Ranking Member Raskin Probes Trump’s Corrupting of Federal Trademark Office to Advance “Board of Peace” Enrichment Scheme

Washington, D.C. (March 18, 2026)—Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to the Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) John Squires demanding information after the agency took the unprecedented step of filing trademark applications for the name and logo of President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace.” The move raises serious questions about whether the USPTO is being used to shield the ownership and financial structure of an organization reportedly controlled by President Trump and funded by billions of dollars from foreign governments, in striking violation of the Constitution

Last month, the USPTO submitted two trademark applications tied to the “Board of Peace”—one for the wordmark and another for its logo—asserting that the agency is temporarily stewarding the marks to prevent misuse. However, the filings do not identify the individuals or entities the USPTO is acting on behalf of, leaving the organization’s true ownership and governance unclear.

“[G]overnment ownership of trademarks must be treated with care, because the registration of a trademark would allow the government to penalize those who attempt to use it. Individuals who seek to satirize the term ‘Board of Peace’ might be less likely to do so after learning of this application, out of fear of legal action from the government. Trademarks exist to protect consumers and businesses. They do not exist to silence objectors to a governmental administration, and they should not be used to stifle free political expression, explicitly or implicitly,” Ranking Member Raskin wrote.

According to public reporting and leaked documents, President Trump has virtually unlimited control over the Board of Peace and its finances. It appears to operate as an unregulated international entity with little or no meaningful oversight. The lack of external governance raises serious concerns about potential personal enrichment by effectively granting President Trump unilateral control over billions of dollars in foreign pledges, along with a proposed $10 billion in U.S. taxpayer funds—despite Congress never appropriating any funding for the entity. Several foreign governments—including Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Kuwait—have pledged roughly $7 billion to support the Board of Peace. 

The filings also create a clear conflict of interest by placing the USPTO in the position of both applying for and adjudicating the trademark.

Excluding the recent “Board of Peace” filings, the USPTO owns only seven trademarks, all of which relate directly to the agency’s own operations and identity. The USPTO has no discernible operational role in the Board, and federal law prohibits the agency from owning trademarks for entities over which it exercises no control.

The USPTO’s involvement with the Board of Peace represents an alarming departure from both agency practice and federal law. Ranking Member Raskin is demanding records and information regarding the decision to file the trademark applications, communications with outside officials—including the White House and other Executive Branch offices—and the USPTO’s plans for ownership, examination, and enforcement of the marks.

Click here to read the letter.