RNC pays face value for Trump party's luxury seats at World Series game
Source: Washington Post
The Republican National Committee paid $465 per seat in a luxury suite for President Trump, 11 members of Congress and senior White House staff to attend Sunday nights World Series game after the president said he wanted to attend, two officials with knowledge of the arrangement said Friday. The rate meant that Major League Baseball charged the RNC for about 30 seats at a total cost of about $14,000, according to one of the officials, who was involved in the payment. The suite was located along the third-base line near home plate.
The seats were much cheaper than even standing-room-only seats in Nationals Park, many of which were going for $1,000 or more on the secondary market before the Series came to Washington for games three through five. One of the Republican officials, who along with others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal RNC matters, said MLB charged face value for box seats and sent an invoice to the committee. A White House official said it would have been impossible for the president to sit anywhere other than a secure box because of Secret Service safety requirements. Spokespeople for MLB and the Nationals did not respond to requests for comment.
Members did not receive a ticket for the game and were whisked in with the president, according to people familiar with the arrangement going through a tunnel, into a freight elevator and into the luxury box about eight minutes before the first pitch. Both House and Senate ethics rules generally allow members to attend events free if they are legitimate fundraisers. But Republican officials said the game was not considered a fundraiser and the Trump campaign did not play a role, leading to questions among some members about whether they needed to pay for tickets.
We paid for the box because the president was there, a senior Republican official said. The official said that it was valuable for members to discuss issues with the president about their districts and the national political landscape.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rnc-pays-face-value-for-trump-partys-luxury-seats-at-world-series-game/2019/11/01/db3c5cf4-fc09-11e9-9534-e0dbcc9f5683_story.html
Can you imagine if the DNC had done something like this? It would have become "World Series-gate".
33taw
(2,447 posts)TwilightZone
(25,479 posts)It would be a bigger deal if they had.
Another thread on the topic from yesterday:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=12646669
BumRushDaShow
(129,440 posts)I.e., the RNC providing those tickets to whoever went into that box, would be considered a "gift" to those Congress persons that is not being applied towards some type of campaigning for them.
And if they had been regular federal employees and didn't pay for their own tickets, then they could potentially kiss their jobs goodbye (or at least face some kind of discipline including reprimands or suspensions), and I say this as a retired 30+ year fed.
DENVERPOPS
(8,844 posts)"and sent an invoice to the committee" LOL
If they know anything about Trump and Republicans, they should have collected cold hard cash before giving them the tickets......
I was excited that when Trump appeared in public, outside one of his MAGA rallies, that he was booed by the entire stadium.
That will be the last public event he dares show his face...............
DENVERPOPS
(8,844 posts)I was wrong, he showed up at Madison Square Garden last night for a crowd he though would be safe....MMA? fights.
They all booed him also.......Poor baby, gotta quit going to those non Trump rally events....
JohnnyRingo
(18,641 posts)I don't think the ball park would be allowed to scalp the tickets to the RNC through Stub Hub. If not Trump, someone else would have paid that amount because such luxo seats don't go to "the secondary market".
Having said that, $500 does seem pretty light, but such seats are reserved as gifts for VIPs and that amount is what would be claimed at tax time. I doubt Trump expected to pay anything at all, because... you know.
BumRushDaShow
(129,440 posts)not associated with any fundraiser and therefore not paying for that cost themselves.
JohnnyRingo
(18,641 posts)The article seems to indicate that the RNC paid the nominal amount for the tix. For tax or political contribution purposes, that amount is about $500 per. Certainly the party can put any Nazi ass they want in those seats once the check cleared.
It seemed pretty above board to me, for a change.
BumRushDaShow
(129,440 posts)What I posted here - https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2390124
I.e., the RNC providing those tickets to whoever went into that box, would be considered a "gift" to those Congress persons that is not being applied towards some type of campaigning for them.
And if they had been regular federal employees and didn't pay for their own tickets, then they could potentially kiss their jobs goodbye (or at least face some kind of discipline including reprimands or suspensions), and I say this as a retired 30+ year fed.
DENVERPOPS
(8,844 posts)That they "invoiced" them for the tickets.......I assume much like cities have "invoiced" them for security in their cities.
What makes anyone expect a check to be put in the mail??????? LOL
More likely, who says that the organization that "invoiced" them expected it to be paid..........
IcyPeas
(21,904 posts)even in Cuba
IronLionZion
(45,528 posts)there have been a few occasions where President Obama went for a walk out on the national mall, or the First Lady went shopping at Target or to cycling class. Those two also often visited local DC restaurants. And that's all while racists sent them death threats throughout his presidency.
I just don't see Trump or Melania doing anything like that. They believe the American people are beneath them.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)A con man and a former nude escort? Low life scam artists. Disgusting people.
NBachers
(17,136 posts)Koch Ebola
(831 posts)Throwing the ceremonial to the catching has been a American tradition for 109 years.
Trump didn't throw out the first pitch. Not only Trump is a cheapskate but he throws like a little girl.
My blog.
https://stephenjaymorrisblog.tumblr.com/
onenote
(42,759 posts)IronLionZion
(45,528 posts)LastLiberal in PalmSprings
(12,592 posts)The Trump campaign and RNC have a long history of stiffing cities who have had to put out hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide the security required for one of Fat Donnie's rallies. One mayor tried to get them to pay the money upfront, but the Trump folks made such a stink about it he backed down. I haven't been able to find out whether the city was ever paid.
left-of-center2012
(34,195 posts)"After the game, there was confusion among some offices on whether they were on the hook for the cost.
Cheneys chief of staff asked the White House at least four times on how to pay for the ticket
but did not get a response ..."
(from the linked article)
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rnc-pays-face-value-for-trump-partys-luxury-seats-at-world-series-game/2019/11/01/db3c5cf4-fc09-11e9-9534-e0dbcc9f5683_story.html
truthisfreedom
(23,155 posts)Schadenfruede galore.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)all the cities that had rallies, and were left holding their bills. tRump brags about how much he makes from fundraisers. Does he keep that money himself? Meanwhile cities like El Paso and others are left having to create ways to pay the bills. Newspaper should post a list of which cities are still waiting to be paid for tRump's fan gatherings.