Trump once said that he “could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it.” That’s one promise he kept. It is also one of the many reasons why Trump’s swamp is “the swampiest swamp in the history of the swamp.” Here’s the latest:
Since January 2017, Republican campaigns and political groups have spent more than $3.5 million at Trump’s properties.
McClatchy: “In 2014, Political Spending At Trump Properties Was $35K. In 2018, It’s $3.5M”
Trump is running the government “like a private club.” White House staffers can now get merchandise at his New Jersey golf club at a discounted rate only available to club members.
Politico: “There’s an under-the-radar perk being offered to staffers in President Donald Trump’s administration — discounts on Trump-branded merchandise sold at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club.”
NBC’s Heidi Przybyla: “The golden rule of public service is that you’re not supposed to profit from it financially. This is a small thing, but we’re seeing much bigger symptomatic signs of this, that this president is running this government more like a private club or a business.”
Taxpayers spent more than $32,000 for Donald Trump Jr.’s business trip to India. Many bills are still unaccounted for, which has led to a lawsuit from the San Francisco ethics commissioner.
Washington Post: “Government records show that taxpayers spent more than $32,000 on hotel rooms for the security detail that accompanied Donald Trump Jr. to India earlier this year to promote his family’s luxury real estate projects — with many bills still unaccounted for.”
San Francisco Examiner: “In an attempt to prove Donald Trump Jr. misused taxpayer dollars on a business trip to India, San Francisco Ethics Commissioner Quentin Kopp on Tuesday sued the U.S. Secret Service for refusing to disclose how much it cost to protect the president’s son.”
The Department of Justice sued Ivanka Trump’s former business partner for massive fraud against the federal government.
Politico: “The Justice Department is suing a friend and former business partner of Ivanka Trump for his alleged role in schemes to defraud the federal government out of millions of dollars in tax liabilities on his father’s estate.”
The Illinois attorney general filed a lawsuit against Trump’s Chicago building for violating clean water laws.
Chicago Tribune: “Trump International Hotel & Tower is endangering fish and other aquatic life in the Chicago River, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleges in a new lawsuit targeting the president’s skyscraper for multiple violations of clean water laws.”