Sen. Elizabeth Warren is leading a congressional investigation into Amazon’s $40 million acquisition of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, aiming to establish whether the corporation violated anti-corruption laws in a bid to curry favor with the Trump administration.
The senator from Massachusetts, together with Rep. Hank Johnson from Georgia and three additional congressional members, dispatched sent a letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy requesting transaction details by March 30. At the heart of the inquiry is why Amazon MGM Studios offered an exceptionally large sum for “Melania,” approximately $26 million beyond Disney’s competing offer, positioning it among the most expensive non-concert documentaries ever purchased.
The $40 million sum also included the rights to a forthcoming follow-up docuseries starring the first lady, although no production schedule has been revealed.
The expenditure extended far beyond the acquisition cost. Amazon also allocated $35 million for promotional activities, elevating the total expenditure to $75 million. Industry experts have challenged the commercial rationale of the offer, particularly because Amazon does not expect to recoup the investment from the production.
Approximately 70 percent of the $40 million, around $28 million, is designated to flow directly to Melania Trump. The documentary, directed by Brett Ratner, who had not directed a film since facing sexual misconduct allegations in 2017, which chronicles the weeks preceding President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, earned $7 million during its opening weekend, notwithstanding harsh reviews that labeled it “favorable propaganda.” On Rotten Tomatoes, critics awarded it merely an 11 percent score. The production ultimately earned $16.7 million at the box office.
The documentary began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on March 9, accessible in over 240 countries and territories. Amazon has stated it anticipates the streaming launch to produce ad revenue and stimulate new Prime subscriptions, which it views as fundamental to the film’s long-term financial justification.
For comparison, the Oscar-winning documentary “Summer of Soul” was purchased by Searchlight Pictures and Hulu for more than $12 million in 2021 — at the time regarded as a record. Amazon’s payment for “Melania” surpasses that amount by more than three times.
The lawmakers’ correspondence argues that Amazon has substantial financial interests in issues before the Trump administration. The corporation recently resolved a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit regarding 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 fine. Amazon is also contesting another FTC suit charging it with 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.
Warren added in a public comment: “Giant corporations shouldn’t be able to bribe their way out of paying taxes or fines they’ve been issued for breaking the law. If Amazon is bribing the Trump administration, the company and its executives should be subject to criminal penalties.”
Relations between President Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos have markedly improved during Trump’s second term. Amazon contributed $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Bezos attended the Jan. 20, 2025, swearing-in. The lawmakers also noted that Amazon donated an undisclosed sum toward the construction of a $300 million ballroom at the White House, which they cited as further evidence of a pattern of financial deference to the administration. The billionaire has taken conspicuous steps to mend relations with Trump following years of antagonism during the first administration.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Bezos’ Blue Origin facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Feb. 2, 2026, as part of the Pentagon’s “Arsenal of Freedom” tour. Hegseth praised the company, telling Bezos, “Blue Origin is going to do plenty of winning.” The trip highlighted growing connections between the administration and Bezos’s aerospace projects.
A separate tariff dispute was swiftly resolved after Trump intervened. When reports suggested Amazon might show how Trump’s tariffs were affecting retail prices, the company retreated. President Trump lauded the result, calling Bezos a “good guy” who “solved the problem very quickly.”
The investigation letter, also signed by Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, requests that Amazon justify the commercial reasons for its spending and provide all communications between the company, the Trumps, and administration officials related to the documentary.
Amazon has rejected the bribery allegations, stating: “We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only—because we think customers are going to love it.”
Federal bribery statutes prohibit offering anything of value to elected officials to influence their official actions. Lawmakers gave Amazon until March 30, 2026, to explain its anti-bribery compliance measures and disclose all financial arrangements tied to the documentary’s production.
Separately, Bezos hosted Washington Post editors and reporters for a private lunch at his Washington, D.C. residence on March 13, where he defended the acquisition. He said he was not personally involved in the “Melania” negotiations, denied the purchase was meant to curry favor with the Trump administration, and maintained the investment could still pay off.
At his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026, President Trump referred to his wife as a “movie star,” drawing attention to the documentary’s prominent release. The probe adds further scrutiny to the expanding ties between the Trump administration and large corporations seeking favorable regulatory or policy outcomes.