Mpls Star Tribune Editorial Trump crossed a line with donation to Florida AG

[riversedge]

Editorial
Trump crossed a line with donation to Florida AG

http://m.startribune.com/trump-crossed-a-line-with-donation-to-florida-ag/392944181/



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Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi solicited a campaign donation from Donald Trump in 2013, even as her office was looking into complaints that Floridians had been bilked out of thousands of dollars by Trump University. A political group working for Bondi’s re-election got a check for $25,000 from Trump’s nonprofit charity, the Trump Foundation. Bondi’s office later decided it had insufficient grounds to proceed with a lawsuit.

By Editorial Board , Star Tribune



September 11, 2016 - 1:13 AM



Donald Trump, who has railed endlessly about “Crooked Hillary,” who says he alone can upend a “rigged system,” has been confronted with his own conflict of interest — and it’s a doozy. Voters who still believe Trump will shake up the establishment should look beyond his words to his deeds.

Here’s the timeline: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi personally solicited a campaign donation from Trump in 2013, even as her office was looking into complaints that Floridians had been bilked out of thousands of dollars by Trump University. The AG’s office let it be known it might join a New York state lawsuit against Trump University. Days later, a political group working for Bondi’s re-election got a check for $25,000 from Trump’s nonprofit charity, the Trump Foundation. Bondi’s office later decided it had insufficient grounds to proceed with a lawsuit.

Trump has said it was all a big misunderstanding, nothing wrong happened — although he did pay a $2,500 penalty to the Internal Revenue Service because it’s illegal for nonprofit charities to give political donations.

His attempts to dismiss the incident are stunning even for him, given how much he has made of Hillary Clinton’s connection to the Clinton Foundation[/. The Star Tribune Editorial Board and others have said that the mere potential for conflict in that case was such that the Clinton family should separate itself from the foundation and that the foundation itself should close should she become president, transferring its mission to others or reincorporating under a different name.

With Trump there is no mere appearance, but something that may come very close to an outright payoff for an elected official — and through a charity, no less. The incident takes on heightened importance, because Trump has made plain how transactional he considers the relationship between donations and politicians. At one rally in Iowa, candidate Trump was spectacularly blunt. He gave money to politicians, he said, “because when I want something I get it. When I call, they kiss my ass. They kiss my ass.” He told the Wall Street Journal, “As a businessman and a very substantial donor to important people, when you give, they do whatever the hell you want them to do. As a businessman, I need that.” And as a president?

A donation from Trump is a bill of sale. You get money and he owns a chit to be called in at the appropriate time. Was this why, during the primary debates, Trump was so astoundingly confident that the legal claims against Trump University would never take him down? Are we to believe that, finally having his hand on the ultimate tiller of power, a President Trump would unrig this system? Or would he just employ it as the most powerful leverage ever devised for delivering on his wants as a leader?....................................

[Vogon_Glory]

1. Kicking, Screaming, Dragging Their Feet, The Lame-Stream Corporate Media Is Being Forced

Kicking, screaming, and dragging their feet, the lame-stream corporate media is being forced to look at the Donald's relations with Florida AG Bondi and other members of the Florida Republican Party.

It looks like the newspapers have been pulled in first. Just like Watergate two generations ago, I'll bet that the quivering jellyfish who run broadcast news will be the last to turn their attention to this major story.

What a sorry media news establishment we've got!

[Dustlawyer]

2. The Trumpster is guilty of multiple counts of influence peddling if you believe his

admission.

This practice is widespread and by all means not limited to Trump. It's why Wall Streeters didn't go to jail after the housing crash of 08. This is the root cause of most of the problems in this country! We allow legalized bribery of our politicians and no one investigates the quid pro quo's.

We need to serve notice we will no longer tolerate this practice! We need to use this moment to demand Publicly Funded Elections!!!