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Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/questions-surround-trumps-25-million-inaugural-concert?cid=sm_fb_maddow
Questions surround Trumps $25 million inaugural concert
09/18/17 08:30 AM
By Steve Benen
Weve been keeping an eye in recent months on Donald Trumps inaugural committee, which by some metrics, was a great success. After his election, the Republican eliminated caps on individual contributions caps that George W. Bush and Barack Obama both utilized and sold exclusive access for seven-figure contributions.
The result was a fundraising juggernaut: Trumps inaugural committee took in $107 million, much of which went unspent during poorly attended festivities.
The Associated Press picked up on the thread over the weekend, shining a light on an increasingly interesting mystery.
President Donald Trumps inaugural committee raised an unprecedented $107 million for a ceremony that officials promised would be workmanlike, and the committee pledged to give leftover funds to charity. Nearly eight months later, the group has helped pay for redecorating at the White House and the vice presidents residence in Washington.
But nothing has yet gone to charity.
What is left from the massive fundraising is a mystery, clouded by messy and, at times, budget-busting management of a private fund that requires little public disclosure.
Of particular interest was the APs discovery that Trumps committee spent $25 million on a pre-inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which the Associated Press described as head-scratching for good reason. Barack Obamas pre-inaugural concert at the same location eight years earlier featured far higher-profile entertainers, roughly 40 times as many attendees, and cost one-fifth as much.
As for the leftover money going to charity, Trumps committee originally said itd release the details of its charitable donations in April, but that didnt happen. Instead, the committee said in April that it was still identifying charities toward which it would direct leftover money. That was nearly five months ago.
Making matters slightly worse, we dont know why we dont know. Consider this excerpt from the Associated Press piece:
The thing about inaugural expenses, theyre not complicated, said Steve Kerrigan, head of President Barack Obamas 2013 inaugural committee. You take money in, you pay it out, and then you know what youre left with when its done.
Something is clearly very different about Trumps inauguration, and no one involved has explained why.
Tom Barrack, a friend of the presidents who heads the inaugural committee, told the AP theres already been an audit of the committees finances, but the committee would not share a copy with AP or say who performed it.
The more it seems like these guys have something to hide, the more Im curious what that might be.
underpants
(182,758 posts)It's really hard too say.
world wide wally
(21,740 posts)Who the fuck even played for this "concert"?
Has Ted Nugent raised his price or WTF?
For 25 M$ he could have had Meatloaf and Kid Rock too!
jmowreader
(50,552 posts)DJ Ravidrums, an Indian-American drummer from Florida
Sam Moore, one half of the soul duo Sam and Dave
"The Frontmen of Country," a supergroup containing Tim Rushlow of Little Texas, Larry Stewart of Restless Heart, and Richie McDonald of Lonestar. (I never heard of any of them either.)
Lee Greenwood, naturally. He did his 45 Minute Disco Version of God Bless the USA.
3 Doors Down
The Piano Guys, four piano-playing Utah men.
Toby Keith was the closer.
No, they didn't have Ted Nugent, Kid Rock or Meat Loaf - and I'm sure they're both still pissed about that. They also didn't have David Allan Coe, whose song "Whips and Things" should have been the theme song of the Trump campaign.
world wide wally
(21,740 posts)FSogol
(45,473 posts)matt819
(10,749 posts)He probably used all of this fundraising for further money laundering.
malaise
(268,910 posts)are scumbags
Buns_of_Fire
(17,174 posts)WhiteTara
(29,702 posts)kentuck
(111,078 posts)Just as all these campaign ads are a way to launder money.
tanyev
(42,544 posts)Mr. Ected
(9,670 posts)When Bobby Three Sticks lays into Donny Two Scoops, all hell gonna break loose!
Achilleaze
(15,543 posts)Obviously.