Trump has been buying state attorneys general

Posted by | October 5, 2016 23:00 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly Politics

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In most civilized countries, this would be considered bribery:

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has throughout his career given campaign contributions to state attorneys general while they weighed decisions affecting his business, a review of his political donations shows.

The issue recently surfaced during a controversy over his 2013 campaign contribution to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was reviewing a fraud case against Trump University.

Records show Mr. Trump, his family and associates donated in particular to attorneys general in New York, from Robert Abrams in the 1980s through incumbent Eric Schneiderman. The money was given often when Mr. Trump’s companies had decisions pending in these offices. Attorneys general are law-enforcement officials with significant oversight of business practices in their states. …

In total, Mr. Trump has given about $140,000 to a dozen people who either were state attorneys general or running for the post from 2001 to 2014, according to donation records. Some of the recipients returned the contributions. Totals before 2001 weren’t available.

Cynthia Darrison, a former fundraiser for ex-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat, said Mr. Trump persuaded friends and colleagues to donate, too. “He did a fundraiser for Eliot,” she said. “He had all his vendors come in and write checks—no different than anybody who I asked to raise $250,000.”

A few weeks ago, Mr. Trump acknowledged paying a $2,500 fine to the Internal Revenue Service for a donation to a committee supporting the 2014 re-election of Florida’s Ms. Bondi. The $25,000 donation was paid by his charitable foundation, an improper use of nonprofit funds under IRS rules. Mr. Garten said it was a clerical error.

 

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Copyright 2016 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo

David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.

* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.

24 responses to Trump has been buying state attorneys general

  1. Obewon October 6th, 2016 at 00:02

    Well the NY A.G. has this cease and desist order for Donnie’s foundation. The office of the New York attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, has issued a “notice of violation” to Donald J. Trump’s foundation, ordering it to immediately stop soliciting charitable donations in the state. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/us/politics/trump-foundation-money.html https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/05c0eb3f467504cd0f0fcd5d276353b84f363ae9b89b2306353e29acc2e7258f.jpg

  2. whatthe46 October 6th, 2016 at 00:23

    well that makes this portrait appropriate: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/541badc0bce4505e68cf37db713bb0869eb91019b4acd1d4c65fd9007f3f9de0.jpg

  3. oldfart October 6th, 2016 at 01:23

    Well, isn’t that what billionaires do ?

    • Larry Schmitt October 6th, 2016 at 08:36

      Bill Gates and Warren Buffet don’t. Maybe it’s just Republican billionaires.

      • oldfart October 6th, 2016 at 10:50

        Operative word republican.

  4. Buford2k11 October 6th, 2016 at 07:39

    Hmm…that is what the Koch brothers are doing as well…along with judges, school boards, county commissioners, etc. We are on the verge of losing what we have gained as a nation of freedom loving, and good people…we are losing the edge to those in the basket, who only see power and money for themselves, and then screw the rest of us…

  5. anothertoothpick October 6th, 2016 at 09:06

    Of all the stupid things the trump dummies believe about trump, being an “outsider” has got to be the stupidest

  6. Mensa Member October 6th, 2016 at 10:01

    On many days, I think the #1 reform we need is to go to 100% public financing of elections.

    Would it be expensive?

    Yes.

    We we save even more billions, maybe trillions?

    Yes.

  7. StoneyCurtisll October 6th, 2016 at 10:42

    Sam B has another good one…
    Rigged, Trump supporters speak out…
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Op9Bkpeu4s

    • Larry Schmitt October 6th, 2016 at 11:00

      Of course, it’s rigged because the candidate who is NOT the bigoted, tax-evading, misogynist, multiple divorcé without any valid policies to run the country, is likely to win the election.

      • StoneyCurtisll October 6th, 2016 at 11:34

        I hope you’re right…
        If the other wins, I fear the consequences..

    • Larry Schmitt October 6th, 2016 at 11:15

      It’s fascinating, and creepy, to see how their “minds” work as they try to explain themselves. And these people are allowed to have children and drive cars, and everything.

  8. Warman1138 October 6th, 2016 at 10:45

    Sounds like something the mob would do.

  9. Gary Parillo October 7th, 2016 at 04:47

    Isn’t that what most of the 1% do in our “democracy”? And we wonder why damn near every agency in this land is corrupt to the core.

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