Bill Moyers’ website pointed me to this shocking story by Dan Alexander in Forbes. As Moyers’ website asked, how low can you go?
LIKE AUTUMN LEAVES, sponsored Cadillacs, Ferraris and Maseratis descend on the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester County, New York, in September for the Eric Trump Foundation golf invitational. Year after year, the formula is consistent: 18 holes of perfectly trimmed fairways with a dose of Trumpian tackiness, including Hooters waitresses and cigar spreads, followed by a clubhouse dinner, dates encouraged. The crowd leans toward real estate insiders, family friends and C-list celebrities, such as former baseball slugger Darryl Strawberry and reality housewife (and bankruptcy-fraud felon) Teresa Giudice.
The real star of the day is Eric Trump, the president’s second son and now the co-head of the Trump Organization, who has hosted this event for ten years on behalf of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. He’s done a ton of good: To date, he’s directed more than $11 million there, the vast majority of it via this annual golf event. He has also helped raise another $5 million through events with other organizations.
The best part about all this, according to Eric Trump, is the charity’s efficiency: Because he can get his family’s golf course for free and have most of the other costs donated, virtually all the money contributed will go toward helping kids with cancer. “We get to use our assets 100% free of charge,” Trump tells Forbes.
That’s not the case. In reviewing filings from the Eric Trump Foundation and other charities, it’s clear that the course wasn’t free–that the Trump Organization received payments for its use, part of more than $1.2 million that has no documented recipients past the Trump Organization. Golf charity experts say the listed expenses defy any reasonable cost justification for a one-day golf tournament.
Additionally, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which has come under previous scrutiny for self-dealing and advancing the interests of its namesake rather than those of charity, apparently used the Eric Trump Foundation to funnel $100,000 in donations into revenue for the Trump Organization.
And while donors to the Eric Trump Foundation were told their money was going to help sick kids, more than $500,000 was re-donated to other charities, many of which were connected to Trump family members or interests, including at least four groups that subsequently paid to hold golf tournaments at Trump courses.
I move that we replace the word “grifter” with “trumpster”, rhymes with dumpster.
Good one, GregB.
You scratch my back I’ll scratch your back, hint hint hint!
Sounds like the Clinton Foundation could take lessons…perhaps donate a whole lot more and pay themselves less.
This is small potatoes compared with government corruption and the laws and regulations being inflicted on middle America by un elected federal bureaucrats (VA, SS, IRS, LRB, DOJ to name a few) who are on an undemocratic power trip. Our very lives, freedom and money are at risk. . Read Jay Sekulow’s book “Undemocratic” —we are all at risk.
So $500,000 was sent to other charities. Good for them. The big donors probably could care less so long as it did not go to a terror group, abortion clinic or a liberal politician/cause. But, if they were friends of Trumps, who knows, a liberal cause might have benefited as well.
April,
It doesn’t bother you that the Trumps skimmed money for themselves that was intended for children with cancer. What do the Clinton’s have to do with Trump’s scamming cancer patients? No matter how low he sinks, you defend him. Have you ever had a child with cancer? I have. Your comment offends me. Insensitive. Heartless. Cruel. Shame on you.
I get email alerts from Moyers. I am so grateful that he has put together a team of trustworthy reporters. Republicans are now saying the 2018 election will be a referendum on the media. Maybe so.
The Trumpsters and supporters are ethically challenged and show nothing but distain for the Constitution, judiciary, and Congress.
Trump was in Cincinnati doing a speech on waterway infrastructure and smoozing a local contractor as if the contractor had an inside track on federal dollars because he was a fan of Trump.
In any case. The local press published a USA Today fact-check on Trump’s speech. It was gratifying to see the rapid turnaround on that. The lies are non-stop.
The reporting on this sham was done by Forbes, not Moyers.
Even more amazing. Thanks.
You should always check out any charity with charitynavigator.org to get a view at their operations.
This is the normal workings of the Trump family, scamming and not paying whom they owe. Look at the history. And we have enough stupid idiot people that voted senior into POTUS. The money wasted on these POS of taxpayer money is/has been out of control and the Feds just let it happen.
The Feds let it happen because most if not all the federal government’s agencies are now led by Trump beachhead teams, and both Houses of Congress are controlled by the Republican Party to run interference and let Trump do what he wants.
Frauds + Frauds = Super Frauds.