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https://www.alternet.org/2022/05/analysis-explains-how-trump-s-dark-money-fiasco-is-so-out-of-control-he-can-t-even-make-sense-of-it/

A federal inquiry is shedding light on the mysterious financial connection between more than a dozen political committees and dark money organizations aligned with former President Donald Trump.

According to The Daily Beast, the issues with the organizations also appear to be connected to former Trump White House aide Corey Lewandowski. In fact, the news outlet reports that: "Anyone who’s taken even the quickest of peeks at Trump’s personal financial disclosures would recognize the pattern."

Speaking to The Beast, Brendan Fischer, deputy executive director of the government accountability organization, Documented, weighed in with details about the extent of the questionable nature of these Trump-aligned organizations.

Per The Beast, a list of more than 12 political committees and dark money groups has been released. In fact, all of the organizations contain similar names and wording.

“Typically, former presidents focus on their presidential library, or start a charitable foundation, but Trump is staying in the political game and raising a staggering amount of cash,” Fischer said.

“It is worth emphasizing: All of this is totally unprecedented for a former president,” Fischer told The Daily Beast. “Even if Trump kept it simple, and just had one hard money PAC, asingle super PAC, and a pair of 501(c)(3)/501(c)(4) nonprofits, there would be no parallel with any former president in American history.”

The handling of each organization also includes distinctive activity patterns which The Beast has pointed out.

"His first such disclosure revealed positions with more than 500 entities, nearly 400 of which used his name or initials. And Trump has 'organized' the mess in a stultifying Russian-nesting-doll structure—companies within companies within companies. Frequently, one company will be held under multiple Trump companies at the same time, each with stakes in still other Trump companies."

It has also been noted that the structure of each entity has given the Trump Organization a substantial advantage for "financial flexibility while making it difficult to follow the billions of dollars that Trump, his family, and his accountants move across the organization."

Brett Kappel, a campaign finance specialist who also focuses on nonprofit law for Harmon Curran, offered his assessment of the situation.

“The central lesson of Watergate is ‘Follow the money,’” Kappel told the news outlet. “And this byzantine structure of different types of legal entities—which are subject to different fundraising restrictions and file different reports with different agencies according to different filing schedules—appears to be designed to make that task as difficult as possible.”

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TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN COMMITTEE

100K ad

This section contains information about this advertiser’s ads of political importance shown to users from May 31st, 2018 onwards. It is updated weekly.

Number of ads purchased through Google Ads Services

1,367

Amount spent across Google Ads Services

$1,057,300

Meet the Press hosted NBC News contributor and right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt this morning. Host Chuck Todd did not disclose that Hewitt has a financial tie to President Donald Trump: Last month, the Trump Make America Great Again Committee rented Hewitt's newsletter to raise money twice last month.

Hewitt is a pro-Trump hack who recently tweeted that “every Catholic, indeed every person of any faith, has to realize the left despises them and that the Democrats shelter this virulent bigotry and pretend it’s something else” (Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is Catholic). Hewitt also regularly turns over his radio program to guest host and unhinged bigot Kurt Schlichter.

Hewitt is the host of a program on Salem Radio Network, a columnist for The Washington Post, and a commentator for NBC News. He is a pro-Trump and Republican hack who recently tweeted that “every Catholic, indeed every person of any faith, has to realize the left despises them and that the Democrats shelter this virulent bigotry and pretend it’s something else” (the Democratic presidential nominee is Joe Biden, who is Catholic).

The Daily Beast reported last year on how “Hewitt has fallen in line with the rest of the conservative media ecosystem as a reliably Trumpian defender of the president’s bizarre and potentially criminal behavior.”

Hewitt also regularly turns over his radio program to guest host and unhinged bigot Kurt Schlichter.

Media Matters subscribes to Hewitt’s email newsletter, which is run by Salem and sends paid advertising. In September, “Trump Make America Great Again Committee, a joint fundraising committee authorized by and composed of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. and the Republican National Committee,” rented Hewitt’s newsletter twice -- on September 2 and September 21 -- for fundraising emails.[doc]  Trump messages state that they’re “brought to you by The Hugh Hewitt Show” along with the disclaimer: “Occasional messages from sponsors allows us to provide our content at no cost to you. This message reflects the opinions of the advertiser alone, and not necessarily the opinion or editorial position of Salem Media Group.”

Meet the Press host Chuck Todd did not mention Hewitt’s financial tie to the Trump campaign. During his appearance, Hewitt stated that “this has been a week of enormous relief. I've interviewed a dozen Republican senators and the vice presidential debate really turned it around for a lot of Republicans, as did the president's sort of powerful energy on conservative media, getting back out there.” He added: “I believe the president is down in double digits but closing nationally.” 

Hewitt has also done advertisements for Keep America America, a project of the pro-Trump **Job Creators Network** that aims “to activate the conservative base and boost turnout.” (Meet the Press didn't disclose that financial connection either.)

Hewitt has had other conflict of interest problems related to former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt; the Clean Water Act; and the anti-LGBTQ hate group Alliance Defending Freedom. 

Date Signed: 10/15/2017

The website notes that the first $5 of each donation will be sent to the Trump campaign. And Dan Backer, the group’s treasurer, tells Mother Jonesthat this money is indeed “earmarked” for Trump. What happens to the rest of the money, for any donations greater than $5, is not clear. The email does promise to use money the group raises to build a vaguely described grassroots operation that will help support Trump. But there’s no telling how much of the money gathered by this Trumpy PAC will directly fund pro-Trump activities.

The fundraising email is signed by Amy Kremer, a former chairman of the Tea Party Express. Kremer did not respond to a request for comment.

A recipient of the email might be forgiven for assuming it comes from an official Trump-approved outfit. The website prominently features the official Trump slogan: “Make America Great Again.” And there may be a problem with that. Trump trademarked that phrase for the purposes of “political campaign services, namely, promoting public awareness of Donald J. Trump as a candidate for public office; providing online information regarding political issues and the 2016 presidential election;” and for “fundraising in the field of politics.” The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Asked about the PAC’s use of the trademarked phrase, Backer, a Virginia-based attorney who has helped set up a number of conservative-oriented PACs that capitalize on current events, said the phrase is a quote from Ronald Reagan.

The Great America PAC was first registered with the Federal Election Commission on February 1. But it paid to run pro-Trump radio ads in Iowa in January—which is legal. The ads, which cost a total of $25,000, were produced and placed on air by a mysterious ad-buying firm called GRP Buying LLC, using a rented mailbox at a shipping center in Columbus, Ohio. The PAC has also spent $10,000 on television ads and $15,000 on email blasts.

Initially, this PAC tried to associate itself even more closely with Trump by using the name TrumPAC. But a PAC may not use a candidate’s name if it doesn’t have the candidate’s permission. (For example, last year a super-PAC backing Carly Fiorina was forced to create an elaborate acronym to keep its name: CARLY for America.) When the FEC contacted the PAC in February and inquired about its use of the TrumPAC name, Backer, an FEC critic who was the lawyer in a key Supreme Court case two years ago that removed caps on how much money donors can contribute to political campaigns and committees, had a sharp response. In a letter to the FEC, he stated he didn’t know anyone running for office named “TRUMPAC.” He informed the FEC that another party, whom he did not identify, had requested it change its name and that it would do so, but not because the FEC asked.

So how much has the Great America PAC raised with its Trumpish solicitations? It doesn’t have to file any disclosure reports until late March.

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May 18, 2016

In the two weeks since declaring that he would not self-fund his general election campaign (in part because he apparently couldn’t afford to), presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has embraced the idea of outside financing.

In his latest step toward political action committee (PAC) funding, Trump announced a joint fundraising deal with the Republican National Committee (RNC), which was finalized late Tuesday, the *Wall Street Journal* reports.

Under the deal, Trump’s campaign and the RNC will raise funds for two PACs, Trump Victory and Trump Make America Great Again Committee.

The money raised for the first PAC will go toward the RNC, the Donald J. Trump for President campaign, and the state committees in 11 states (Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming). The proceeds from the second group will go toward the RNC and the Trump campaign.

Raising money via a committee will allow the RNC and Trump to get cash far more easily than if Trump were to rely only on his campaign. Individual donors are limited to $2,700 per election when they give directly, but via these two fundraising groups they will be able to cut checks as large as $449,400.

“We are pleased to have this partnership in place with the national party,” Donald Trump said in a statement. “By working together with the RNC to raise support for Republicans everywhere, we are going to defeat Hillary Clinton, keep Republican majorities in Congress and in the states, and Make America Great Again.”

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BEVERLY MAss — Red Curve Solutions is a small company on the second floor of an office building on Conant Street. But unbeknownst to most people, the Beverly company is playing a large role in Donald Trump’s campaign for president.

Red Curve Solutions is serving as the treasurer for the Trump campaign and two Trump fundraising committees that have combined to raise and spend hundreds of millions of dollars.

The company had been paid at least $2.1 million for its work so far by the Trump campaign and committees, according to Federal Election Commission records.

Red Curve Solutions was formed in 2008 by Beverly resident Bradley Crate, who was then the deputy chief financial officer of Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign. The company worked for Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign and is serving a similar role this year for Trump.

Crate is listed as the treasurer for both the Trump Make America Great Again Committee and the Trump Victory Committee, which are joint fundraising committees for Trump’s campaign, the Republican National Committee, and various state Republican committees.

Timothy Jost, a vice-president at Red Curve Solutions who also worked for Romney, is the treasurer for the Donald J. Trump for President Committee, which is Trump’s principal campaign committee.

Red Curve Solutions has overseen nearly $500 million in spending by the three Trump committees, according to federal campaign finance records. The company describes its role as providing “comprehensive budgeting, accounting and financial management and compliance services for campaigns and fundraising-driven organizations.”

For its work, Red Curve Solutions has been paid $1.1 million by the Trump for President Committee, $510,000 by the Trump Make America Great Again Committee, and $490,000 by the Trump Victory Committee, according to records.

On its website, Red Curve Solutions said the company was founded in Massachusetts to be near medical care while Crate’s wife was undergoing chemotherapy. The website said Massachusetts is “not the best place for Republican politics, but roots are hard to break.”

The company said it mostly leaves campaign strategy to the campaign’s political advisers, other than providing advice on what the campaign can afford. Past clients have included Gov. Charlie Baker, former state Sen. Richard Tisei, and Republican congressional candidates Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Christopher Shays of Connecticut, and Rick Lazio of New York.

Crate could not be reached for comment.

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A company based in Beverly is quietly playing a supporting role in Mitt Romney's campaign for president.

Red Curve Solutions had been paid nearly $500,000 in consulting fees through October by the Romney for President campaign, according to campaign finance records.

Red Curve Solutions was founded in 2008 by Bradley Crate, a Beverly resident who worked in Gov. Romney's administration and helped run his previous campaigns for governor and president. The company is in an office building at 138 Conant St.

Crate, who declined to be interviewed for this story, is the brother of Darrell Crate, who is listed as treasurer of both the Romney for President campaign and Free and Strong America, a political action committee that supports Romney. Free and Strong America had paid Red Curve Solutions $95,200 in consulting fees through June, according to campaign finance records.

Darrell Crate is the former chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party and the former chief financial officer at Affiliated Managers Group, a Beverly company run by Sean Healey. Healey's wife, Kerry Healey, was Romney's lieutenant governor.

Red Curve Solutions advises Republican political candidates on how to manage their campaign finances. The company does not reveal its clients' names due to the "confidential nature of our work with these campaigns," according to its website.

According to Federal Elections Commission filings, the Romney campaign paid the company $119,931 for "equipment purchase" in April 2011 and had paid Red Curve $350,000 for compliance consulting,software and software development through October.

Red Curve Solutions' employees include Brett Schetzsle, a Beverly city councilor and former Republican state representative candidate, and Alexandra Cahill and Mike Welch, two former interns for the Free and Strong America PAC.

Campaign finance records also show payments by the Romney campaign to two other companies listed at the same Conant Street address. American Rambler Productions was paid a total of $955,000 for "strategy consulting" through September 2011. Skyshoe II LLC received $150,174 from the Romney campaign for air travel expenses.

American Rambler Productions is a company that includes some of Romney's most senior advisers — including Stuart Stevens, Russ Schriefer and Eric Ferhnstrom — according to a report by ABC News. Skyshoe II is a private jet registered at Beverly Municipal Airport.

Bradley Crate's ties to Romney even ended up helping a small furniture supply company at the Cummings Center.

The Romney campaign paid Office Concepts Inc. $48,460 to supply used furniture at the Romney headquarters on Commercial Street in Boston.

Office Concepts president Rick Vitale said his company had furnished an office at the Cummings Center for another company run by Bradley Crate, and Crate recommended him to the Romney campaign.

Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or by email at pleighton@salemnews.com

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FEC FORM 3X

REPORT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS

For Other Than An Authorized Committee 

FILING FEC-1186815

1. TRUMP MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN COMMITTEE

    C/O RED CURVE SOLUTIONS

    138 CONANT STREET, 2ND FLOOR

    BEVERLY, Massachusetts 01915

2. FEC Committee ID #: C00618371
3. This committee has NOT qualified as a multicandidate committee (see FEC Form 1M)
4. Report Type = OCT QUARTERLY

Filed: 10/15/2017

SUMMARY PAGE 

DETAILED SUMMARY PAGE 

Schedule A Filings (ITEMIZED RECEIPTS) 

Schedule B Filings (ITEMIZED DISBURSEMENTS)

SUMMARY PAGE

5. Covering Period 07/01/2017 Through 09/30/2017

Column A

This Period

Column B

Year To Date
  1. (a) Cash on hand, January 1, 2017
5247961.89
(b) Cash on hand at Beginning of Reporting Period5995742.93
(c) Total Receipts (from line 19)4417775.0119162802.23
(d) Subtotal (6(b) + 6(c) for A, 6(a) + 6(c) for B)10413517.9424410764.12
  1. Total Disbursements
8646198.4622643444.64
  1. Cash on Hand at Close of Reporting Period
1767319.481767319.48
  1. Debts and Obligations Owed TO the Committee
0.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE DItemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE DItemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D
  1. Debts and Obligations Owed BY the Committee
0.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE DItemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE DItemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D

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30. Federal Election Activity

    (a) (i) Allocated Federal Election Activity - Federal Share (SCHEDULE H6) 0.00 0.00

    (a) (ii) Allocated Federal Election Activity - Levin Share (SCHEDULE H6) 0.00 0.00

    (b) Federal Election Activity Paid Entirely with Federal Funds 0.00 0.00

    (c) Total Federal Election Activity ( 30(a)(i)+30(a)(ii)+30(b) ) 0.00 0.00

31. Total Disbursements ( 21(c)+23+24+25+26+27+28(d)+29+30(c) ) 8,646,198.46 22643444.64

32. Total Federal Disbursements (31-21(a)(ii)-30(a)(ii)) 8646198.46 22643444.64

III. Net Contributions/Operating Expenditures

33. Total Contributions (other than loans) (11(d)) 4417775.01 18798124.27

34. Total Contribution Refunds (28(d)) 50.00 10155.00

35. Net Contributions (other than loans) (32 - 33) 4417725.01 18787969.27

36. Total Federal Operating Expenditures (21(a)(i) + 21(b)) 1112061.70 7470797.29

37. Offsets to Operating Expenditures (15) 0.00 54124.51

38. Net Operating Expenditures 1112061.70 7416672.78

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[doc]

Trump messages state that they’re “brought to you by The Hugh Hewitt Show” along with the disclaimer: “Occasional messages from sponsors allows us to provide our content at no cost to you. This message reflects the opinions of the advertiser alone, and not necessarily the opinion or editorial position of Salem Media Group.”