President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, approved the formation of a shell company which secretly funneled around $617 million of the campaign's $1.3 billion in funds to members of Trump's family, according to reporting from Business Insider.
The company—American Made Media Consultants (AMMC)—had attracted scrutiny since this summer, when the Campaign Legal Center accused it of laundering $170 million.
The funneling of small donor contributions to AMMC allowed Kushner and board members Lara Trump (the President's daughter in law), John Pence (the Vice President's nephew), and Trump campaign CFO Sean Dollman to skirt public disclosures of campaign expenditures.
This paved the way for secret compensation of some Trump family members, with Insider reporting:
"The operation acted almost like a campaign within a campaign. It paid some of Trump's top advisors and family members while shielding financial and operational details from public scrutiny."
Top advisors of Trump's campaign insisted that few of them knew anything about AMMC's operations, and Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale—who was demoted before ultimately resigning from the Trump campaign—attempted to conduct an internal audit, the findings of which never came to light.
Kushner, the husband of Trump's eldest daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump, has already been under fire for using his proximity to the President to further enrich himself.
Reporting earlier this year revealed that Kushner's companies—along with Trump's—received millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds, which were designed to keep small businesses afloat in the face of pandemic-induced shutdowns.
Once again, the Trump campaign was grifting its own supporters.
Jared Kushner set up a shell company that paid off Trump family members with money that was meant for the campaign.
If you don't think this is one big criminal enterprise, you need to have your head examined!
— Brian O'Sullivan (@osullivanauthor) December 18, 2020
WOW - Jared Kushner created a shell company that funneled $617 million in election funds to Trump family members and for other items. The grift is endless.
— A Worried Citizen (@ThePubliusUSA) December 18, 2020
There will be so many corruption stories coming out of this administration in the months and years to come https://t.co/m19ABK9G7Q
— Daniel Larison (@DanielLarison) December 18, 2020
Criminals, all of them. Obviously. But the @GOP doesn't care, because most of them are, too. @realDonaldTrump @jaredkushner @IvankaTrump @DonaldJTrumpJr @EricTrump https://t.co/7cdiwYOAV8
— Alan Gove (@AlanGove99) December 18, 2020
Jail time. The #TrumpIsACriminal crime family is assaulting democracy to avoid prison. Period. This is no great leader. Just a con who is great at tricking people & his radio supporters & friends make money off this too. Don't be gullible #USA https://t.co/CLIliJcQBA
— Angry Daughter of Covid19 sufferer (@ChristianneQ) December 18, 2020
I have NO information here, but if one was facing major debts being called and needed a LOT of money, how convenient to be able to grift MAGA rubes for more than half a billion, pay off creditors with it, avoid imminent financial disaster.
It can be tracked. Will need to be. https://t.co/99JzHmVebt
— Guy Gavriel Kay (@guygavrielkay) December 18, 2020
The scandal dwarfed the ones invented by right wing media outlets regarding First-Lady-to-be Dr. Jill Biden's degree, the profanity used by Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon, or the business dealings of Biden's son, Hunter.
But...but...her emails and Benghazi and Hunter. https://t.co/LQDNfezZ2H
— Kimberley Johnson (@AuthorKimberley) December 18, 2020
Sure, but I want to hear more about Hunter Biden. https://t.co/B761D1RdJx
— David Rothschild (@DavMicRot) December 18, 2020
Over 300,000 people dead and this group of grifters. I think White House deputy chief of staff #JenOMalleyDillon was right on with her description. https://t.co/gjOWCEOkzF
— Julie Strickland (@JulieJulesGS) December 18, 2020
Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien told the Insider:
"Lara Trump and John Pence resigned from the AMMC board in October 2019 to focus solely on their campaign activities, however, there was never any ethical or legal reason why they could not serve on the board in the first place. John and Lara were not compensated by AMMC for their service as board members.
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@sadcommunistdog; @froglok/Bluesky