After months of reporting, we have an answer: some of the money went to the Trump Organization. Ivanka Trump personally connected inauguration planners with her family’s DC hotel. We know, because we have emails. wnycstudios.org/story/trump-in…
One of the lead planners wrote back that the quoted price was still too high . “Please take into consideration that when this is audited it will become public knowledge,” she wrote. /3 
But wait. There’s more. Rick Gates was involved. You remember him: former campaign aide who later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and conspiracy /4
Our sources say Gates asked some vendors to the inauguration whether they’d be willing to be paid by individuals directly, rather than by the inauguration committee. We don’t know what it means, but it seems weird/ 5
