Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Made over $420,000 Selling Access to the President-elect on New Year's Eve

[n2doc]

"The transition is not concerned about the appearance of a conflict," a spokesperson said.
by Lauren Duca

According to Politico, Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida charged a reported minimum of $525 per person for a New Year's Eve celebration that Trump and his family were set to attend. On Friday, Trump's incoming White House press secretary told reporters that the party was "sold out," with over 800 guests expected at the event. That's more than $420,000 made off of dinner, dancing, and access to the incoming President of the United States.

Incoming White House Director of Strategic Communications Hope Hicks attempted to dismiss concern that the Mar-a-Lago's pricy New Year's Eve Party comprised yet another conflict of interest issue for Trump. "The transition is not concerned about the appearance of a conflict," she told Politico. "This is an annual celebratory event at the private club, like others that have continued to occur since the election. Additionally, the president cannot and does not have a conflict."

To be clear, simply saying "the president cannot and does not have a conflict" in no way eliminates the obvious potential conflict of interest. Previous issues include but are not limited to Trump's hotel in Washington D.C. and its pay-for-play potential, Trump's attempt to prevent development on British wind farm because it would block the view from his golf course, and his diplomacy-disrupting call to Taiwan after scoping out the possibility of building Trump property in the region. There are a lot of other examples.

more
http://www.teenvogue.com/story/trump-mar-a-lago-conflict-of-interest

[pangaia]

1. I advertised a party at my place for free and nobody came...

Maybe I should have charged..

[mopinko]

11. rent party!

my ace in the hole for my old, old age. i give good party.

[edhopper]

2. Tip of the ice berg

all his policies will enrich him, and no one will do squat about it.

[bettyellen]

5. He'd have weekly paid parties if he could

[Mc Mike]

3. A little scam here, a little scam there, it all adds up for der dRumpfenfuhrer.

He'd steal a nickel from a blind homeless beggar in the bowery. Stealing and getting an extra 5 cents in the balance sheets is how he feels alive.

Well, that and sexual assault, and getting even with someone who wronged him 40 years ago.

[heaven05]

4. JFC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

damn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and the dumb assholes who voted for the owner of this shangri-la think they can afford to live in a place like this when their fuhrer brings back all the lost manufacturing and high paying jobs.....not Ignorance is rife in this culture......

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. That money would change most folks lives but it's chump change to Drumpf*

*if he's as rich as he claims

[Tikki]

16. Actually, it is chump change....makes me think he was hoping for more high rollers...

who didn't and will never show up.*


Tikki
*see inauguration

[Docreed2003]

7. "Cannot and does not have a conflict"

Unless there is pushback, Trump will continue to use the office to enrich himself and those around him. We desperately need a media and political leaders who will have the courage to stand up to this egregious ethical nightmare.

[edhopper]

8. That is the question

so far it seems we don't have those people.
Trump is largely getting a free ride.

[Docreed2003]

10. I know...and how much weight will our voices carry?

I have a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that if net neutrality rules is abolished, sites like this may conveniently have their traffic slowed down to the point that their utility is crushed.

We must be our own voices in some ways, but we also must force our leaders to be accountable. This forum is a great place to encourage and foster resistance and share ideas. Again, I think we must be the voices we seek. How we do that, I suppose, is up to us to decide.

[edhopper]

12. we are largely talking to ourselves

when have the Dem leaders listened to us?

[BlueCaliDem]

9. It's as if he's BEGGING for Congress to impeach him. Maybe that's been the plan all along? Impeach

him after he's gotten all the business connections he could handle so he could continue with business with higher profits and let Pence become president?

Because I just can't believe tRump is this stupid. Honestly.

Maybe we're looking at a GOP kabuki dance? Get people on the Left and Democrats to hate tRump enough to push elected Dems to stand with Repukes when Congress launches impeachment proceedings in order to impeach and remove tRump so that Pence can become president?

Didn't tRump tell Kasich during the presidential campaign (in which he was pretty certain he'd win--and now we know where that certainty came from) that if he accepted his offer to become his running mate and they win, he'll have full control of domestic and foreign policy like, you know, what the president is supposed to do?

[peggysue2]

15. No, Not So Stupid

I don't think Trump is this stupid but I do think he's this arrogant. He's been getting away with shit and lying his entire life because he feels entitled, be it in his business 'deals' or his interactions with others. A seventy-year old man is not going to change his stripes on a dime. He admitted to being greedy, greedy, greedy his entire life. This is just more of the same.

As for impeachment? I think it's baked in the cake. Then we'll have Pence to contend with.

But the Republicans will own this disaster, completely.

[They_Live]

13. And how much did we pay for his security while he was cashing in?

Are we paying for his private security guys AND Secret Service?

[n2doc]

14. You know we are

The amount that the grifter will take from the US treasury will be Huge!

[NastyRiffraff]

17. "The Selling of the President"

by Joe McGuiness was a classic account of the 1968 presidential campaign. Trump gives the title a whole new meaning.

[LittleGirl]

18. They don't care! eom

[MrModerate]

19. This makes up for the fact . . .

That the president's salary is a measly $400,000 a year.

[Vinca]

20. Don is now running the biggest con of his life and we'll be footing the bill.