Donald Trump argued that the photos of his inauguration were “fake news,” and the crowd size was much larger than the photos showed, especially compared to President Barack Obama’s crowd. Yet, the trouble swirling around the president’s inauguration continues to worsen. There was an astonishing number of Russian dignitaries in the crowd. Plus, the cost of Trump’s event was well over $100,000. Truly, the talent was second-rate, so where did all that money go? Well, there is an investigation that uncovers a very interesting back story.
A New York federal grand jury opened an investigation into the top Republican fundraiser Elliott Broidy. It appeared that he may have used being his position as chair of Trump’s inaugural committee to generate “business deals,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
Broidy’s attorneys released a statement to the AP that indicated neither their client or his company, global security firm Circinus had a contract or a payment with (any Romanian government, proxy, or agent.” Circinus did have an agreement with Angola in 2016, but it had nothing to do with Broidy’s involvement in the inaugural committee or the inauguration. The statement read:
‘Any implication to the contrary is completely false.’
The grand jury’s subpoena listed 20 people and organizations with connections to Broidy, his business, and the foreign government officials he contacted. This included the sitting president of Angola and two Romanian politicians.
That would have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which would have forbidden government officials from profiting off of foreign entities.
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CN) asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Broidy:
‘(Whether he) used access to President Trump as a valuable enticement to foreign officials who may be in a position to advance Mr. Broidy’s business interests abroad.’
The former Defense Minister and current Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço intended to visit the Trump resort Mar-a-Lago. Correspondence demanded “past-due payment for Circinus’ service, the AP reported. Broidy reported:
‘Many preparations have been made in advance of your visit including additional meetings at the Capitol and the Department of Treasury.’
Broidy was to sign a very profitable contract providing security to the Romanian government. However, his people said the deal was never implemented. The contract would have included:
‘Sorin Grindeanu, who at the time was prime minister, and Liviu Dragnea, a former parliamentary leader who began serving a 3½-year prison sentence in May for abuse of power. Both officials also attended inaugural events.’
The jury subpoena listed several people connected to Brody’s defense company when he was providing services to Romanian politicians. He wrote to Royce:
‘This meeting will not only cause significant issues within the present government (but) potentially diminish the good will which we wish to achieve amongst the Romanian people.’
A series of emails proved that Circinus attorney Matt Britton quit in protest of corruption concerns. He wrote:
‘These are FULL STOP issues in my judgment. NO MATTER HOW LONG THAT TAKES IT ALL MUST BE DONE IN ADVANCE OF ANY CONTRACT WITH ROMANIA.’
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
