Inside the collapse of Trump’s D.C. policy shop

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

The Trump campaign built a large policy shop in Washington that has now largely melted away because of neglect, mismanagement and promises of pay that were never honored. Many of the team’s former members say the campaign leadership never took the Washington office seriously and let it wither away after squeezing it dry.

Donald Trump often brags about having experts and senior former officials advising him. Wednesday night in a forum on national security, he said, “We have admirals, we have generals, we have colonels. We have a lot of people that I respect.” It’s true that Trump is getting high-level policy advice on a regular basis from senior experts such as Rudy Giuliani and retired Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn. But Trump has never acknowledged the policy shop based in Washington that has been doing huge amounts of grunt work for months without recognition or compensation.

Since April, advisers never named in campaign press releases have been working in an Alexandria-based office, writing policy memos, organizing briefings, managing surrogates and placing op-eds. They put in long hours before and during the Republican National Convention to help the campaign look like a professional operation.

But in August, shortly after the convention, most of the policy shop’s most active staffers quit. Although they signed non-disclosure agreements, several of them told me on background that the Trump policy effort has been a mess from start to finish.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/josh-rogin/wp/2016/09/08/inside-the-collapse-of-trumps-d-c-policy-shop/

[tclambert]

1. If they weren't paid, doesn't that void the non-disclosure agreements?

You sign such a contract in return for something, like, money. If you don't get the money, why honor the contract?

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Volunteers for Trump sign lifetime non-disclosure and non-criticism agreements

for the campaign, Trump, his family, and all his businesses: http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/donald-trump-volunteer-contract-nda-non-disparagement-clause/

The article says those in the 'policy shop' were verbally promised money, but got nothing in writing (hey, sounds like they hadn't heard of Trump before):

Three former members, all of whom quit in August, told me that as early as April they were promised financial compensation but were later told that they would have to work as volunteers. They say the leaders of the shop, Rick Dearborn and John Mashburn, told many staffers that money was on the way but then were unable to deliver. Dearborn is Sen. Jeff Sessions’s (R-Ala.) chief of staff, while Mashburn is the former chief of staff for Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C).

“I heard it from Dearborn, I heard it from Mashburn. It was understood that we would be paid. The campaign never discussed how much the pay would be. It was never in writing,” said one staffer, who quit last month. “There were some people who were treating it as a full-time job. I suspect that those people were quite astonished when the pay didn’t come through.”

One former adviser told me promises of pay were made when Corey Lewandowski was campaign manager, but then in July, after Paul Manafort took over, he said the policy shop positions would remain unpaid. Dearborn tried repeatedly to get a budget approved by New York headquarters for staff, but failed.

Trump Rule #1: never pay anyone outside the family if you can possibly avoid it
Trump Rule #2: Always prepare so that you can sue people, whether for profit, revenge, or shits and giggles

[forest444]

12. Just like his wives.

And just like them, he'll $@#&! them too.

[ffr]

3. Trump's unpaid campaign office: “It’s a complete disaster"

Recurring theme with Trump and crystal ball into our future if we let alt-right voters win this election.

“They use and abuse people. The policy office fell apart in August when the promised checks weren’t delivered.” said a disgruntled former adviser.

[GOLGO 13]

4. I feel no sympathy for those that deal with the devil.

[central scrutinizer]

9. How stupid do you have to be

To expect that the Donald would honor a commitment involving money?

[tanyev]

5. He built a policy shop in D.C., just to watch it die.

[tclambert]

10. When I hear that lonesome whistle, I hang my head and cry.

[tanyev]

11. You got it!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. Trump campaign quietly opens its new office in Northern Virginia

Trump campaign quietly opens its new office in Northern Virginia

[keithbvadu2]

7. Trump not pay his workers? What a shock!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. Razed?

Not "raised" policy issues and positions?