Two Swiss Green Party lawmakers have filed a criminal complaint for suspected corruption against a group of Swiss business leaders who presented luxury gifts—including a Rolex clock and a one-kilogram gold bar—to Donald Trump during recent trade talks in Washington, reported RTS.
The complaint, submitted to the federal prosecutor by Raphaël Mahaim and Greta Gysin, asks whether the executives may have breached Swiss criminal law by attempting to influence a foreign public official. The gifts were reportedly offered in early November 2025 during discussions on US tariffs imposed on Swiss exports. Among the firms represented were Rolex, Richemont and MSC.
Mr Mahaim argues that the episode risks undermining the rule of law, Switzerland’s institutional credibility and its international reputation, warning that practices once considered unthinkable are becoming normalised under Mr Trump’s transactional style of politics—when power and corruption coalesce moral flexibility dressed in pragmatism can spread fast.
International anti-corruption standards generally regard any gift that could influence—or appear to influence—a public decision as unethical. Were such a situation to arise in Switzerland, gifts of this kind would belong not to the recipient but to the state—an arrangement that removes the element of personal influence. Some have defended the recent gifts, saying they are symbolic and belong to the US state rather than Trump.
Critics, including Céline Amaudruz of the UDC/SVP, dismiss the legal move as exaggerated while pointing out that such gifts in Switzerland would belong to the state. She argues that Switzerland’s close coordination between government and business is a strength, not a liability, and praises the trade outcome itself. The tariff deal reduces US duties from 39% to 15%, with exemptions for aviation and pharmaceuticals—a clear improvement, she says, even if far from ideal.
It is now up to the federal prosecutor to decide whether to open a formal investigation. If pursued, the case could ultimately reach the Federal Criminal Court.
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RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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