Donald Trump Used Campaign Donations to Buy $55,000 of His Own Book

[molova]

Source: The Daily Beast

Donald Trump used his campaign funds to buy thousands of copies of his own book at retail cost, simultaneously diverting donor money back into his pockets while artificially boosting his sales figures. It’s a tactic that may be illegal, campaign finance experts say.

On May 10, the Trump campaign paid Barnes & Noble $55,055, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission. That amounts to more than 3,500 copies of the hardcover version of Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again, or just over 5,000 copies of the renamed paperback release, Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America.

A spokesperson for the Republican nominee told The Daily Beast the books were purchased “as part of gifting at the convention, which we have to do.” Sure enough, delegates in attendance at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July were given canvas tote bags, stamped with the Trump slogan, and filled with copies of Crippled America, as well as Kleenex and Make America Great Again! cups, hats, and T-shirts. Delegates were also given plastic fetus figurines.

Read more: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/24/donald-trump-used-campaign-donations-to-buy-55-000-of-his-own-book.html

[malthaussen]

1. In some ways, I admire his style

Well, okay, in no ways. But if you're going to flip the bird and show your contempt for the government, the electoral process, the Party, and the American people, you might as well be thorough about it.

-- Mal

[whistler162]

2. At least they got something useful in the gift bag

KLEENEX!!

[kacekwl]

3. Plastic fetus ????

Wow.

[cstanleytech]

10. Its incase they already had a copy of Trumps book in their office that they

were using a paper weight this way they can take the 2nd Trump book and use the two as a nice set of bookends instead and use the fetus as the paper weight.

[wordpix]

17. I know, I know, I spilled my coffee, too

[Blue Idaho]

4. I fail to see how being a greedy self centered SOB

Translates into being the leader of the free world. Retail Donald? Really? Jacking up the campaign headquarters rental fees once donors are on the hook? Really Donald? I wonder how much he's charging his donors for flying his plane from one rented Trump property to another just so he can make speeches from his real estate holdings. This is all starting to look more like a world class scam than a political campaign.

[Unit 001]

20. Because greed is good in America!

Saint Ronnie said so!

[Blue Idaho]

21. Ronnie was a washed up actor with a failing mind

But he sure could fake sincerity couldn't he?

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Is he obsessed with "cripple"?

Will he do more imitations?

The man is looney!

[get the red out]

6. IOKIYAR

And the press will yawn.

[Sunlei]

7. That's what Republicans do with 'donation money', Palin & Romney made infomercial-movies

to run for president for many is a self-enrichment scam.

[Richard D]

8. But is it . . .

. . . a bobblehead fetus??

[Initech]

9. How else would republican books get sold?

[niyad]

11. a grifter through and through

[Vinca]

12. I didn't think a dollar store would carry 55,000 copies.

[onehandle]

13. The greatest con in history continues... nt

[Coyotl]

14. So, when did it become legal for candidates to give gifts to voters?

Seems to me that there is a legal problem with giving free stuff to people whose votes you seek.

[Moonwalk]

19. You're not gifting voters (to get their vote), you're giving mementos to convention attendees....

...it's a common practice at most conventions. A tote bag with little goodies. And as most attending such conventions pay a lot to attend, the gift bag usually doesn't cost the convention much, and comes out of the price paid for tickets by attendees. That or companies provide free stuff to advertise themselves.

And I'm not actually sure it is illegal to give voters small gifts to get their votes. Those running for office can use donation money to hand out free pins, bumperstickers, etc. None of that illegal...so long as you don't personally profit from it. See, the problem here was that the Donald didn't just use RNC (or donated) money to purchase memorable goodies for the faithful to take home.He used the money to buy books, the purchasing of which put money into his personal pockets.

That's the sticky-maybe-illegal part. You can't put donations into your own pocket. Donald thinks he's being clever here, as he's not directly putting the money into his pocket. He's using it to buy his books. But money from the sale of those books goes to him. So he *is* putting the money into his pocket.

[Solly Mack]

15. I'd rather have a plastic fetus shot glass.

[milestogo]

16. Well the kleenex was an appropriate convention gift.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. That's how they run their stuff to the top of the NY Times Best Seller list

Complete fraudulent buying up thousands of copies of their own book to give away (and probably will be submitted as a tax deduction) making it seem the drivel they wrote is somehow "popular".

[Red Mountain]

22. So if it might be illegal what is the enforcement mechanism

that would charge him with a crime?

[not fooled]

23. Probably the only books he's bought...

...in a long, long time.

[ohnoyoudidnt]

24. Well, he did say all he knows is what's on the Internet. nt