Reuters reported on September 2, 2016 that Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s campaign organization has not paid ten top staffers, advisers, and consultants. Most of them did not join the campaign as volunteers. The frugal approach of the campaign might be evidence of his successful management style. But his past behavior shows there may be other explanations.
Reuters reporters Michelle Conlin and Grant Smith analyzed expenditure reports that the Trump campaign filed with the Federal Election Commission. Their story is based on documents that reflect the campaign’s spending through July 31, 2016.
Who Hasn’t Been Paid
Among the top staff who haven’t been paid:
— Campaign manager Paul Manafort, who came on board in the spring and resigned on August 19, 2016;
— Rick Gates, who was Manafort’s deputy;
— California state director Tim Clark;
— Finance chair Steve Mnuchin;
— National political director Rick Wiley;
— Senior adviser Barry Bennett;
— Senior adviser and pollster Kellyanne Conway; Ms Conway joined the campaign July 1 and replaced Manafort as campaign manager in August. From June 2015 through June 2016, Conway and her company served the Ted Cruz campaign, which paid them $700,000 during that period. By the end of July, the Trump campaign had paid her nothing.
— Communications director Michael Caputo, who joined Trump’s staff during the New York primary campaign and resigned in June after a gleeful tweet celebrating Corey Lewandowski’s departure. Then Caputo told WBEN radio that Lewandowski had been withholding his pay. He recently confirmed to Reuters that his invoices still have not been paid.
Two other former high-level advisers to the campaign, Ken McKay and Laurance Gay, left the campaign in June to work for Trump’s Super PAC, Rebuilding America Now. McKay had been Chris Christie’s campaign manager, while Gay was a lobbyist associated with Paul Manafort. During June, the Super PAC paid McKay and Gay $60,000 each.
According to Reuters, federal campaign finance law requires people who have strategic knowledge of a campaign or act as its agent to wait 120 days after they leave the campaign before they go to work for a Super PAC. A spokesperson told Reuters that the rule did not apply to Gay and McKay because they were volunteers and did not have strategic information.
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq1GbkT9Iw0
Many Lawsuits Against Trump And His Companies
We don’t know to what extent the unpaid campaign workers were actually volunteers. But we do know that there have been many complaints against The Donald and his affiliates for nonpayment of wages or charges for work done. The unpaid include contractors who worked on Trump’s casinos and workers at his hotels and restaurants.
In June 2016, an investigation by USA Today revealed that more than 3,500 complaints had been made to courts and administrative agencies alleging that Trump and affiliates did not pay money that was owed. Alleged violations also include failure to comply with minimum wage and overtime laws.
At least one contractor claims that Trump admitted that the work was acceptable and the money was owed. He alleges that Trump gave him a choice: be happy with what you’ve been paid and have the chance to work on future projects, or sue. The contractor was never paid and went out of business.
Paying Himself First
The campaign has spent more than $6 million for goods and services furnished by companies owned by or affiliated with Donald Trump or other members of his family. For example, according to the New York Times, the campaign made the following payments in May 2016:
— $423,000 for the use of the Mar-A-Lago resort;
— $350,000 to affiliate TAG Air for the use of Trump’s airplanes;
— $125,000 to Trump restaurants;
—more than $170,000 to Trump Tower, which owns the office space that the campaign uses.
And speaking of office space, once the Republican National Committee was helping to pay for it, the rent on the Trump Tower office space increased about 480 percent. Until March 2016, the rent on the office space was $35,458 per month. As of July, the rent was $169,758. Supposedly, the office took on more space, but it employed fewer people than it did during the primary campaign.
Apparently, Trump is testing out his 2000 theory that he could make money running for president.
Featured image: screengrab via video
