Nepotism and corruption: the handmaidens of Trump's presidency
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/06/nepotism-corruption-handmaiden-trump-presidencyHaving Jared Kushner and his wife, Ivanka, Trumps daughter, working in the White House is a case study of nepotism gone nuts
Despite its fame, The Apprentice is not the reality television show that best explains Donald Trumps presidency. To understand whats going on in the White House, tune into a popular show that had its premiere at about the same time: American Greed.
We learned last week that Jared Kushner met with big-time financial executives in the White House and then hit them up for $500m in loans to his familys troubled real estate empire, a business in which he maintains an active stake. This truly tops most of the financial chicanery featured on American Greed and I can almost hear Stacey Keach, the actor who narrates the show, setting up the dark contours of Jareds latest episode of corrupt Washington deal-making.
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The fact that Donald Trump is personally profiting off his presidency is an open secret in Washington as a stroll through the lobby of the new Trump Hotel in the grand Old Post Office proves. Just about anyone who wants a White House favor or a meeting is there, dropping at least $500 per night. Ka-ching for the Trump Organization.
Jared and the Kushner family have been even more brazen. Last year, his sister made news by promising US visas to rich Chinese in exchange for $500,000 investments in Kushner property. In an investigation published in January, the New Yorker revealed that Jareds meetings with Chinese officials, which included talks about Kushner family business, made US intel officials so nervous that they worried the Chinese were using him as an asset. (And thats part of why Kushner couldnt get his security clearance).
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ffr
(22,681 posts)Let's check the U.S. Treasury. Holy mackerel! They've looted about $750 billion from the American Taxpayer this year alone!
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)You Brits have a head start in nepotism, what with the Queen and useless suckers on the public dole. I love my cousins, none are related financially to the royal family.
hedda_foil
(16,379 posts)Did you know that the Guardian is a highly respected center left newspaper which has a great reputation for accuracy in its reporting? I just can't understand why you seem to be providing backup for Trump and Kushner selling US foreign policy to the highest bidder.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,564 posts)I'm coming up in the world; a little while back I was (allegedly) a Russian bot for being suspicious of a NYT report.
Interesting bit of trivia somewhat related to "useless" royalty:
There was a report on DU recently that showed Queen Elizabeth II served more time in the military than the entire Trump family. According to Wikipedia, she trained as a driver and mechanic.
samplegirl
(11,530 posts)Rudy Giulianis son has a job in the whitehouse.