Donald Trump and his family fleeced America: Why aren't they being held accountable?

[marmar]

Donald Trump and his family fleeced America: Why aren’t they being held accountable?
Pulitzer-winning reporter David Cay Johnston on the criminal Trump regime: "This was thievery, plain and simple"

By DEAN OBEIDALLAH
PUBLISHED DECEMBER 31, 2021 6:00AM


(Salon) Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston is not giving up on exposing how Donald Trump and his family fleeced America while he was in the White House. To that end, the bestselling author is back with a meticulously researched new book, "The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family."

I recently spoke to Johnston about his new book for "Salon Talks" and one thing is clear: His enthusiasm to see Trump held accountable has not waned just because the Trump presidency is over. In "The Big Cheat," he uncovers details on Trump's scams that began with his inaugural committee and ran straight through his "Stop the Steal" fundraising grift. In between, Johnston notes a range of corruption by Trump, such as stopping in front of his Washington hotel during the inaugural parade in 2017 to send a clear message: "If you want something from the Trump administration, you will first pay tribute to Donald." As Johnston writes, spending money at Trump's hotel was one way to do just that.

....(snip)....

Your book has granular details about Trump, some I knew and some I had no idea about. Let's start at the beginning: You go into great detail about the inaugural committee. Trump raised double the amount Obama did, and there are questions about where that money is. The D.C. attorney general is suing the Trump campaign right now about this very thing. Tell us more.

Well, Donald Trump raised $107 million for his inaugural, that we know of. The previous record was Obama in his first inaugural: $53 million. The inaugural for Obama had eight or nine balls. It had lots of events. They had numerous headline musical acts whose expenses had to be paid. Donald Trump had the skimpiest, cheapest possible thing you can imagine. Two balls, with almost nobody around, and yet all that extra money: $107 million. One of the key stories I tell is about Stephanie Wolkoff, who was Melania's best friend, and who is someone who puts on events. She's the person who puts on the biggest social event for the American elite each year, the Met gala in New York. And she was pulled aside and asked by Rick Gates, the corrupt deputy to the corrupt Paul Manafort, to take money off the books because they didn't want to report it, meaning foreign money.

....(snip)....

Not only that, Trump used the inaugural parade to do a commercial for his hotel. I think people have forgotten it, but it was right in our face all the time.

None of the TV networks explained when this happened what was going on. I was astonished by that. When Obama was elected, the crowds lining the road to the White House were curb to building, packed thick as sardines. When Trump came, in many places there were more law enforcement and military guards than there were cheers. But when they got to a place about five blocks from the White House, the motorcade stopped and everybody got out, Melania in that beautiful ice blue dress that she was wearing. The family took a two-minute turn on the pavement.

What every lobbyist, every foreign agent, knew was they did it in front of the Trump Washington Hotel, the old post office. And Trump, by law, should not have had that lease. It should have been taken away from him. And I explained this, how the bureaucrats avoided this in the book and were later taken to task for it, though nothing happened to their careers. ..............(more)

https://www.salon.com/2021/12/31/donald-and-his-family-fleeced-america-why-arent-they-being-held-accountable/

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Because, basically, people like that are never held accountable.

Unfortunately.

The fact that Richard Nixon was allowed to resign, rather than going to jail himself, set the standard, such as it is.

[jalan48]

2. They are part of the big club.

[DURHAM D]

3. Simple...he is a Republican. nt

[fightforfreedom]

4. Justice moves slowly in America. It slowly stalks its victims.

I still believe Trump and his enablers will pay a heavy price.

[Lettuce Be]

5. Give it time. Justice works, slowly, but it works

Seriously a car accident is an expected 2-year ordeal if lawyers get involved. Just be patient. This is going to take time.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

6. Laws are for the little people

Didn't we all learn this when Nixon went scott free ???

By the time I was student in school Nixon was being rehabbed in the media. I was born the year Nixon cheated his way to reelection.

Bush/Cheney started those wars and killed all those innocent people and now they are being rehabbed in the media as not so bad.

Just wait TFG and family and cabinet will all be rehabbed as not THE WORST.

Fuck me, when does it end....

[Progressive Jones]

7. Too much security surrounding them. That's why. nt