For years, the alien geniuses at the Church of Scientology poured money into keeping L. Ron Hubbard’s books at the top of best seller lists by shipping freight car loads to Scientology headquarters. Similar things have happened with books by conservative political figures like Newt Gingrich, whose sales were boosted by political organizations buying up wholesale lots. The practice forced most lists of best-selling books to adjust their methodology so rankings better reflect what real people are really buying.
Now it’s Donald Trump’s turn. Small donors to Donald Trump have been driving up sales of a book Trump didn't write—even if they don’t know it.
The Republican nominee directed $300,000 of small donors’ money to the publisher of his bestselling business book “The Art of the Deal” in the past month, according to a Monday Huffington Post review of the Trump Make America Great Again Committee’s most recent FEC report.
Trump is then turning around and using the robo-signed books to make a pitch for more money.
“I’ve signed an out-of-print, hardcover copy of ‘The Art of the Deal’ just for you, because I want you on board with Team Trump!” Trump wrote in an August 2 fundraising email that offered the book for a minimum donation of $184.
The book is not out of print. It’s available for less than $12 on Amazon … in fact, if you were so inclined you could get a first edition, signed version for about one-third the price of Trump’s very special offer to his supporters. But hey, if you buy one of those old ones, it doesn’t pay royalties to Trump. The purchases the campaign is making are directly turning contributions from donors into dollars for Donnie’s pocket.
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Meanwhile, the actual author of Art of the Deal is warning that Trump could do a lot worse than line his pockets with supporter’s cash.