Staff ReportsThe big “scandal” this week is that Vice President JD Vance reported he earned more money from his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy. Yes, you read that right: reporters treated a spike in book royalties like it was a Washington emergency. The real story is not that a best-selling author made money — it’s that the media has lost all sense of what counts as news.
The disclosure that started it
The 2025 OGE financial-disclosure filing for Vice President JD Vance shows domestic royalties for Hillbilly Elegy in the $1,000,001–$5,000,000 range, up from the $50,001–$100,000 bracket reported last year. That bracket jump is what triggered the headlines. The same filing also lists foreign publishing advances — including a roughly $59,500 payment from a Chinese publisher — and a Coinbase account holding bitcoin valued between $250,001 and $500,000. Journalists ran the numbers and estimated an upper-range total income for the year; remember, those totals are estimates because OGE uses ranges, not exact dollar amounts.
Don’t be fooled by outrage theater
Here’s the plain truth: when you write a best-selling book that was turned into a movie, rights and royalties don’t magically stop. They ebb and flow. Movie releases, foreign rights deals, and licensing can produce one-off jumps in a later year — that’s publishing 101. The OGE form uses wide income ranges, so a $1M–$5M bracket could come from accumulated royalties, an international rights payout, or delayed movie-related income. Pointing at that bracket and acting shocked is either lazy reporting or deliberate theater.
Foreign advances and crypto eyebrow-raisers
Yes, the form lists foreign advances and a Chinese publisher payment. That’s worth noting and deserves transparency — it’s why we have OGE filings. It’s also not the same thing as wrongdoing. The bitcoin holding in the $250K–$500K range and under $201 reported Coinbase income look odd only if you don’t understand that holdings and realized income are different. The filing gives citizens a window into potential conflicts, and Vice President Vance disclosed these items. If anyone wants to make a real ethics case, fine — but don’t pretend routine royalties and a listed foreign advance are a scandal by themselves.
Bottom line
Vice President JD Vance’s 2025 financial-disclosure filing did what it’s supposed to do: it revealed income ranges and assets so the public can see potential conflicts. The jump in Hillbilly Elegy royalties is explainable by normal publishing and licensing mechanics. The media’s faux astonishment says more about their bias and theater-of-outrage culture than it does about Vance’s conduct. If the press wants a real scoop, try covering real policy fights or actual corruption instead of acting surprised that an author earned money from his book.
