Federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into whether some of the top donors to Trump's 2017 inauguration gave money in exchange for access to his administration, policy concessions or to influence the administration.
The inquiry is particularly focusing on Middle Eastern donors like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
According to The New York Times, investigators are trying to determine whether those nations used straw donors to disguise their donations to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee and the pro-Trump super PAC, Rebuilding America Now, in hopes of buying influence.
Foreign nations are prohibited from contributing to federal campaigns, PACs and inaugural funds by law.
Federal prosecutors are also examining whether Trump's inaugural committee misspent some of the $107million it raised.
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Federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into whether some of the top donors to Trump's 2017 inauguration gave money in exchange for access to his administration, policy concessions or to influence the administration
The inquiry is particularly focusing on Middle Eastern donors like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
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.
'That doesn't have anything to do with the president or the first lady,' White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Thursday night. 'The biggest thing the president did in his engagement for the inauguration was to come here and raise his hand and take the oath of office. The president was focused on the transition during that time and not on any of the planning.'
The investigation came partly out of materials seized in the federal probe of Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen's business dealings, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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, WIS Media Partners, received $26 million in payments to help plan the inauguration.
She was an unpaid adviser to the first lady. It's unknown when the conversation between Wolkoff and Cohen took place or why it was recorded.
According to the committee's tax filings, Wolkoff's WIS Media Partners was formed 45 days before the inauguration and got paid the most of any vendor for its work.
Federal prosecutors are also examining whether Trump's inaugural committee misspent some of the $107million it raised. Prosecutors were acting off a tip from a conversation found on a recording during a raid of Michael Cohen's home, office and hotel room
The call was between Cohen and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a former adviser to Melania Trump, who worked on the inaugural events
Trump's inaugural committee raised more than double what former President Barack Obama's first inaugural committee did.
Supporters said the president's inauguration was so costly because no one expected him to win so all the planning was done at the last minute.
Trump's funds came largely from wealthy donors and corporations who gave $1 million or more - including casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, AT&T Inc and Boeing Co, according to Federal Election Commission filings examined by the Journal.
A lawyer close to the matter told the Journal that the inaugural committee has not been contacted by prosecutors.
'We are not aware of any evidence the investigation the Journal is reporting actually exists,' the lawyer told the newspaper.
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.
Supporters said the president's inauguration was so costly because no one expected him to win so all the planning was done at the last minute
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 US attorney's office in Washington, on a referral from Mueller, obtained a guilty plea from a DC consultant who admitted he used a US 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.
There have been other reports that prosecutors were interested in individuals with Russian ties attending Trump's inauguration.
The Washington Post reported in January that the FBI expressed concerns about several Russians connected to the Kremlin who were in DC, that weekend, and ABC News reported in June that Mueller was looking into how several Russian oligarchs were given access to invitation-only parties.
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-for-accepting-cash-for-access-to-middle-eastern-nations/
Main photo article Federal prosecutors are reportedly looking into whether some of the top donors to Trump’s 2017 inauguration gave money in exchange for access to his administration, policy concessions or to influence the administration.
The inquiry is particularly focusing on Middle Eastern donors like...
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
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/13/22/7399754-0-image-a-4_1544739264739.jpg
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