This is crooked.
In Florida this year, the president’s politics attracted a new client for one of his businesses. Steven M. Alembik, a conservative activist, is planning a $600-per-seat gala at the Mar-a-Lago Club.
His logic: Trump helped Israel. So Alembik will help Trump in return.
“He’s got Israel’s back,” Alembik said. “We’ve got his back.’”
This isn't money that's going to a Trump election fundraiser. This is money being paid to Trump, via his for-profit business—those profits go into his own pockets. And it's openly intended to reward Trump for supporting a particular foreign policy. He has a certain policy, therefore he gets a check.
At least 27 federal political committees — including Trump’s reelection campaign — have flocked to his properties. They’ve spent $363,701 in just seven months, according to campaign-finance reports. In addition, the Republican Governors Association paid more than $408,000 to hold an event this spring at the Trump National Doral golf resort, according to tax filings, a gathering the group said was booked back in February 2015. [...]
Just last week, the hotel hosted the prime minister of Malaysia, who is the subject of a Justice Department corruption probe, as well as the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, which wants more offshore drilling.
These are Trump's own businesses. Trump gets cash money from each event. He says he won't be pocketing the money until he leaves office; after that, it's his. For now, it's Don Jr.'s.
Trump properties are also suffering a precipitous decline from organizations that do not want to be associated with him, but groups allied with him are picking up that slack; Trump's D.C. hotel is already turning a profit despite planning for opening-year losses. Profit means money to Trump. Specifically because he is president.
If "conservative activists" are now openly stating that they'll be writing checks to Trump businesses—not chosen charities, not re-election campaigns, not party fundraisers, but Trump's own for-profit businesses—as reward for specific federal government policy stances, Trump is explicitly profiting off his policy stances.
What are we going to do about it, America? That’s a sincere question. A certain Mr. Trey Gowdy, for example, would lose his shit and then some if any other past politician ever, (subsection from-the-other-party) was caught in such a scheme. Right now, the checks are getting written, and being cashed.
Now what? This is simply what we are now? The past, the rest of it—doesn't matter? Because the party's power is more important?
We're a crooked nation now, simply because that was the most effective grease for certain Republican policy gears?
