The New York Times reports that Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt privately recorded his intentions to give Donald Trump money in order to advance his business interests in the United States. Pratt wrote, “If Potus is having his election party at mar Lago I’ll book as many rooms as available,” because doing so would not only help Trump win the election but also “be good for business.”
The Times reports that, according to witness testimony to federal prosecutors, Pratt “spent $1 million to attend the party, well in excess of the normal charge.” That is to say, Pratt was not merely indulging himself in amenities offered by Trump’s private club but consciously using those payments as a vehicle to pay Trump directly.
While there is no evidence this alleged scheme violates any criminal statute, the colloquial term for this behavior is bribery.
Meanwhile, House Republicans are continuing to circulate allegations that President Biden was connected to his son Hunter’s influence-peddling business. Representative James Comer has made a series of uncorroborated allegations that the conservative media have uncritically promoted, insinuating that Joe Biden personally benefited from his son’s business. Republicans have produced communications between Hunter Biden and his father, which might be expected between a father and a son, but no clear evidence that Joe Biden received any payments stemming from Hunter’s work.
They are attempting, so far without success, to show Biden did what Donald Trump is proven to have done.
He spent it in hopes trump would return the favor. There is no evidence Trump requested it. I hope you keep the same attitude when looking at people who donated to the Clinton foundation.
There is no evidence he spent it in a vain hope without knowledge he was buying something, either. There’s an extremely suspicious money trail, and it should be investigated. There may be a criminal presumption of innocence, but there is at least probable cause of illegal activity here.
The Clinton Foundation is a charity. IF there was evidence of the Clintons using it to launder money, it should be investigated as well. You’ve already agreed there’s one side to the quid pro quo here. Nobody in their right mind would think donating to help children or the environment would earn them favors from the Clintons… but laundering dirty money through the rental of unused hotel rooms is actually the plot a crime show and security articles. Spending $1m on hotel rooms you don’t intend to use is a massive red flag on both sides of the equation. I’d go so far as to say that most hotels that became aware that kind of transaction was happening would reject it for liability reasons because it looks too much like a blatant laundering scheme…
In the typical laundering scheme, you then request a refund and receive it in clean money. When it’s a payment for something, obviously, you receive that something right at the end of the return window, turning the Hotel into an illegal semi-escrow.
Don’t get me wrong, charities can be used for the illicit transfer of money. But there’s a paper trail for that and inordinate amounts of money needs to go to someone.
This seems obvious to most rational people, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the guy you’re replying to fails to understand this.
The title literally says “Trump is actually guilty” despite there being no evidence he is guilty. Rich guys try to bribe politicians in roundabout ways all the time. I’m not discounting the possibility of it Trump being involved in it but there’s no evidence of it now yet the article is stating that he’s guilty. How is he supposed to prevent someone from buying up all the rooms in his hotels in an attempt to get on his good side? Trump is not involved in the day to day of his business and its not out of the question that he had no idea it was happening until after it happened.
Give me a break. What’s the point of bringing up the fact that it’s a charity if you admit charities are used for this exact purpose all the time. Why do you think the Saudi’s donated 10 figure amounts to the Clinton foundation? Because they believe in its charitable goals?
You’re misusing the word evidence. There is absolutely evidence that he is guilty. Whether it’s enough to prosecute is a question for those closer to the case. But, if you’re going to attack someone on the semantics, you should use your own words correctly.
I would say “try to” is an unsubstantiated addition.
Simple. If you see a transaction attempt that reeks of criminality, you reject it. If this rich guy had any intention of bribing a politician in roundabout way, there’s no way he went through the effort to hide the transfers so the Trump or the hotel couldn’t tell what was going on. Because then it wouldn’t work.
So you will agree the hotel was involved in illicit spending, or are you just trying to muddy the water by separating him from his for-profit businesses?
Because I’m an honest person and the only thing I attack is bullshit. You don’t donate money to a charity as a bribe without prearranged quid pro quo because the owners of the charity don’t just get to pocket the donation. This is not true of a hotel that is 100% owned by Trump.
Good question. It should be investigated (and was, heavily investigated with no proof of illicit behavior discovered). Unlike the $1M hotel thing, we need to see if any of that money reached Hillary/Bill. We KNOW the $1M hotel bill largely reached Trump’s pockets.
But take a step back and be honest with me. If I hand you $1M to curry favor, is that the same as if I hand St. Jude’s Hospital $1M to curry favor of someone who works there?
Also, all of the stuff about his private business dealings aside, Trump Foundation was also a charity. Emphasis on “was.”
Anyone know what happened to that charity? I bet it’ll only take one guess…
I can’t stop laughing. Yes indeed. Too bad that guy isn’t going to engage, since he was just here to troll.
Six months after leaving the White House, Jared Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince, a close ally during the Trump administration
Thoughts?
fucked up. hate jared kushner and he should never have been in power.
Objection, irrelevant to the topic at hand.
Lmao, weird that they accepted the money in that case, no?