@darkmoney
His former aide has been making bank off his name for years and he wants his cut, right now.
⭐️At least that’s how Donald Trump sees it.⭐️
“It’s my fucking money!”
the 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner privately vented in October, referring to an alleged sum in the tens of millions of dollars, a source with direct knowledge of the matter tells Rolling Stone.
Trump wasn’t talking about a business deal. Rather, he’s been grumbling about money donated to a think tank his former staffers and allies founded in 2021 to “advance the America First agenda.”
For several months now, according to three people with knowledge of the situation, the former president has complained to an array of confidants and Republicans about the millions raised by the 🔸America First Policy Institute, 🔸a MAGAfied think tank 🔸launched near the start of his post-presidency.
The nonprofit is populated by several former high-ranking Trump administration officials, including 🔹Larry Kudlow, 🔹Rick Perry, and 🔹Linda McMahon, and it’s led by 🔹Brooke Rollins, who served as a top White House domestic policy aide to Trump.
#AFPI is one of several Trump-aligned organizations and think tanks working to craft an intellectual framework for #hardline policies, ranging from ♦️voter crackdowns ♦️to potentially ♦️invading Mexico.♦️
In the ex-president’s mind, #Rollins was 🔪making a “killing” 🔪off of his name, sources recount, and was stiffing Trump. “It’s not right,” the former president has groused in recent months.
Doing what Trump has privately suggested would raise several legal issues, four experts told Rolling Stone.
AFPI is a tax-exempt, educational nonprofit and is expressly barred under IRS rules from spending money on elections or donating to a political candidate like Trump.
Given that Trump is a candidate for office,
👉 paying him personally could be seen as attempting to aid a political campaign. 👈
One of the experts pointed out that tax-exempt nonprofits must also operate for public benefit, and they cannot disproportionately benefit private individuals or pay them more than fair market value for their services.
#trump #corruption #afpi
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-maga-group-millions-cash-america-first-1234936525/