45committee
<div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">hmmn beyond bastards interview diff pod jnz roger stone and ref "the group" or 45 group some sort of coup/reverse deep state?
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...<span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px">Mercer has become a household name not only for his political spending in recent years or his peculiar interests — such as</span><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"> </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-03-28/robert-mercer-s-secret-adventure-as-a-new-mexico-cop" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" box-sizing="box-sizing" inherit="inherit" max-height="max-height" e="e" background-image="background-image" initial="initial" background-position="background-position" background-size="background-size" background-repeat="background-repeat" background-attachment="background-attachment" background-origin="background-origin" background-clip="background-clip" color="color" rgb="rgb" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none">part-timing as a New Mexico police officer</a><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"> </span><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px">or funding </span><a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/08/23/trumps-new-billionaire-backer-also-funds-huge-stockpile-of-human-urine/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" box-sizing="box-sizing" inherit="inherit" max-height="max-height" e="e" background-image="background-image" initial="initial" background-position="background-position" background-size="background-size" background-repeat="background-repeat" background-attachment="background-attachment" background-origin="background-origin" background-clip="background-clip" color="color" rgb="rgb" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none">stockpiles of urine</a><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px">in the Oregon mountains — but also for</span><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"> </span><a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/08/donald-trump-mercers-stephen-bannon" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" box-sizing="box-sizing" inherit="inherit" max-height="max-height" e="e" background-image="background-image" initial="initial" background-position="background-position" background-size="background-size" background-repeat="background-repeat" background-attachment="background-attachment" background-origin="background-origin" background-clip="background-clip" color="color" rgb="rgb" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none">bankrolling the alt-right</a><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"> and</span><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"> </span><a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/08/trump-cambridge-analytica/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" box-sizing="box-sizing" inherit="inherit" max-height="max-height" e="e" background-image="background-image" initial="initial" background-position="background-position" background-size="background-size" background-repeat="background-repeat" background-attachment="background-attachment" background-origin="background-origin" background-clip="background-clip" color="color" rgb="rgb" text-decoration-line="text-decoration-line" none="none">the data firm Cambridge Analytica</a><span style="" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px">, both of which helped Trump clutch victory in 2016.</span></font></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">As </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/big-revenues-for-group-providing-cover-for-gop-donors-too-embarrassed-to-publicly-support-trump-in-2016/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">OpenSecrets reported last month</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">, SAN received another $2 million from the 45Committee, another pro-Trump dark money group, which is itself partly funded </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/big-revenues-for-group-providing-cover-for-gop-donors-too-embarrassed-to-publicly-support-trump-in-2016/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">by other dark money groups</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">The </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2016/05/the-multiplication-magic-behind-the-dark-money-churn/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">dark money churn</a><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"> is real.</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ronald S. Lauder, the heir to the Estee Lauder fortune, gave $1.1 million. Lauder has long been a supporter of conservative and pro-Israel causes, and his longtime political adviser Allen Roth serves as president of Secure America Now.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ref</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/big-revenues-for-group-providing-cover-for-gop-donors-too-embarrassed-to-publicly-support-trump-in-2016/">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2018/03/big-revenues-for-group-providing-cover-for-gop-donors-too-embarrassed-to-publicly-support-trump-in-2016/</a></font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">robt maguire</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A billionaire-funded political organization operating <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html#document/p1/a408723" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">out of a P.O. Box in Herndon</a>, Virginia, with no employees or volunteers doesn’t exactly scream <b>“social welfare.” But that’s precisely what a pro-Trump group, called 45Committee, claims it exists to do.</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">New <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">tax documents obtained by OpenSecrets</a> show that the group spent $45 million from the run-up to the 2016 presidential election into the early days of President Trump’s administration. The money that fueled the spending was raised from just a handful of wealthy, anonymous donors — most of whom gave more than $1 million each.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Groups like 45Committee are not political committees, and therefore don’t have to disclose their donors to the public. They’re also not supposed to have politics as their primary purpose, but the IRS and Federal Election Commission have proven to be woefully ill-equipped at policing nonprofit political activity. As a result, these “dark money” groups have become the vehicle of choice for wealthy corporate and individual donors who want to spend heavily in elections without the public knowing who is filling their war chest.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The filing, which was <a href="https://www.citizensforethics.org/pro-trump-dark-money-group-primarily-funded-seven-figure-checks/" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">first reported by CREW</a>, shows that $30 million of the $46.3 million raised by 45Committee came from just four anonymous donors <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html#document/p16/a408424" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">who gave $7.5</a> <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html#document/p17/a408426" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">million each</a>.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Reluctant Trump embrace</font></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90016478&cycle=2016" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">45Committee</a> and its sister super PAC, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00574533&cycle=2016" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Future45</a>, were formed in October 2015 with an aim to destroy Hillary Clinton’s nascent presidential campaign.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The groups were backed by hedge-fund billionaires like Ken Griffin and Paul Singer, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/prominent-gop-donors-launch-new-groups-to-take-aim-at-hillary-clinton-1445984161" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">news reports</a>, and by early “Never Trumpers”-turned-Trump supporters, Joe and Marlene Ricketts, the owners of the Chicago Cubs.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Rickettses had been early backers of Gov. Scott Walker’s (R-Wis.) short-lived presidential campaign, giving $5 million to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00576108&cycle=2016" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Unintimidated PAC</a>, a pro-Walker super PAC. Early in 2016, Marlene Ricketts also gave $4 million to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00603621" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Our Principles PAC</a>, a super PAC for wealthy <b>“Never Trump” donors</b></span><b>.</b></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">When the news came out that Ricketts was fueling the group, Trump launched a threatening tweet, saying the “Rickets [sic] family … better be careful, they have a lot to hide!”</font></p><div data-twitter-event-id="0" class="SandboxRoot env-bp-350" style="direction: ltr; background-image: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.4; white-space: initial; position: relative;"><div class="EmbeddedTweet EmbeddedTweet--edge js-clickToOpenTarget tweet-InformationCircle-widgetParent" data-click-to-open-target="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-iframe-title="Twitter Tweet" data-dt-full="%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}" data-dt-explicit-timestamp="7:42 AM - Feb 22, 2016" data-dt-months="Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec" data-dt-am="AM" data-dt-pm="PM" data-dt-now="now" data-dt-s="s" data-dt-m="m" data-dt-h="h" data-dt-second="second" data-dt-seconds="seconds" data-dt-minute="minute" data-dt-minutes="minutes" data-dt-hour="hour" data-dt-hours="hours" data-dt-abbr="%{number}%{symbol}" data-dt-short="%{day} %{month}" data-dt-long="%{day} %{month} %{year}" data-scribe="page:tweet" id="twitter-widget-0" data-twitter-event-id="1" style="overflow: hidden; cursor: pointer; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 1px solid rgb(225, 232, 237); border-radius: 5px; max-width: 520px; position: relative;" lang="en"><div class="EmbeddedTweet-tweet" style="padding: 20px 20px 11.6px;"><blockquote class="Tweet h-entry js-tweetIdInfo subject expanded" cite="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-tweet-id="701779181986680832" data-scribe="section:subject" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; border: none;"><div class="Tweet-header" style="display: flex;"><a class="TweetAuthor-avatar Identity-avatar u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; -webkit-box-flex: 0; flex: 0 0 auto; height: 36px; margin-right: 9px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><img class="Avatar Avatar--edge" data-scribe="element:avatar" data-src-2x="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/874276197357596672/kUuht00m_bigger.jpg" alt="" data-src-1x="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/874276197357596672/kUuht00m_normal.jpg" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/874276197357596672/kUuht00m_normal.jpg" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; border-radius: 50%;" /></font></a><div class="TweetAuthor js-inViewportScribingTarget" data-scribe="component:author" style="display: flex; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-direction: normal; flex-direction: column; overflow: hidden;"><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;" /><div class="TweetAuthor-nameScreenNameContainer" style="display: flex; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-direction: normal; flex-direction: column; line-height: 1.2; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; min-width: 0px;"><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;" /><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;" /><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;" /><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;" /><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;" /><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;" /><a class="TweetAuthor-link Identity u-linkBlend" data-scribe="element:user_link" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump" aria-label="Donald J. Trump (screen name: realDonaldTrump)" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: start; align-items: flex-start; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;"><span class="TweetAuthor-decoratedName" style="display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; min-width: 0px;"><span class="TweetAuthor-name Identity-name customisable-highlight" title="Donald J. Trump" data-scribe="element:name" style="font-weight: 700; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 4px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Donald J. Trump</font></span><span class="TweetAuthor-verifiedBadge" data-scribe="element:verified_badge" style="position: static; -webkit-box-flex: 0; flex: 0 0 auto; padding-right: 4px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" /><div class="Icon Icon--verified " aria-label="Verified Account" title="Verified Account" role="img" style="display: inline-block; height: 1.25em; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 1.11111em; background-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" charset="utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2064%2072%22%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22none%22%20d%3D%22M0%200h64v72H0z%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%231da1f2%22%20d%3D%22M3%2037.315c0%204.125%202.162%207.726%205.363%209.624-.056.467-.09.937-.09%201.42%200%206.103%204.72%2011.045%2010.546%2011.045%201.295%200%202.542-.234%203.687-.686C24.22%2062.4%2027.827%2064.93%2032%2064.93c4.174%200%207.782-2.53%209.49-6.213%201.148.45%202.39.685%203.69.685%205.826%200%2010.546-4.94%2010.546-11.045%200-.483-.037-.953-.093-1.42C58.83%2045.04%2061%2041.44%2061%2037.314c0-4.37-2.42-8.15-5.933-9.946.427-1.203.658-2.5.658-3.865%200-6.104-4.72-11.045-10.545-11.045-1.302%200-2.543.232-3.69.688-1.707-3.685-5.315-6.216-9.49-6.216-4.173%200-7.778%202.53-9.492%206.216-1.146-.455-2.393-.688-3.688-.688-5.827%200-10.545%204.94-10.545%2011.045%200%201.364.23%202.662.656%203.864C5.42%2029.163%203%2032.944%203%2037.314z%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFF%22%20d%3D%22M17.87%2039.08l7.015%206.978c.585.582%201.35.873%202.116.873.77%200%201.542-.294%202.127-.883.344-.346%2015.98-15.974%2015.98-15.974%201.172-1.172%201.172-3.07%200-4.243-1.17-1.17-3.07-1.172-4.242%200l-13.87%2013.863-4.892-4.868c-1.174-1.168-3.074-1.164-4.242.01-1.168%201.176-1.163%203.075.01%204.244z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E" xmlns:data="data"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" /></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="position: absolute !important; overflow: hidden !important; width: 1px !important; height: 1px !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px) !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">✔</font></span></font></span></span><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="TweetAuthor-screenName Identity-screenName" title="@realDonaldTrump" data-scribe="element:screen_name" dir="ltr" style="overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; flex-shrink: 1;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">@realDonaldTrump</font></span></font></a></div></div><div class="Tweet-brand" style="margin-left: auto;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="element:logo" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px;"><span class="FollowButton-bird" style="display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" /><div class="Icon Icon--twitter " aria-label="View on Twitter" title="View on Twitter" role="presentation" style="display: inline-block; height: 1.25em; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 1.25em; background-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" charset="utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2072%2072%22%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22none%22%20d%3D%22M0%200h72v72H0z%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20class%3D%22icon%22%20fill%3D%22%231da1f2%22%20d%3D%22M68.812%2015.14c-2.348%201.04-4.87%201.744-7.52%202.06%202.704-1.62%204.78-4.186%205.757-7.243-2.53%201.5-5.33%202.592-8.314%203.176C56.35%2010.59%2052.948%209%2049.182%209c-7.23%200-13.092%205.86-13.092%2013.093%200%201.026.118%202.02.338%202.98C25.543%2024.527%2015.9%2019.318%209.44%2011.396c-1.125%201.936-1.77%204.184-1.77%206.58%200%204.543%202.312%208.552%205.824%2010.9-2.146-.07-4.165-.658-5.93-1.64-.002.056-.002.11-.002.163%200%206.345%204.513%2011.638%2010.504%2012.84-1.1.298-2.256.457-3.45.457-.845%200-1.666-.078-2.464-.23%201.667%205.2%206.5%208.985%2012.23%209.09-4.482%203.51-10.13%205.605-16.26%205.605-1.055%200-2.096-.06-3.122-.184%205.794%203.717%2012.676%205.882%2020.067%205.882%2024.083%200%2037.25-19.95%2037.25-37.25%200-.565-.013-1.133-.038-1.693%202.558-1.847%204.778-4.15%206.532-6.774z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E" xmlns:data="data"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" /></font></font></font></font></font></font></div></span></a></font></div></div><div class="Tweet-body e-entry-content" data-scribe="component:tweet" style="margin-top: 14px;"><div class="u-hiddenVisually js-inViewportScribingTarget" style="position: absolute !important; overflow: hidden !important; width: 1px !important; height: 1px !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px) !important;"><p class="Tweet-text e-entry-title" dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; border: none; white-space: pre-wrap; cursor: text; word-wrap: break-word; direction: ltr;" lang="en"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">I hear the Rickets family, who own the Chicago Cubs, are secretly spending $'s against me. They better be careful, they have a lot to hide!</font></font></p><div class="Tweet-metadata dateline" style="margin-top: 3.2px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a class="u-linkBlend u-url customisable-highlight long-permalink" data-datetime="2016-02-22T14:42:50+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: inherit; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">7:42 AM - Feb 22, 2016</font></a></font></div><ul class="Tweet-actions Tweet-action--newsActions" data-scribe="component:actions" role="menu" aria-label="Tweet actions" style="margin: 8.4px 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none; border: none; display: flex; white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden;"><li class="Tweet-action Tweet-action--newsAction" style="display: inline-block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a class="Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:actions" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /></font><div class="Icon Icon--heartEdge TweetAction-icon" role="img" data-scribe="element:heart" style="display: inline-block; height: 1.25em; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 1.25em; background-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" charset="utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20width%3D%2224%22%20height%3D%2224%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2024%2024%22%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23657786%22%20d%3D%22M12%2021.638h-.014C9.403%2021.59%201.95%2014.856%201.95%208.478c0-3.064%202.525-5.754%205.403-5.754%202.29%200%203.83%201.58%204.646%202.73.813-1.148%202.353-2.73%204.644-2.73%202.88%200%205.404%202.69%205.404%205.755%200%206.375-7.454%2013.11-10.037%2013.156H12zM7.354%204.225c-2.08%200-3.903%201.988-3.903%204.255%200%205.74%207.035%2011.596%208.55%2011.658%201.52-.062%208.55-5.917%208.55-11.658%200-2.267-1.822-4.255-3.902-4.255-2.528%200-3.94%202.936-3.952%202.965-.23.562-1.156.562-1.387%200-.015-.03-1.426-2.965-3.955-2.965z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E" flex-shrink="flex-shrink" xmlns:data="data"><a class="Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:actions" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a class="Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:actions" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /><a class="Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:actions" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /><a class="Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:actions" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /><a class="Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:actions" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /></font></div><a class="Tweet-action--heart TweetAction TweetAction--heartEdge" title="Like" href="https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:actions" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;"><span class="TweetAction-stat" data-scribe="element:heart_count" style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: text-bottom; margin-left: 3px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; min-width: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">15.6K</font></span></a></li><li class="Tweet-action Tweet-action--newsAction" style="display: inline-block; margin-left: 7px; overflow: hidden;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a class="Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:news" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /></font><div class="Icon Icon--replyEdge TweetAction-icon" role="img" data-scribe="element:conversation_icon" style="display: inline-block; height: 1.25em; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 1.25em; background-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" charset="utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2024%2024%22%3E%3Cpath%20class%3D%22icon%22%20fill%3D%22%23657786%22%20d%3D%22M14.046%202.242l-4.148-.01h-.002c-4.374%200-7.8%203.427-7.8%207.802%200%204.098%203.186%207.206%207.465%207.37v3.828c0%20.108.045.286.12.403.143.225.385.347.633.347.138%200%20.277-.038.402-.118.264-.168%206.473-4.14%208.088-5.506%201.902-1.61%203.04-3.97%203.043-6.312v-.017c-.006-4.368-3.43-7.788-7.8-7.79zm3.787%2012.972c-1.134.96-4.862%203.405-6.772%204.643V16.67c0-.414-.334-.75-.75-.75h-.395c-3.66%200-6.318-2.476-6.318-5.886%200-3.534%202.768-6.302%206.3-6.302l4.147.01h.002c3.532%200%206.3%202.766%206.302%206.296-.003%201.91-.942%203.844-2.514%205.176z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E" transform="transform" scalex="scaleX" flex-shrink="flex-shrink" xmlns:data="data"><a class="Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:news" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a class="Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:news" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /><a class="Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:news" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /><a class="Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:news" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /><a class="Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:news" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;" /></font></div><a class="Tweet-action--replyEdge TweetAction TweetAction--replyEdge" title="View the conversation on Twitter" href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/701779181986680832" data-scribe="component:news" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; outline: 0px;"><span class="TweetAction-stat" data-scribe="element:conversation_text" style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: text-bottom; margin-left: 3px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; min-width: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">12.7K people are talking about this</font></span></a></li></ul></div></div></blockquote></div><div class="tweet-InformationCircle--bottom tweet-InformationCircle" data-scribe="element:notice" style="position: absolute; right: 0px; bottom: 3px; margin: 10px 18px 8px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><a href="https://support.twitter.com/articles/20175256" class="Icon Icon--informationCircleWhite js-inViewportScribingTarget" title="Twitter Ads info and privacy" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline-block; height: 18px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 18px; background-image: url(" data:image="data:image" svg="svg" xml="xml" charset="utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20viewBox%3D%220%200%2072%2072%22%3E%3Cg%20transform%3D%22translate(8%208)%22%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23657786%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.8%22%20d%3D%22M28%203.11C14.278%203.11%203.11%2014.276%203.11%2028c0%2013.723%2011.166%2024.887%2024.89%2024.887S52.89%2041.723%2052.89%2028C52.89%2014.274%2041.724%203.11%2028%203.11z%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFF%22%20d%3D%22M28%2044.593c-1.718%200-3.11-1.393-3.11-3.112V30.076c0-1.718%201.392-3.11%203.11-3.11s3.11%201.392%203.11%203.11V41.48c0%201.72-1.392%203.113-3.11%203.113z%22%2F%3E%3Ccircle%20fill%3D%22%23FFF%22%20cx%3D%2228%22%20cy%3D%2218.148%22%20r%3D%224.667%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23FFF%22%20d%3D%22M28%2056C12.56%2056%200%2043.44%200%2028S12.56%200%2028%200s28%2012.56%2028%2028-12.56%2028-28%2028zm0-49.778C15.99%206.222%206.222%2015.992%206.222%2028S15.992%2049.778%2028%2049.778c12.01%200%2021.778-9.77%2021.778-21.778S40.008%206.222%2028%206.222z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E" outline="outline" px="px" xmlns:data="data"><span class="u-hiddenVisually" style="position: absolute !important; overflow: hidden !important; width: 1px !important; height: 1px !important; padding: 0px !important; border: 0px !important; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px) !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Twitter Ads info and privacy</font></span></a></font></div></div><div class="resize-sensor" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; z-index: -1; visibility: hidden;"><div class="resize-sensor-expand" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; z-index: -1; visibility: hidden;"><div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; transition: 0s; width: 510px; height: 211px;"><div class="resize-sensor-shrink" style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; z-index: -1; visibility: hidden;"><div style="position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 0px; transition: 0s; width: 1000px; height: 402.344px;"><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" /><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">After the tweet, Joe Ricketts donated another $1 million to Our Principles, and Trump upped the ante. In an interview with The Washington Post’s editorial board, Trump threatened to fund ads attacking the family, telling the public “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/21/a-transcript-of-donald-trumps-meeting-with-the-washington-post-editorial-board/?utm_term=.05d9c13a452d" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">what a <b>rotten job they’re doing with the Chicago Cubs</b></a><b>.” (Seven months later, the Cubs won the World Series for the first time in more than 100 years).</b></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As it became clearer that Trump would become the Republican nominee, both 45-branded groups went largely silent.<b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> But in the final months of the election, Ricketts made good with Trump, took over the groups and rebranded them as pro-Trump vehicles<span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;">.</span></b></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It was at this point that the 45Committee’s role became crucial because as a <b>501(c)(4) social welfare organization,</b> it doesn’t have to disclose its donors. One fundraiser familiar with the Ricketts’ operation put it bluntly to Politico, saying “<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/secret-money-to-boost-trump-228817" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">There is a substantial appetite for a nondisclosing vehicle, because it’s embarrassing to support Trump</a>.”</span></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Together, the two groups spent more than $45.6 million in 2016, 98 percent of which came in the final two months of the election, helping Trump squeak out a historic victory. Nearly half of the total spending, <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90016478&cycle=2016" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$21.3 million</a>, came from the nominally apolitical 45Committee.</b></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">IRS accounting magic</font></strong></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The new 45Committee tax filing is a case study in how politically active nonprofits spend millions to influence politics, without disclosing their donors, while maintaining the illusion that they are a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The key, when it comes to filing a return with the IRS is not necessarily what a group spends on direct political activity; it’s what it does to make sure that that spending is less than half of its overall outlays.<b> So to avoid raising alarm bells at the IRS, most groups spend heavily on grants to other politically active nonprofits and on “educational” or “issue” ads that have some vague attachment to the group’s stated mission.</b></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 45Committee did both. It gave out more than $3.6 million in grants to other nonprofits, the largest of which was <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html#document/p23/a406987" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">a $2 million grant that went to Secure America Now</a>, which <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C90014176" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">spent $1 million</a> in 2016. It also gave to the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=National+Rifle+Assn&cycle=2016" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">National Rifle Association</a> and the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C90013145&cycle=2016" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a>, both of which were very active in the 2016 elections.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">And then there are the ads. While 45Committee only reported $21.3 million to the FEC, the filing shows that it paid $38.3 million — more than<b> 84 percent of its overall outlays — to media firms providing “<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4390422-45Committee-2017-Form-990.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">media ad services</a>.”</b></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Aside from ads the group ran in the 2016 election aimed at hobbling Trump’s opponent, 45Committee spent at least <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/06/politics/45-committee-website-hacked/index.html" target="blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">$4 million supporting Trump’s cabinet nominees</a> after the election</span>.<b> This is important because it establishes that the group has little-to-no mission beyond supporting Trump in one way or another. It does not have major initiatives beyond running ads, and all of the group’s ads benefit Trump in some way.</b></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">If the IRS were to look at this activity, it may decide that the 45Committee provided excessive benefit to a single person — a big no-no for nonprofits. That person of course is Donald Trump. But for the IRS to rule on something like this, it would have to audit the 45Committee and conduct a “facts and circumstances” analysis of the groups activities, which is a longshot: The IRS only audits seven out of every 1,000 returns it receives from nonprofits every year.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;" open="Open" sans="Sans" apple-system="apple-system" blinkmacsystemfont="BlinkMacSystemFont" segoe="Segoe" ui="UI" roboto="Roboto" oxygen="Oxygen" ubuntu="Ubuntu" cantarell="Cantarell" fira="Fira" droid="Droid" arial="Arial" helvetica="Helvetica" neue="Neue" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><twitterwidget class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" id="twitter-widget-0" data-tweet-id="701779181986680832" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; 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