Political Money Report 5/31/17 - White House to post waivers given to ex-lobbyists & GOP Senator urges investigation into Kushner family China deal

For Trump’s golf course, PGA tournament is ‘the greatest marketing in the world’

May 31, 2017

A NOTE FROM FRED

We are entering a complicated phase of getting to the bottom of Russian interference in our elections and the role that may have been played by President Trump and his associates. Of the multiple investigations currently underway, the special counsel and Congress have complimentary roles to play. The special counsel must investigate and prosecute any crimes that occurred and Congress must find out and report to the American people what happened and propose how to prevent it from happening again in the future. If these roles are not carried out very carefully, the two efforts can interfere with and undermine each other. Democracy 21 has joined with many other groups in supporting an independent outside commission to do the work of getting to the bottom of what happened and how to prevent it in the future, as was done with the creation of the 9/11 Commission. We have to be prepared to challenge any effort in Congress to limit the scope and reach of the investigations or to interfere with and undermine the work of the independent special counsel.

White House now agrees to publicly post waivers given to ex-lobbyists, says AP. A White House spokesman said the info regarding the ex-lobbyists working in the White House will be posted online this week and that the rest of the Executive Branch will comply. OMB Director Mick Mulvaney said his earlier letter to the Office of Government Ethics that appeared to resist the disclosures was "misunderstood" and that he had wanted to explore legal issues connected to what he said was a broad and unusual request for information. Democracy 21 challenged Mulvaney's original letter and called on him to back off. Read more

"For Trump’s golf course, PGA tournament is ‘the greatest marketing in the world’, " says the Washington Post. Last weekend, the Senior PGA Championship was held at the Trump Organization's golf club in Virginia. "The weekend’s festivities also offer a reminder of the complications surrounding the promise from Trump’s lawyers that he would not use the presidency to boost his businesses. Trump has retained ownership of his real estate and branding empire... In this case, it’s unclear whether Trump’s business is getting a cut of the ticket revenue. But the business, and the Trump brand more broadly, certainly stands to gain positive publicity." Read more

GOP Senator urges investigation of Kushner family China deal, says the Huffington Post. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, asked federal immigration and investment regulators to review a Chinese company that partnered with the Kushner family. Grassley said in a letter, "Recent press reports indicate that Qiaowai has touted its relationship with the current administration as a guarantee that potential EB-5 [investor visa] investors will receive lawful permanent residence in return for a no-risk investment in One Journal Square." Read more

The New York Times profiles OGE Director Walter M. Shaub. Shaub "has emerged as one of the few voices from within the government willing to second-guess the president and his advisers...If he has become more outwardly vocal than directors past, he said, it is because this particular White House has shown little interest in an ethics program that both Republicans and Democrats have long supported." Read more

"A Kazakh dirty-money suit threatens to reach Trump’s business world," says McClatchy. Switzerland has said it is considering an extradition request from Ukraine for the son of a former Kazakh energy minister who is facing money-laundering allegations in the US and Kazakhstan. "The gathering legal drama is shining light on Trump business associate Bayrock Group, which involves Kazakh partners who helped develop the Trump SoHo building in New York and projects in Arizona and South Florida." Read more

FACT OF THE DAY

The Georgia special election for the House seat vacated by Tom Price is now the most expensive U.S. House race in the nation’s history by far and has cost more than $36 million overall. Read more

IN THE STATES

IL: Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said he intends to sign bi-partisan legislation that will automatically register people to vote when they go to the DMV or other state agencies. Read more

MD: The Montgomery County Council approved an $11 million public campaign financing fund for the 2018 elections. This will be the first public financing fund in the state of Maryland. Read more

MO: Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley will appeal a federal judge's ruling to block the state ban on contributions between PACs. 70 percent of voters in November approved a state constitutional amendment on caps on political giving. Read more

By: Fred Wertheimer (@FredWertheimer) & Kathryn Beard (@KathrynBeard)

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