11% critic score.
To put Amazon’s spending in perspective, the Oscar-winning documentary “Summer of Soul” was acquired by Searchlight Pictures and Hulu for north of $12 million in 2021—then considered a record-breaking amount. Amazon’s payment for “Melania” dwarfs that figure by more than threefold.
The lawmakers’ letter argues that Amazon has substantial financial stakes in decisions pending before the Trump administration. The company recently settled a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit over deceptive Prime subscription practices in September 2025, agreeing to pay $2.5 billion—including $1.5 billion in consumer refunds and a $1 billion civil penalty. Amazon also faces another ongoing FTC lawsuit alleging illegal monopolization of online retail, with trial expected in 2027.
“The fact that Amazon is seeking favorable treatment from the Trump Administration while paying a far-above-market sum to produce and promote the Trump family’s film raises questions about Amazon’s exposure under federal anti-bribery law,” the lawmakers wrote.
The relationship between President Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has noticeably warmed during Trump’s second term. Amazon donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Bezos attended the January 20, 2025 swearing-in ceremony. The tech billionaire has made conspicuous efforts to mend fences with Trump after years of open hostility during the first administration.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Bezos’s Blue Origin space facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 2, 2026, as part of the Pentagon’s “Arsenal of Freedom” tour. Hegseth heaped praise on the space venture, telling Bezos, “Blue Origin is going to do plenty of winning.” The visit underscored the administration’s deepening ties with Bezos’s aerospace ambitions.
A separate dispute over tariff displays was swiftly resolved after Trump personally intervened. When reports indicated Amazon was considering showing how Trump’s tariffs were affecting retail prices, the company quickly backed down. President Trump praised the outcome, calling Bezos a “good guy” who “solved the problem very quickly.”
The investigation letter, also signed by Senator Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, Representative Dan Goldman of New York, and Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, demands Amazon explain the commercial rationale behind its investment. It also seeks all communications between the company, the Trumps, and administration officials related to the documentary.
Amazon has pushed back on bribery accusations, stating: “We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only—because we think customers are going to love it.” Neither Amazon nor representatives for Melania Trump provided comment on the congressional inquiry.
Federal bribery law makes it illegal to offer anything of value to elected officials to influence official acts. The lawmakers have given Amazon until March 30 to respond to questions about its compliance framework for anti-bribery laws and all financial arrangements involved in the documentary production.
At his State of the Union address on February 24, 2026, President Trump referred to his wife as a “movie star,” drawing attention to the documentary’s high-profile release. The investigation adds another layer of scrutiny to the growing ties between the Trump administration and major corporations seeking favorable regulatory and policy treatment.