Trump bragged that his money bought off politicians. Just not this time.
Donald Trump used to have a simple theory for how politicians worked. When you give, he said last year, they do whatever the hell you want them to do.
Now, this years Trump seems to think last years Trump was wrong.
The Republican nominee is facing new scrutiny over a 2013 episode where his pay-to-play theory of politics seemed to work perfectly and casting it, instead, as an innocent transaction with no strings attached.
Back then, Trumps charitable foundation gave a $25,000 donation to a group backing the reelection of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Then, Bondis office made a decision that benefited Trump: It declined to pursue an investigation into fraud claims against Trump University.
That case fits an old pattern in Trumps political giving. Unlike wealthy executives who spread their money broadly loyal to the same candidates or ideologies year after year Trumps gifts have been tightly focused on his own personal and business needs.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-bragged-that-his-money-bought-off-politicians-just-not-this-time/2016/09/07/00a9d1e4-750b-11e6-be4f-3f42f2e5a49e_story.html?wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1