Speaker Pelosi urges delay of State of the Union address

[GMDino]

(01-23-2019, 08:26 PM)Mike M (the other one) Wrote: At least he doesn't have to pay for his crowds to show up.

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/01/donald-trump-campaign-announcement-actors-fec

Quote:A brief refresher: when Trump first announced that he was running for president in June of 2015, Trump’s campaign reportedly paid actors $50 apiece to cheer him on. Trump’s campaign manager at the time, Corey Lewandowski, denied that the campaign had hired warm bodies to boost the event’s audience, telling Business Insider, “You know Donald Trump. There is nobody who believes that when Donald Trump goes somewhere he does not generate the biggest, largest, and most rambunctious crowds on the planet. It’s just not true, unequivocally. The Donald Trump campaign and Donald Trump did not pay anybody to attend his announcement.”


The complaint to the Federal Election Commission was filed back in July 2015. In its complaint, the American Democracy Legal Fund claimed that by failing to disclose its alleged payment to the actors, Trump’s campaign had run afoul of the reporting provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.

On Thursday, the commission chose to close its case on the matter—but not because it found the Trump campaign totally innocent.


As the commission notes in a March report from its general counsel—which was made public Thursday—Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. did admit that it paid Gotham Government Relations $12,000 on October 8. Gotham, in turn, told the commission that it had hired a subcontractor called Extra Mile “to provide administrative support at Trump's announcement.” Trump’s campaign maintains that it has no affiliation with Extra Mile, and Extra Mile did not submit a response to the commission—so, it’s unclear whose idea it was to issue the alleged casting call for extra bodies at the June event. Still, even assuming Trump’s campaign never knowingly hired actors, the commission did note one other problem: the general counsel said it was “clear” that the Trump campaign had failed to pay Gotham for several months—and failed to report its payment for even longer.




“Thus,” it continued, “Gotham's apparent extension of credit to [Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.] for the services rendered at the June candidacy announcement may constitute an excessive or prohibited contribution, and [Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.] failed to report the amount it owed Gotham as a debt.” In the end, though, the F.E.C.’s general counsel advised that the commission let this incident slide, using its discretion to dismiss the complaint due to the “seemingly modest amount [of money] at issue.” Apparently, they’ve decided to do just that.

And, of course, in typical Trump fashion...he didn't pay for several months and then failed to report it (as required) for a longer period.  Then lied about it.