In this week’s arc, a bunch of the loose threads in the sprawling Russiagate Saga seem to be coming together. Time for the re-emergence of a couple of spearcarriers from the pre-election interval!
First, a guy from the penthouse…
Mueller Probing Donors to Trump Inauguration https://t.co/MCD9VG6Z9x
— Taegan Goddard (@politicalwire) May 11, 2018
Per PoliticalWire’s source, ABC News:
… Those interviewed included longtime Trump friend and confidant Thomas Barrack, who oversaw the fundraising effort, as well as individuals familiar with the massive inaugural fund, according to sources with direct knowledge.
Barrack, a real estate investor, has long been described as a Trump “whisperer” whose close friendship with the president landed him a prime appearance during the GOP convention the night Trump accepted his party’s nomination.
The billionaire runs a fund with hundreds of millions in real estate and private equity holdings in the Middle East. Barrack oversaw the largest inaugural fundraising effort in U.S. history, bringing in $107 million – more than double what President Barack Obama raised for his first swearing-in festivities.
According to a source who has sat with the Mueller team for interviews in recent weeks, the special counsel is examining donors who have either business or personal connections in Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Several donors with those ties contributed large sums to the non-profit fundraising entity – gifts that topped out at $1 million dollars, according to public records…
Tens of unaccounted millions from sketchy corporations and foreign autocrats. And for that they got a sparsely attended 3 Doors Down concert with a plagiarized cake.
The Trump inauguration was a Gilded Age Fyre Fest. https://t.co/ZmjqDMpf2R
— zeddy (@Zeddary) May 11, 2018
To a reporter-bullying self-styled street brawler…
New from @lachlan: AT&T also looked to hire the lobbying firm founded by Corey Lewandowski https://t.co/kgjbhBefnB
— Betsy Woodruff (@woodruffbets) May 11, 2018
… [AT&T’s] discussions with the lobbying firm took place, shortly after Avenue was founded by former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and Barry Bennett, a senior adviser on the campaign. Avenue also brought on Ed Brookover, a Republican operative who helped the Trump campaign wrangle delegates at the 2016 convention, and Jason Osborne and Mike Rubino, two other senior Trump campaign hands who later founded their own lobbying firm, Turnberry Solutions.
At the time, Avenue was up-front about the value it could provide in the Trump era. “There are just so few people in Washington who know the president,’’ Lewandowski told The New York Times in February 2017. ‘‘It’s a comparative advantage.’’…
Wonder how many big companies that hired Corey Lewandowski are doing internal reviews right now of how it happened, what he did for them, who knew what, etc…
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) May 11, 2018
Russiagate Open Thread: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern EditionPost + Comments (199)