Undisclosed cash flowed at Trump inaugural ball with ties to China, embattled Saipan casino

Date
Publication
The Palm Beach Post
Expert

Thousands of dollars in donations flowed to an undisclosed source at a Trump inaugural ball with links to China and dubious donors, but no financial records. In the decked-out ballroom of a ritzy Washington hotel the night before Donald Trump took office, thousands of dollars flowed from political donors and a questionable casino company to an undisclosed bank account.

“That almost sounds like an admission of a reporting violation,” said Erin Chlopak, a former Federal Election Commission attorney. “Political committees have to disclose all of their receipts and disbursements. There’s no ‘I don’t want to’ exception.” Chlopak said the disclaimer, though generically worded, “certainly suggests they are aware of their reporting obligations. And if they collected donations, they have to report them, which further raises the question of why they didn’t do that.”

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