“When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?” — Where Have All the Flowers Gone

I’ll say one thing, the term “election defense” is a many splendored thing. And the figure $60,000 must be a lucky number in numerology or something. Kimberly Guilfoyle got $60,000 for a one and a half minute intro to Donald Trump’s speech on the day of the Capitol riot and then she danced and watched the MAGAs march through the streets. I’d dance, too, if I could make $60K for 90 seconds work.

Then we find out that Hervé Pierre Braillard, Melania’s fashion designer, was paid $60,000 out of the same fund for his efforts as “strategy consultant.” Intriguing how a dress designer is also a political strategist and election fraud expert, isn’t it?  I wonder if Rick Wilson or Steve Schmidt whip up gowns in their spare time. Ya spose? USA Today:

The Save America political action committee distributed the money to Hervé Pierre Braillard in four payments starting April 7 and going through June 24, according to records filed with the Federal Elections Commission. The committee reported that these payments were all for “strategy consulting.” It’s not clear what the money specifically paid for.

“Mr. Pierre serves as a senior adviser to Save America, involved in event management and special projects,” said Taylor Budowich, a senior official with Save America.

The payments offer a window into one of the many ways Trump, who is not a candidate for any federal office, is allowed to use money in the PAC, which has raised more than $100 million since it was registered in November 2020 to fight debunked voter fraud allegations in the 2020 election.

“Raised more than $100 million.” I wonder how much of it has gone to wives’ fashion designers and girlfriends for saying a few bon mots?

The Jan. 6 committee investigating the Capitol riot has scrutinized the advertising and spending of Save America. Fundraising emails advertised an “Official Election Defense Fund” that an investigative counsel for the committee said never existed. The PAC also spent millions paying the company that put on the Trump rally on Jan. 6, 2021, and keeps former White House aides on the payroll.

The Federal Election Commission does not allow candidate committees, which are formed to raise money for a specific candidate, to spend money on personal items, including clothing. But Save America is not a candidate committee, it’s a leadership PAC, originally designed for politicians to raise and give money to other candidates. They carry fewer restrictions and have been criticized as slush funds. 

Experts who spoke with USA TODAY said the use of leadership PACs to spend money with fewer rules is a loophole that should be closed.

“If you are going to a political function and trying to buy a new dress or a new tuxedo, that’s typically something that the FEC would say campaign funds should not be used for,” said Michael Beckel, research director for Issue One, a bipartisan political reform organization.

You have to almost admire the audacity. Trump knows he lost. He also knows that the rubes are stupid enough to believe the drivel about “decertification” and “reinstatement.” And they take out their wallets and back up the belief. I wonder if they’ll ever wake up. I wonder if the cult will ever become deprogrammed? Many people have predicted that ten years from now nobody will admit to having supported Trump, in the same fashion that nobody owned up to supporting Hitler after WWII. I guess we’ll find out.

 

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4 COMMENTS

  1. When you look at the mess the 6th became, it’s not hard to see someone as involved in politics as, say, a fashion designer, or maybe a florist, was running the whole thing. It could hardly have gone worse.

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