Selling Access to the President

DaisyDay said:

Direct to consumer!

Donor List Suggests Scale of Trump’s Pay-for-Access Operation

It also reveals how lobbyists, political consultants and others in the influence industry have capitalized on Mr. Trump’s aggressive fund-raising while in office to deliver for clients and earn chits with a president who keeps close tabs on who is delivering cash and listens to their appeals. It is a cycle that has helped Mr. Trump fill the coffers of his political groups, defying the gravity that sometimes drags down the fund-raising of term-limited presidents.​

The degree to which this dynamic has benefited Mr. Trump, his donors and their lobbyists — while shutting out regular people seeking assistance from their government — was laid bare in MAGA Inc.’s financial report. The group, which can accept unlimited donations, raised an astounding $177 million in the first half of the year. That was nearly twice as much as the amount raised during the same period by the Republican National Committee, which is subject to contribution limits.​

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MAGA Inc.’s report included donations from a mother seeking a pardon for her son, as well as people who had been, or would later be, appointed to posts in his administration and companies in industries seeking more lenient treatment than they had gotten under the administration of former President Joseph R. Biden Jr​

MAGA, Inc. sounds vaguely mafia-ish.

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To be fair, I think all modern Presidents have done this though none as blatantly as Trump. Othee examples include Clinton's brother selling pardons. Remember too the submarine that surfaced and killed some fishermen under Bush? They were giving a ride to a million plus donor. Jobs for family, foundation issues all mar us politics. Even Lincoln promoted Hatch a donor who waa in part responsible for the sinking of Sultana, which killed 1600 plus in returning troops home after the civil war.
When Al Gore joined Apple' s board he cashed in on hundreds of millions. All legal of course.
Trump takes things to a new level. From ovee a billion in Truth Social to his dealing in crypto for his and vance's friends and donors. Like how the genius Act included a law that crypto stable coins could pay no interest. Seems like such a law is anti-competitive. While at the same time truth social the media company largely owned by trump announced a couple of billion in crypto investment. All pretty sad stuff but its human nature. Perhaps kennedy, truman and reagan are the better examples? Truman was near bankrupt after he left office. He even paid the salary of his chef at the white house. Now, even the first ladies have a staff of 20 or more paid for by the taxpayers.

I wonder if Trump is still charging $2M for a pardon, or if the price has gone up.