Punk in Finland

Trump donor charged with obstructing inauguration inquiry

AP, 1. 1.2020

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged a major donor to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee with obstructing a federal investigation into whether foreign nationals unlawfully contributed to the inaugural celebrations.

The donor, Imaad Zuberi, recently pleaded guilty in a separate case in Los Angeles to campaign finance violations, tax evasion and failing to register as a foreign agent.

A criminal information filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court accuses Zuberi, a globe-trotting venture capitalist, of taking “numerous steps” to interfere with the investigation into where the inaugural committee received its funding. Prosecutors say Zuberi backdated a $50,000 check and also deleted emails.

Zuberi’s defense attorney declined to comment.

Zuberi, a prolific fundraiser who has also donated large sums to Democrats, gave $900,000 to Trump’s inaugural committee in the months after the president’s 2016 election.

The criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Manhattan said that donation “was in fact funded using money obtained from other sources.” It didn’t name the true source of the money.

The inaugural committee has not been accused of wrongdoing, and prosecutors say Zuberi did not inform the committee that his donation included contributions from others. Under federal law, foreign companies and individuals cannot make contributions to U.S. political campaigns.

Zuberi has been under scrutiny by federal prosecutors in both California and New York over millions of dollars in political contributions, including large donations to the inaugural committees of both President Barack Obama and Trump.

In the Los Angeles case, Zuberi was accused of soliciting donations from foreign nationals and companies and then acting as a straw donor to make donations to several U.S. political campaigns. The charges in that case are centered on contributions he made during the Obama administration.

Prosecutors have said Zuberi told foreign nationals and representatives of foreign governments he could use his influence to change foreign policy and create business opportunities for clients and himself.

Trump to drop $10 million on Super Bowl ad

The president's is about to unleash his massive war chest.


By ALEX ISENSTADT

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/0 ... -ad-095623

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is planning to drop $10 million to advertise during the Super Bowl, the start of a massive election-year spending spree that will intensify over the coming months, according to four people briefed on the plans.

The campaign has purchased 60 seconds of commercial time during the Feb. 2 Super Bowl, which is likely to be the most-watched television event of the year. The ad or ads — it’s unclear whether it will be a single 60-second spot or a pair of 30-second commercials — are expected to run early in the game, when viewership is likely to be at its highest.


With the investment, the Trump campaign is dipping into a deep war chest it has amassed over the last year. The reelection effort and the Republican National Committee announced last week that they raised a combined $463 million in 2019 and had nearly $200 million on hand.

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The Super Bowl advertising, coming a day before the Iowa Democratic caucuses, is part of a broader spending effort. Starting this month, campaign aides say they intend to increase their TV, radio, and digital advertising.

They have also approved plans to spend millions of dollars on outreach to key voting blocs including women, evangelicals, Latinos, and African Americans. Trump campaign recently launched an aggressive effort to woo black voters, taking out ads on African American-owned radio and newspapers.

“The president’s decision to stay aggressive and keep the campaign open after his first election gave us a huge head start on his reelection,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement, referring to the president's announcement within days of his 2017 inauguration that he would seek reelection. “Now 300 days out we are throttling up. The president has built an awesome, high-performance, omnichannel machine and it’s time to give it some gas.”

This won't be the first time the campaign advertises during a major sporting event. The reelection campaign ran commercials during last year’s World Series declaring that Trump’s “no Mr. Nice Guy, but sometimes it takes a Donald Trump to change Washington.”

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has also purchased $10 million in Super Bowl advertising time, an aide to the billionaire Democratic candidate said. The New York Times first reported Bloomberg’s plans.

Nearly 100 million people watched last year’s Super Bowl.

Trump aides said they’re still determining the content of the Super Bowl advertising. They are planning on rolling out the ad via text message to supporters in the days before the game, with the hopes of building their supporter list.

The Trump campaign has been in talks with Fox, which is airing the game, since the fall and reserved the advertising time in December. It will be paying for it this month.

Republicans devoted 2019 to building a massive war chest in anticipation of a high-spending election year. The Trump political operation capitalized off small donor outrage over the Democratic impeachment push, but also courted big donors.

On Saturday evening, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel toasted major givers at a thank you-style event in Palm Beach, Fla. And later this month, Trump will host Republican donors for a high-dollar fundraiser at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Trump is almost certain to begin the general election with a vast cash advantage. Democrats are locked in an expensive and competitive primary that could stretch on for months and leave the party’s eventual nominee far behind the president. Some Democratic strategists worry that Trump will use his financial resources to savage his Democratic opponent before he or she is able to get their general election campaign off the ground.

"The Trump campaign's major advantage has been and continues to be the one resource Democrats don't have: time,” said Tara McGowan, a prominent Democratic digital strategist who is overseeing a multi-million-dollar effort to counter Trump’s spending advantage.

Josh Schwerin, a senior strategist for the liberal super PAC Priorities USA, said his organization wasn’t “worried about Trump wasting money during the Super Bowl,” but added: “We are worried about the potential for him to spend nine figures defining our eventual nominee before they can defend themselves.”

Without a Democratic opponent to run against, much of Trump’s early spending is likely to be geared toward boosting his approval numbers. It will also be heavily focused on winning over minority voters. While Trump’s advisers concede he isn’t likely to win a substantial portion of the minority vote — he received just 8 percent of African-American voters in 2016 — they contend that by making small inroads with key voting blocs he can swing key battlegrounds.

Laku Setä wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 07:47

kuinka huono juttu toi Bolttonin into todistaa on Trumpin kannalta.

Spandau Mullet wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 08:15

Laku Setä wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 07:47

kuinka huono juttu toi Bolttonin into todistaa on Trumpin kannalta.

Lopputuloshan on +-0, koska reppanat äänestää viraltapanon nurin joka tapauksessa. Mutta voihan se olla että katkera viiksivallu tuo jotain epämiellyttäviä totuuksia julki ja dolania vähintäänkin vituttaa.

Hans Normaali wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 08:20

Spandau Mullet wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 08:15

Laku Setä wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 07:47

kuinka huono juttu toi Bolttonin into todistaa on Trumpin kannalta.

Lopputuloshan on +-0, koska reppanat äänestää viraltapanon nurin joka tapauksessa. Mutta voihan se olla että katkera viiksivallu tuo jotain epämiellyttäviä totuuksia julki ja dolania vähintäänkin vituttaa.

Saa nähdä kuinka paljon Donald saa mursulta sympatiapisteitä Suleimanin listimisestä ja Iranille vittuilusta, mikä tunnetusti saa Boltonin suoron toijimaan väkevästi.

Rasmus-mafioso wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 14:08

Rasmus-mafioso wrote: ↑

08 Jan 2020, 14:08

https://www.thesun.ie/news/4960376/dona ... der-cross/

TAKING AIM Donald Trump Jr poses with his new AR-15 rifle featuring image of Hillary Clinton behind bars and crusader cross
Danielle Cinone
6 Jan 2020, 23:44Updated: 6 Jan 2020, 23:49

DONALD Trump Jr. shared photos of his new AR-15 rifle that features an image of Hillary Clinton behind bars and a crusader cross to Instagram.

President's Trump's eldest son posted the three photos to his social media page on Sunday.


Donald Trump Jr. shared this photo to Instagram on Sunday


Hillary Clinton is pictured behind bars on the rifle's magazine

One of the snaps showed him smiling and holding up a lightweight semi-automatic rifle, which had "Made in U.S.A" engraved on it.

Rare breed design, MDL Crusader, and Cal. Multi were also carved on the side of the controversial gun.

Trump Jr.'s spokesman told CNBC on Monday: “Anyone claiming that the Jerusalem Cross is some sort of political statement, couldn’t be more ignorant.

"Symbols depicting various historical warriors are about as common in gun culture as hating President Trump is in the oped pages of the New York Times.

“Don’s Instagram post was strictly about him using a famous meme to mock Hillary Clinton, as he and many others have done on numerous occasions and will surely do again in the future, so long as it continues triggering humorless liberals."

The Crusader gun - which costs $2,125 - was "inspired by some of the most fierce warriors who fought in nearly 200 years of epic conflicts known as the Crusades," according to Spikes Tactical.

It explains: "This lower honors the warrior mindset. Technology evolves, warriors never change."

The Crusader cross is pictured directly above Hillary's head on the magazine.


The rifle has the words 'Made in the USA' engraved above the magazine

Former First Lady Hillary Clinton was pictured in jail on the gun's magazine.

It stems from "Lock her up", a chant President Donald Trump fan's said at presidential campaign rally's in 2016 and 2020.

The Instagram post's caption, which ended with fire and laughing emojis, read: "Nice day at the range. @rarebreedfirearms and @spikes_tactical adding a little extra awesome to my AR and that mag..."

Trump Jr. - Executive Vice President at The Trump Organization - describes himself in his Instagram bio as a general in the meme wars, a father, and an outdoorsman.

His photos were posted on the same day Iraqi parliament voted to expel US troops from the Middle Eastern nation.

However, on Monday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said US troops are not withdrawing from Iraq after a draft memo was accidentally sent out.

He said: "There's been no decision whatsoever to leave Iraq. I don't know what that letter is. We're trying to find out where that's coming from, what that is.

"But there's been no decision made to leave Iraq. Period."

General Mark A. Milley told reporters after looking at the letter: "It was a mistake. Poorly worded, implies withdrawal. That's not what's happening."

He clarified it was a draft and had not been signed.

The drama comes as tensions grow between the U.S. and both Iraq and Iran because of the targeted death of Gen. Qasem Soleimani, 62.

The Iranian official was killed on Friday at the Baghdad International Airport after Donald Trump ordered an airstrike against him.

The Trump administration was criticized for the move by Democrats, which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said was necessary, claiming Soleimani was plotting imminent attacks on Americans.

Nahkanuijan nuupauttaja wrote: ↑

09 Jan 2020, 02:48

Meikkaaminen on: hankalaa.