Surprise: Donald Trump's GOP Primary Picks Have Dropped Over $400,000 at Mar-a-Lago

[babylonsister]

Levin Report
Surprise: Donald Trump’s GOP Primary Picks Have Dropped Over $400,000 at Mar-a-Lago
Nice little moneymaking operation the ex-president’s got going there.
By Bess Levin
May 24, 2022


While Donald Trump hated the actual job of being president, one thing he apparently really, really liked about the gig was the many opportunities it gave him to make money off of the federal government, U.S. taxpayers, and anyone looking to kiss the ring. For example, during his four years in office, he made a regular habit of staying at (and pimping out) his for-profit properties, where we learned on Monday the Secret Service paid nearly $2 million for, as the watchdog group CREW put it, “the right to protect him and his family.” (This will likely come as a shock to anyone who gets their news from Eric Trump, who previously claimed agents stayed at Trump-owned properties “for free.”) Naturally, that figure doesn‘t even count the cash the other parts of the government had to splash out during various visits, including meetings with heads of state during which Trump charged for water. Meanwhile, it was an open secret among Republican politicians, foreign officials, corporate executives, and anyone looking to grease the wheels that their money would go far at the Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C, which was one of the many businesses the 45th president refused to divest from after being inaugurated and profited off of during his time in office. “Why wouldn’t I stay at his hotel blocks from the White House, so I can tell the new president, ‘I love your new hotel!’ Isn’t it rude to come to his city and say, ‘I am staying at your competitor?’” a diplomat told The Washington Post in 2016.

So obviously, it should come as little surprise to learn that many of the GOP candidates Trump has endorsed for Tuesday’s primaries have also been sending money directly into the ex-president’s pocket, but it’s nice to put a dollar figure on it.

CNBC reports that federal and state campaign finance records show that the campaigns of seven of the Republican candidates Trump has backed have shelled out more than a combined $400,000 at Mar-a-Lago this election cycle. According to reporter Brian Schwartz, Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s campaign has dropped the most cash by far, spending nearly $200,000 so far at the Palm Beach resort. (Trump endorsed Walker last September, and despite lying about his academic background, allegedly holding a gun to his ex-wife’s head a handful of times, and suggesting the jury is still out on evolution, he’s expected to win.) Other candidates spending thousands at Trump’s club include former Georgia senator David Perdue (over $20,000); Representative Jody Hice (over $38,000); and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton (over $45,000), according to campaign finance records. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, former Georgia state representative Vernon Jones, and former Trump White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders have also reportedly spent campaign cash to rent space at the Florida club.

In a text message, Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich suggested to CNBC that none of this was remotely unseemly, and that any Republican candidate hoping to raise funds is practically obligated to do so at one of the former president’s for-profit businesses. “In Republican politics today, there’s only two seasons that matter: Mar-A-Lago season and Bedminster season, because it’s where candidates, organizations, and donors want to be,” he said.

more...

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/05/donald-trump-gop-endorsements-mar-a-lago-400000-dollars

[calimary]

1. Kicking so I can find this later.

[spanone]

2. Quid Pro Quo

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. I'm waiting for the accounting of his pardons.

It's already been reported that Rudy and others were taking huge sums on the promise they would ask tfg to pardon people. Kosher being named as one selling promises to pardon.

[Baked Potato]

4. Elect a businessman they said. Bwaaaa Fucking Haaaaa.

Joke’s on us.