«Breaking News» Trump's inauguration is probed over whether it was front for cash-for-access and influence

Federal prosecutors in New York are examining whether President Donald Trump's 2017 inaugural committee misspent some of the $107 million it raised, it was revealed on Thursday.

The investigation is also looking into whether some of the top donors to Trump's crowning event gave money in exchange for access to his administration, policy concessions or to influence the administration, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Money in exchange for political favors could violate federal corruption laws. There could also be a violation of federal law if funds were diverted from the inaugural committee, which was registered as a nonprofit.

The investigation came partly out of materials seized in the federal probe of Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen's business dealings, the paper reported. 

In April raids of Cohen's home, office and hotel room, federal agents obtained a recorded conversation between Cohen and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to Melania Trump, who worked on the inaugural events.  

Wolkoff, in their conversation, expressed concern about how the inaugural committee was spending its money.

Wolkoff, a former Vogue staffer who is one of the first lady's longtime friends, left the administration in February after reports her firm received $26 million in payments to help plan the inauguration. 

Trump's inaugural committee raised more than double what former President Barack Obama's first inaugural committee did.

Trump's funds came largely from wealthy donors and corporations who gave $1 million or more - including casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, AT&T Inc. andBoeing Co. , according to Federal Election Commission filings examined by the Journal. 

Prosecutors have asked Richard Gates, a former campaign aide who served as the inaugural committee's deputy chairman, about the committee's spending and its donors.

Gates has met with prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. attorney's office and the special counsel's office.  

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has examined whether any foreign money came into the inaugural fund, which is prohibited from accepting foreign contributions. In August, the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, on a referral fromMueller, obtained a guilty plea from a D.C. consultant who admitted he used a U.S. citizen to serve as a 'straw purchaser' so that a 'prominent Ukraine oligarch' could attend the inauguration. 

The names were never disclosed, the paper noted.

Since pleading guilty to eight counts in August, Cohen has been cooperating with prosecutors in New York and the special counsel's office. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to three years in prison.

 

 

Link hienalouca.com

https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/14/trumps-inauguration-is-probed-over-whether-it-was-front-for-cash-for-access-and-influence/
Main photo article Federal prosecutors in New York are examining whether President Donald Trump‘s 2017 inaugural committee misspent some of the $107 million it raised, it was revealed on Thursday.
The investigation is also looking into whether some of the top donors to Trump’s crowning event gave money ...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca





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