It is clear to anyone with a brain that the Trump Presidency will be defined in part by its conflicts of interest.
First we hear that the Trump’s are auctioning off coffee with Ivanka. Next we learn that Newt Gingrich is advising the President-elect to go ahead and break the law.
The latest report of Trumpian shenanigans comes from the Huffington Post and involves the Trump sons.
They tell us that a “nonprofit” group has been established, calling itself the Opening Day Foundation. The group is holding an event called, predictably enough, Opening Day 2017, which will take place on Inauguration Weekend.
In a move that is either complete brazen or totally ignorant (you choose), the Opening Day Foundation is offering access to the President of the United States in return for a donation that allegedly goes to “conservative charities.”
The Center for Public Integrity reports that the Foundation was formed on December 14th. It is based in Texas, and is run by several different people, some of whom are long time friends of the Trump family.
In return for a million dollar donation, conservatives who want to schmooze with the new President will get a “private reception and photo opportunity for 16 guests with President Donald J. Trump.”
Other offering include a 4 day hunting and fishing trip with one of the Trump sons. You can see the full brochure, with names (ahem) redacted, right here.
The sons are included because, in a revelation that can surprise no one on this planet, the sons are behind the so called Foundation.
We all remember when Trump’s supporters were screaming that Hillary Clinton should be in jail because of her supposed “pay to play”schemes.
Yet here we have the adult sons of the future President, literally selling off direct access to the most powerful leader in the world.
They say, of course, that the would go to unnamed charities, but how does that even matter?
There is an ugly name for the kind of transaction where one sells private time with an individual in return for money.
It’s generally called prostitution. But “pay for play” works, too.
This video gives you a view of how this scheme works.
Featured image by 401(K)2012 via Flickr. (CC BY-SA 2.0)
