Spokesperson: Uday & Qusay "just floating an initial concept" of $1 million pay-for-play scheme

[Miles Archer]

Pictured above: Uday and Qusay Trump.

In a frantic bit of cleanup on Tuesday, Donald Trump’s transition team downplayed what appeared to be a pay-for-play scheme surrounding the upcoming inauguration.

A spokesperson for the president-elect said that, contrary to reports, Trump’s two eldest sons were not offering access to their father during next month’s inauguration weekend in exchange for $1 million donations to conservation charities. The foundation that had cooked up the scheme (which included hunting and fishing expeditions) was just floating an “initial” concept of an idea, the spokesperson said. Beyond that, neither Eric Trump nor Donald Trump Jr. were “involved in any capacity,” nor was the president-elect “aware of the event or the details pertaining to it.’’

Nevertheless, the episode still rubbed government ethicists the wrong way, and not just because Eric Trump remained on the board of directors of the charity behind the proposal. For these ethicists, the concern is that the Jan. 20 Trump inauguration writ large has become a vehicle for those willing to pay the right price to gain access to the top echelons of the incoming administration.

Even as the conservation charity idea appeared to crash before takeoff, the official inaugural committee was offering an underwriter benefits package that allowed well-heeled donors an audience with the president and his team. For $1 million, for example, a donor received benefits including access to an “exclusive event” with Cabinet appointees and House and Senate leadership, along with an “intimate dinner” with Vice-President-elect Mike Pence. Even those just willing to dole out $250,000, the gift was “an intimate policy discussion and dinner with select Cabinet appointees” among other goodies, including an opportunity to meet “the ladies of the first families” and “an elegant dinner in Washington, D.C., with special appearances” by the Trumps and Pences.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-inauguration_us_585ab3f8e4b0eb586484c84f?jkfkhd6yl5w3a0pb9

[shraby]

1. What's with the greased down hair on both of them.

They trying to look like 1930s era gangsters?
Or do they think it makes them look like brylcream guys?

It looks idiotic to me.

[meadowlark5]

3. They look like Christian Bale in "American Psycho"

What smarmy creeps they are. Eric has that same puckered butthole mouth like his dad.

[smirkymonkey]

16. Ugh! I know, I can't stand that mouth.

I can't stand the face or the person either, but the mouth just makes me feel stabby.

[lunatica]

6. They're short on the chin too

Both of them have heads that look like light bulbs.

[Motley13]

2. I would do it for $1.87, but I would want it up front, in cash

[onecaliberal]

4. Very creepy and we all know they were whoring out to make money.

[MFM008]

5. They got caught

Unless the get caught every time they will still do it.

[lunatica]

7. They're not used to the spotlight like this

They thought their past lives would continue. The past lives of sneaking, lying, going hunting, etc. There's nowhere to hide now.

I can't wait to see what happens when they go big game hunting now.

[yurbud]

8. a rec for headline alone

[yurbud]

10. on second thought, comparing Trump to Saddam gives Trump too much credit

Saddam was a tough, street fighter who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps.

Trump is a spoiled trust fund baby grifter, whose followers mistake his tantrums for toughness.

[MineralMan]

9. They have no clue about ethics. They're testing the waters

to see just how far they can push it. They're looking for ways to profit from Daddy's term in the White House, and they'll keep trying until they find some that work and don't get so much negative media coverage.

Donald Trump's presidency is going to be rife with grifting, and we're just getting a tiny taste of it right now. An amuse bouche, so to speak. Once we gobble up one of those appetizers, the dinner begins. And a costly disgusting-tasting dinner it will be, too.

Donald Trump et Cie - The Grifter Administration

[Javaman]

12. they pose like they are posting for a hitler youth poster. nt

[flamingdem]

14. Too true

[spanone]

13. they are professional liars just like their dad.

[kentuck]

15. Noses stuck so high in the air...

...if it was raining, they would have to put an eggshell over their noses to keep from drowning.

[Skittles]

17. gawd

they look like the Gestapo

[madokie]

18. Weird looking dudes

necks the size of a toothpick, hair all slicked back aka the '50s or something. Weirdo's no doubt

[duffyduff]

19. Trump's sons should be called Ootfray and Oopslay.

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=GSp3eHDYAx8

[Initech]

21. I just prefer to call them Patrick Bateman clones.

[Rex]

20. .