Another Trump swindle, when will his cult learn?
Nov 8, 2019 04:36:46 #
A series of contests for donors to Donald Trump’s e******n campaign to win a prize of sharing breakfast, lunch or dinner with the US president have been condemned as a “fraud”.
Media reports this week have cast doubt on whether the competitions produce real winners, fueling speculation that Trump, accused of swindling the public in past ventures such as Trump University, is at it again.
Richard Painter, a former White House chief ethics lawyer, spoke out amid deepening questions over the fundraising lotteries that, so far, the Trump campaign has been unable to answer.
“I’ve received dozens of these fundraising emails,” said Painter, who was George W Bush’s ethics counsel for two years. “If they have lunch or dinner, then it’s OK. If not, then it’s fraud. I’ve seen no proof that they actually happen.”
The issue was first raised by the Popular Information website run by Judd Legum, former editor-in-chief of ThinkProgress, a progressive news site. It scrutinized at least 15 contests the Trump campaign has run since last year offering the chance to win breakfast, lunch or dinner with the president.
“Supporters are enticed to donate to Trump’s campaign with promises of free travel, accommodations, and an ‘epic’ meal with Trump at various locations across the country,” the site said. “An investigation by Popular Information, however, did not uncover evidence that anyone has ever actually won.”
A second post by Popular Information identified a prize of breakfast with Trump in New York, advertised in hundreds of Facebook ads, as fraudulent. It noted that while Joanna Kamis was invited to a breakfast event in the city, Trump did not attend any meal with her and only took a photo with her later.
Painter, now a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, said: “You’ve got to have the lunch or dinner. People pay money to enter it and you’ve got an obligation to do what you say you’re going to do.
“If you did this is any other context, and you don’t have a winner, it would be fraud and you get sent to jail for that. You can’t just lie to people. We’ve had f**e lotteries in the past and it’s illegal.”
Media reports this week have cast doubt on whether the competitions produce real winners, fueling speculation that Trump, accused of swindling the public in past ventures such as Trump University, is at it again.
Richard Painter, a former White House chief ethics lawyer, spoke out amid deepening questions over the fundraising lotteries that, so far, the Trump campaign has been unable to answer.
“I’ve received dozens of these fundraising emails,” said Painter, who was George W Bush’s ethics counsel for two years. “If they have lunch or dinner, then it’s OK. If not, then it’s fraud. I’ve seen no proof that they actually happen.”
The issue was first raised by the Popular Information website run by Judd Legum, former editor-in-chief of ThinkProgress, a progressive news site. It scrutinized at least 15 contests the Trump campaign has run since last year offering the chance to win breakfast, lunch or dinner with the president.
“Supporters are enticed to donate to Trump’s campaign with promises of free travel, accommodations, and an ‘epic’ meal with Trump at various locations across the country,” the site said. “An investigation by Popular Information, however, did not uncover evidence that anyone has ever actually won.”
A second post by Popular Information identified a prize of breakfast with Trump in New York, advertised in hundreds of Facebook ads, as fraudulent. It noted that while Joanna Kamis was invited to a breakfast event in the city, Trump did not attend any meal with her and only took a photo with her later.
Painter, now a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, said: “You’ve got to have the lunch or dinner. People pay money to enter it and you’ve got an obligation to do what you say you’re going to do.
“If you did this is any other context, and you don’t have a winner, it would be fraud and you get sent to jail for that. You can’t just lie to people. We’ve had f**e lotteries in the past and it’s illegal.”
Nov 8, 2019 04:43:58 #
Kevyn wrote:
A series of contests for donors to Donald Trump’s ... (show quote)
If you ask really nicely maybe Trump will return your money
Nov 8, 2019 05:45:45 #
Kevyn wrote:
A series of contests for donors to Donald Trump’s ... (show quote)
Look, Trump's little minions will fall for anything so is that really fraud when the prey doesn't care if Trump were to rob them blind???
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