WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The presidential campaign of Republican nominee Donald Trump is facing an international fundraising scandal after an investigation revealed key supporters were prepared to exchange illicit donations in return for White House influence if the billionaire real estate mogul is elected in next month’s general election.
Senior officials in the Great America PAC, one of the leading independent groups organizing advertisements and grassroots support for the nominee, sought to funnel $2 million from a Chinese donor into Trump’s campaign, despite laws prohibiting foreign support for presidential candidates, the investigation contends. In return, reporters who were posing as undercover representatives of the illicit donor were promised influence if Trump were elected, it said.
The reporters approached specific pro-Trump and pro-Clinton fundraisers and groups after receiving information that individuals were involved in hiding foreign donations. Clinton’s camp did not initially respond to the solicitation, the report said. However, earlier this month, an undercover reporter spoke by telephone to Eric Beach, co-chairman of the pro-Trump Great America PAC, which has the backing of Rudy Giuliani, one of Mr Trump’s most senior advisers, as well as the billionaire’s son Eric.
The reporter told Beach a Chinese client wished to donate to the Trump cause. Beach appeared interested in hearing more about the offer, however, he also raised concerns about the donor’s nationality, saying he would need to know the donor’s identity, the report said.
According to the report, he suggested the donation could be put through a social welfare organization called a 501(c)(4) – or C4 – , which unlike a PAC is not subject to a blanket ban on receiving foreign money, and not required to name donors. He stressed in an email that “any path we recommend is legal.”
Last week, Beach, confirmed to the reporters at an event in Las Vegas that their client’s support would be “remembered” if Trump became president, the report added.
Trump himself once labeled PACs, or political action committees, as a “disaster” that have “total control of the candidates,” and has spent much time criticizing Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton for relying on the help of outside groups. During a speech last week in Colorado, Trump ridiculed Clinton for her international donors, who he said, “control her every move.”
