Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts and other Democratic leaders sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, over concerns that its film studio’s deal for First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, Melania was not in compliance with federal anti-bribery laws, according to a USA TODAY report.
Sen. Warren joined other lawmakers to call on Amazon about questions regarding how the deal came to be.
Amazon paid $40 MILLION for the rights to the Melania documentary—$26 million over the next highest bidder.
Why’d they overpay? Maybe because Amazon wants Trump to hand over a bunch of special favors.
Was the Melania movie one big bribe? We deserve answers. pic.twitter.com/HLCj2FDgmP
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 17, 2026
Melania is a documentary about the weeks leading up to her husband, Donald Trump’s, second inauguration. However, while the film earned bad reviews and is said to reveal little new about the First Lady, the documentary enjoyed a good opening weekend at the box office, drawing in $7 million. Amazon MGM Studios bought the documentary and its accompanying docuseries for $40 million. According to the New York Times, Amazon spent $35 million more on marketing.
Democratic lawmakers state in the letter that they now want to know if Amazon paid the “extraordinary sum” to gain favor with Donald Trump’s administration. The letter states:
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.
When corporate giants …. transfer tens of millions of dollars to the family of a sitting President, that not only raises questions about corporate governance but also risks eroding public trust in the fairness of our economic and political systems.
During Donald Trump’s first term as president, he often took aim at Amazon and its founder, Jeff Bezos. However, it quickly became clear that Trump and Bezos had forged a better relationship before Trump was reelected. Meanwhile, Amazon reportedly donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, and Bezos attended the president’s swearing-in in person.
Meanwhile, when Trump announced his widespread tariffs in April 2025, a report was seen that angered the President, where Amazon planned to display retail cost increases due to the tariffs. However, Amazon quickly promised not to display the tariff breakdown on its products, and Trump apparently spoke directly to Bezos about this.
“Jeff Bezos is very nice. Terrific. He solved the problem very quickly,” Trump told reporters about their phone call, adding, “He did the right thing. Good guy.”
The lawmakers’ new letter to Amazon states that the company has financial stakes in decisions made by the Trump administration. This allegedly includes an FTC lawsuit, alleging monopolization of online retail, trade and tariff deals, and tax relief. At the time, an Amazon legal representative said the FTC lawsuit was “wrong on the facts and the law.”
MELANIA, the film
I authored the story you are about to experience with purpose: the charm of laughter, the tenderness of transparency, and the determination to break new ground. pic.twitter.com/618OjmTaR1
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) January 30, 2026
Meanwhile, the lawmakers’ letter also refers to a USA TODAY report that in February 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited one of Bezos’ Blue Origin space facilities. Moreover, the company has received billions of dollars in defense contracts, which is cited in the letter as another possible financial interest in having a good relationship with Trump and his administration.
In the letter, lawmakers have requested that Amazon answer a series of questions on the Melania deal by March 30. The questions aim “to assist Congress in understanding the circumstances surrounding this transaction and in assessing Amazon’s compliance with applicable federal anti-bribery laws.”
“Giant corporations shouldn’t be able to bribe their way out of paying taxes or fines they’ve been issued for breaking the law,” Warren said in a statement responding to questions. “If Amazon is bribing the Trump administration, the company and its executives should be subject to criminal penalties.”
In the letter, Amazon is also asked to explain the commercial rationale for the rights and marketing spend on the documentary, as well as communications between Amazon, the Trumps, and other officials related to the movie. Explanations are also requested about Amazon’s compliance framework for anti-bribery corruption laws as relates to ‘Melania,’ as well as all financial arrangements involved in the documentary.
Besides Sen. Warren, Rep. Hank Johnson, R-Georgia, Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-New York, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, cosigned the letter. Meanwhile, Warren has issued similar investigative letters on corporations in the past, including another recent letter to Amazon over concerns it overcharges schools for essential goods.
Melania is considered to be one of the most expensive non-concert documentaries in history. It is the first project for the First Lady’s production company, Muse Films. According to the Times, the next highest bidder for its rights was Disney, offering around $26 million less than Amazon MGM Studios’ $40 million.
Reportedly, the lawmakers are not the first to accuse Amazon of bribery, but they have responded in the past by saying, “We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only – because we think customers are going to love it.”
