Good evening, Mr. Tudor ––
How kind of you to ask. I'd be delighted to tell you about Donald's alleged criminal law violations.
Over the years, I've come to understand that if one student has a question, many others do as well. Let's use your prompt to enlighten all
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How kind of you to ask. I'd be delighted to tell you about Donald's alleged criminal law violations.
Over the years, I've come to understand that if one student has a question, many others do as well. Let's use your prompt to enlighten all
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https://twitter.com/TudorGreg/status/1563999766664556544
Given Donald John Trump's years of legal entanglements, Mr. Tudor, what you ask invites a very lengthly response. As such, my apologies in advance for what may become a multi-day response of hundreds of tweets.
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Also, I can be long-winded. So, in the event you "drop" this class, I am going to place the original screenshot for others who are following along, so they know where we started.
For the record, this thread began when you responded to @AdamParkhomenko
Here that is
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For the record, this thread began when you responded to @AdamParkhomenko
Here that is
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Before we get too far into this, I think we need a central question and a road map.
Let's revisit your original post (OP, if I may).
You wrote "tell us the crimes he has been convicted on."
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Let's revisit your original post (OP, if I may).
You wrote "tell us the crimes he has been convicted on."
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Let's break that down. Here's my interpretation
Tell: Communicate in writing
Us: You, Mr. Tudor plus other Twitter users
He: Donald J. Trump
Crimes: Criminal offenses set out in the United States Code and under state statute and common law.
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Tell: Communicate in writing
Us: You, Mr. Tudor plus other Twitter users
He: Donald J. Trump
Crimes: Criminal offenses set out in the United States Code and under state statute and common law.
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But there's more to figure out in your OP, Mr. Tudor. You used the phrase "has been convicted on."
I'll read that as a rhetorical flourish and in the context of Adam's tweet where there was no mention of conviction, just of crimes.
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I'll read that as a rhetorical flourish and in the context of Adam's tweet where there was no mention of conviction, just of crimes.
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Okay. So, the "central question" I will address is what criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed.
Now, onto the road map
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Now, onto the road map
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Given that I research, write, and teach in the area of white collar crime, with an emphasis on federal statutory offenses, I think it makes the most sense to emphasize federal law.
And, given the open-ended nature of Mr. Tudor's inquiry, why not organize this chronologically
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And, given the open-ended nature of Mr. Tudor's inquiry, why not organize this chronologically
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But, before we begin.
I think it's wise to also include in this chronology the sorts of federal statutes Donald Trump (or businesses he operated) violated that have both civil and criminal penalties.
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I think it's wise to also include in this chronology the sorts of federal statutes Donald Trump (or businesses he operated) violated that have both civil and criminal penalties.
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These are the types of violations where the federal government (or state and local authorities) settled it as a civil, not criminal matter, for a fine.
Why include this under the rubric of "white collar crime"?
There's a good reason. Hold that thought. I must have dinner.
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Why include this under the rubric of "white collar crime"?
There's a good reason. Hold that thought. I must have dinner.
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Dinner is done. But I’m just going to unload the dishwasher and put some dishes in. I’ll see you here where we will continue the lesson, Mr. Tudor at 7:30 PM ET
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Apologies for the delay. Housework often takes longer than expected.
Here's where we left off before dinner.
I asked why include offenses that allow for criminal and civil enforcement, but were settled with only civil penalties under the rubric of "white collar crime"?
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Here's where we left off before dinner.
I asked why include offenses that allow for criminal and civil enforcement, but were settled with only civil penalties under the rubric of "white collar crime"?
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There are several justifications for this approach, the first being historical accuracy.
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Edwin Sutherland, the sociologist who introduced the concept of white collar criminality in 1939 and coined the term "white collar crime," defined it to mean an offense committed by "a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation."
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When did Sutherland write this? What are the substantiation for my claims, Mr. Tudor must be wondering right about now.
The short answer is that I have spent years and years researching in this area.
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The short answer is that I have spent years and years researching in this area.
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The longer answer to the question of what are your sources, and what exactly are you quoting in this tweet thread, can be found by reading BIG DIRTY MONEY: MAKING WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALS PAY (Viking Penguin, 2021).
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More specifically, that is the paperback edition, comprising more than 300 pages of which around 50 are endnotes.
No need to purchase it. More than 110 public, private, and government libraries have a copy of either cloth, paperback, ebook, or audible.
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No need to purchase it. More than 110 public, private, and government libraries have a copy of either cloth, paperback, ebook, or audible.
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There's a copy a quick 10-minute drive (4.5 miles) west of Mar-a-Lago at the Palm Beach County Library at 3650 Summit Boulevard.
Next time you are visiting the FPOTUS, you can borrow copy. It's truly an easy beach read.
(To get to the beach take the tunnel under MAL)
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Next time you are visiting the FPOTUS, you can borrow copy. It's truly an easy beach read.
(To get to the beach take the tunnel under MAL)
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Okay, so back to where we were. Edwin Sutherland and white collar crime.
You see, Mr. Tudor. I was just waiting for a man like you to come along to ask me to tell him what was on my mind.
Bless you.
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You see, Mr. Tudor. I was just waiting for a man like you to come along to ask me to tell him what was on my mind.
Bless you.
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Professor Sutherland lauched an entire new discipline when he gave a lecture in December 1939 entitled "The White Collar Criminal."
He refuted the conventional wisdom of his era as to the causes and nature of crime.
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He refuted the conventional wisdom of his era as to the causes and nature of crime.
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His peers believed that crime was closely correlated with poverty.
And they based that assessment on the fact that "less than two percent of the persons committed to prisons" each year "belong to the upper class."
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And they based that assessment on the fact that "less than two percent of the persons committed to prisons" each year "belong to the upper class."
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While that two percent figure was accurate, Mr. Tudor, that did not tell the full story.
Edwin knew the elite were not saints. He believe that the way that crime was "popularly conceived and officially measured" was wrong.
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Edwin knew the elite were not saints. He believe that the way that crime was "popularly conceived and officially measured" was wrong.
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But where did the bad numbers come from? Edwin explained that criminologists narrowly studied "criminals handled by the police, the criminal and juvenile courts, and the prisons."
This was a myopic approach.
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This was a myopic approach.
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By focusing on "such crimes as murder, assault, burglary, robbery, larceny, sex offenses [and] drunkenness," scholars were not getting a full view.
Sutherland said that they were counting the "vast areas of criminal behavior of persons not in the lower classes.'
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Sutherland said that they were counting the "vast areas of criminal behavior of persons not in the lower classes.'
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Bottom line for the man who introduced the "white collar crime" concept was this. Experts were not looking at all crime when they talked about crime.
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By ignoring the criminal behavior of professionals, ordinary businessmen, and even tycoons they had a wildly inaccurate picture of who was a member of the criminal "class."
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You still with me, Mr. Tudor?
I'm going to bring this back to Donald Trump and our roadmap in a moment.
But, I have to deal with this first, as this is the foundation for including the decades upon decades of legal offenses many of which should have landed him in prison
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I'm going to bring this back to Donald Trump and our roadmap in a moment.
But, I have to deal with this first, as this is the foundation for including the decades upon decades of legal offenses many of which should have landed him in prison
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Based on Sutherland's detailed research into fraud and conflicts of interest in business and politics he concluded that crime was not concentrated among the poor.
And don't just trust him, he said. Trust what the robber barons themselves say.
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And don't just trust him, he said. Trust what the robber barons themselves say.
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Take Colonel Cornelius Vanderbilt. Sutherland pointed out that Vandy once said, "You don't suppose you can run a railroad in accordance with the statutes, do you?"
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And it wasn't just the infamous industrialists of that era. Crime ran rampant in all occupations, he said, in particular "criminality has been demonstrated again and again in the investigations of land offices, railways, insurance, munitions, banking, public utilities . . .
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"stock exchanges, the oil industry, real estate, reorganization committees, receiverships, bankruptcies, and politics."
White collar criminals were everywhere.
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White collar criminals were everywhere.
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First point made. If you look at police reports that tally up street crime, you want see all crime. But Sutherland had a second point. That was, rich, powerful people who commit crimes often get away with it entirely, or at most end up with a civil case.
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Eighty plus years ago and it resonates today.
"The crimes of the lower class are handled by policemen, prosecutors, and judges, with penal sanctions in the forms of fines, imprisonments and death. . ."
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"The crimes of the lower class are handled by policemen, prosecutors, and judges, with penal sanctions in the forms of fines, imprisonments and death. . ."
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Yet, "The crimes of the upper class result in no official action at all, or result in suits for damages in civil courts, or are handled by inspectors, and by administrative boards or commissions with penal sanctions in the form of warnings, orders to cease and desist . . "
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occasional rescinding of a license, and in extreme cases with fines or prison sentences."
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Sutherland saw a difference between the two classes.
"The inventive geniuses for the lower class criminals are generally professional criminals, while the inventive geniuses for many kinds of white collar crime are generally lawyers."
[I think @davidenrich would agree].
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"The inventive geniuses for the lower class criminals are generally professional criminals, while the inventive geniuses for many kinds of white collar crime are generally lawyers."
[I think @davidenrich would agree].
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Since Sutherland's death in 1950, the understanding of "white collar crime" changed.
He was sociologist studying elites and corporate misbehavior. When lawyers began to talk about the field and measure it, they looked at statutes, not status. Convictions, not crime itself.
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He was sociologist studying elites and corporate misbehavior. When lawyers began to talk about the field and measure it, they looked at statutes, not status. Convictions, not crime itself.
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Okay, now back to
Question: What criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed?
Roadmap: In chronological order DJT and/or his businesses' violation violation of "hybrid" criminal-civil statutes (often fraud) resulting in gov't settlements.
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Question: What criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed?
Roadmap: In chronological order DJT and/or his businesses' violation violation of "hybrid" criminal-civil statutes (often fraud) resulting in gov't settlements.
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Donald J. Trump has many brushes with the law and with lawless associates but came out ahead time and time again.
His legal entanglements date back a half century when he was a young man in his twenties, a few years out of University.
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His legal entanglements date back a half century when he was a young man in his twenties, a few years out of University.
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Some of these examples of rule-breaking involve statutes that do not have criminal penalties but are equally egregious.
And, Mr. Tudor, I will be clear one-by-one so there is no confusion.
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And, Mr. Tudor, I will be clear one-by-one so there is no confusion.
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Donald's first known brush with the Feds was in 1973, when he faced a race discrimination lawsuit involving rental apartments in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
The U.S. Justice Department sued Donald, his father Fred, and their company Trump Management Inc.
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The U.S. Justice Department sued Donald, his father Fred, and their company Trump Management Inc.
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When the civil case settled in '75, DOJ claimed victory with a 31-page consent decree.
A government lawyer recalled that this settlement was "one of the most far-reaching ever negotiated".
Donald wrote later "we ended up making a minor settlement without admitting guilt."
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A government lawyer recalled that this settlement was "one of the most far-reaching ever negotiated".
Donald wrote later "we ended up making a minor settlement without admitting guilt."
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No, friends, [and Susan Collins], he did not learn his lesson.
That brings us to Manhattan in the early 1980s. Donald now in his 30s built Trump Tower on a foundation f stolen wages and mob-sourced concrete.
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That brings us to Manhattan in the early 1980s. Donald now in his 30s built Trump Tower on a foundation f stolen wages and mob-sourced concrete.
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Just jogging your memory here, Mr. Tudor, because all of this is in the public record. And, as noted above, it's all sourced in the endnotes to BIG DIRTY MONEY.
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To knock down the Bonwit Teller building to make space for his tower, Donald paid hundreds of undocumented workers from Poland less than half what union wages were and he failed to pay some of them any money at all.
Some workers labored twelve-hour days, seven days a week.
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Some workers labored twelve-hour days, seven days a week.
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Got to run downstairs and get a glass of water. Back in a moment.
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I'm back. Seltzer with fresh lime. Refreshing.
Members of the House Wreckers Union sued Kaszycki & Sons, the contractor Donald used to find workers to demolish Bonwit Teller in 1980.
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Members of the House Wreckers Union sued Kaszycki & Sons, the contractor Donald used to find workers to demolish Bonwit Teller in 1980.
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The union members said that by hiring undocumented workers, Donald had avoided contributing to the union pension fund.
Years later, he wound up paying more than $1.3 million to settle that federal lawsuit.
A civil case but shows a pattern of rulebreaking for profit.
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Years later, he wound up paying more than $1.3 million to settle that federal lawsuit.
A civil case but shows a pattern of rulebreaking for profit.
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When his fancy tower opened in 1983, Donald sold or rented condo units to people who had links to organized crime.
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This included Verina Hixon, a friend of Teamster boss John Cody, who purchased three. Yes, I said three, duplex apartments in the tower.
Hixon has not been accused of wrongdoing, however her friend Cody was an alleged close associate of the Gambino crime family.
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Hixon has not been accused of wrongdoing, however her friend Cody was an alleged close associate of the Gambino crime family.
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So, Mr. Tudor, you may be wondering why I called Verina a friend, not "girl friend" or why I said she has not been accused of wrongdoing.
Because that's how I roll. Legal vetting.
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Because that's how I roll. Legal vetting.
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She's apparently clean. But, her friend Cody had a record.
He spent years behind bars on state burglary charges before he became president of Teamsters Local 282, the union that represented the truckers who delivered concrete to construction sites in New York.
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He spent years behind bars on state burglary charges before he became president of Teamsters Local 282, the union that represented the truckers who delivered concrete to construction sites in New York.
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In January 1982 while the tower was in progress, Cody was indicted on federal criminal charges, including racketeering (not related to Donald).
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That July, while the tower is still being built, and needed concrete, Cody's union went on strike.
Without trucks moving, building in NYC was on hold for nearly all of that summer.
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Without trucks moving, building in NYC was on hold for nearly all of that summer.
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So picture this. Construction is halted because no trucks will deliver concrete. It's at a standstill. For three months.
But, lo and behold, somehow Donald continued so get his deliveries of concrete he needed for the tower. During the three-month strike.
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But, lo and behold, somehow Donald continued so get his deliveries of concrete he needed for the tower. During the three-month strike.
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Things that make you go hmmmmm.
As John Cody's son Michael later said, "My father wasn't that generous, unless there was a reason."
This would be a good time to call on someone in class. Bueller? Bueller?
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As John Cody's son Michael later said, "My father wasn't that generous, unless there was a reason."
This would be a good time to call on someone in class. Bueller? Bueller?
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What possible reason could there be?
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I'll wait. . . . .
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While we wait, here's a photo of Mr. Cody headed in to federal court.
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The answer lies somewhere here:
In September 1982, Cody went to trial. The jury found him guilty of racketeering dating back to the late 1970s.
The crime involved demanding gifts from building contractors.
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In September 1982, Cody went to trial. The jury found him guilty of racketeering dating back to the late 1970s.
The crime involved demanding gifts from building contractors.
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While Cody was in prison, Donald helped out his friend -- remember, Verina Hixon.
How'd he help her?
You'll never guess.
He helped her get a $3 million loan even though Hixon had no visible source of income.
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How'd he help her?
You'll never guess.
He helped her get a $3 million loan even though Hixon had no visible source of income.
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But there's more sketchy stuff in the tower when it opened in 1983.
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Robert Hopkins, also with ties to organized crime, bought a briefcase filled with $200,000 in cash to the closing when he purchased a condo.
Hopkins also ran one of the city's largest illegal gambling operations out of his several Trump tower apartments.
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Hopkins also ran one of the city's largest illegal gambling operations out of his several Trump tower apartments.
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Sutherland would call them all white collar criminals, but Donald called it business as usual.
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This brings us to 1984 . . . .
I'm going call it a night, but will get back to this tomorrow.
Like I said, Mr. Tudor, this is going be days and days to answer your question thoroughly.
I'll pick up right here.
Sweet dreams.
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I'm going call it a night, but will get back to this tomorrow.
Like I said, Mr. Tudor, this is going be days and days to answer your question thoroughly.
I'll pick up right here.
Sweet dreams.
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Good morning!
Moar Donnie Mob Connections to come.
It's my first day of classes, so I need to head off to campus soon, but I promise to return to Donald's legal entanglements in 1984 later this morning.
Be well until then
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Moar Donnie Mob Connections to come.
It's my first day of classes, so I need to head off to campus soon, but I promise to return to Donald's legal entanglements in 1984 later this morning.
Be well until then
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Last night, we left off in around 1983, when Donald opened his eponymous tower, inviting in condo renters and buyers with ties to organized crime.
Suitcases filled with cash and so on.
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Suitcases filled with cash and so on.
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You might say, Mr. Tudor, that those folks were at an arm's length, not actually close and chummy with FPOTUS.
So, let's move in a bit closer.
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So, let's move in a bit closer.
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Meet Joey Weichselbaum
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That's rather current selfie. Here's vintage Joey
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Joseph "Joey" Weichselbaum operated a helicopter company and made a living importing cocaine from Colombia.
After he was indicted on drug trafficking charges in 1985, he began renting an apartment in Trump Plaza and paid in part by providing helicopter services to Trump.
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After he was indicted on drug trafficking charges in 1985, he began renting an apartment in Trump Plaza and paid in part by providing helicopter services to Trump.
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And that's not all.
After Joey pleaded guilty, before he was sentenced, Donald wrote a letter to the judge requesting leniency, calling him “a credit to the community.”
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After Joey pleaded guilty, before he was sentenced, Donald wrote a letter to the judge requesting leniency, calling him “a credit to the community.”
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Joey Weichselbaum moved into Trump Tower after he was released from prison on the drug trafficking
conviction.
Wonder how he got the money? So do I!
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conviction.
Wonder how he got the money? So do I!
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We may never find out.
But, this we know. Joey moved into a double unit previously purchased in CASH by his girlfriend, though there is no public record that the money changed hands.
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But, this we know. Joey moved into a double unit previously purchased in CASH by his girlfriend, though there is no public record that the money changed hands.
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Mysterious
Then there was David Bogatin, a member of a Russian
émigré crime family.
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Then there was David Bogatin, a member of a Russian
émigré crime family.
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When Bogatin purchased five apartments in Trump
Tower in 1984 for $6 million, using several shell companies, Trump apparently attended the closing.
He would later plead guilty to tax evasion, and flee to Poland.
There’s no evidence Trump knew of Bogatin’s scheme,
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Tower in 1984 for $6 million, using several shell companies, Trump apparently attended the closing.
He would later plead guilty to tax evasion, and flee to Poland.
There’s no evidence Trump knew of Bogatin’s scheme,
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Okay. Have a meeting. Back later today.
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Busy day. Let's get back to this.
As noted, while there’s no evidence he knew of Bogatin’s illegal scheme, the Donald himself was involved in a scam to cheat on sales tax.
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As noted, while there’s no evidence he knew of Bogatin’s illegal scheme, the Donald himself was involved in a scam to cheat on sales tax.
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How do we know?
Because Donald squealed. Yes, that's right. In his parlance, he's a rat.
🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀
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Because Donald squealed. Yes, that's right. In his parlance, he's a rat.
🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀
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The tax scam involved jewelry.
The store? Bulgari.
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The store? Bulgari.
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The Bulgari flagship store is quite conveniently located, some 160 feet from Trump Tower.
Not too far from where Donald raped E. Jean Carroll in the dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s.
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Not too far from where Donald raped E. Jean Carroll in the dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s.
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So, Donald not just a rapist, but a rat, sold out the employees at Bulgari.
In 1986, he testified against them after he made $65,000 in purchases and then arranged for the store to mail an empty box out of state to avoid city and state taxes.
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In 1986, he testified against them after he made $65,000 in purchases and then arranged for the store to mail an empty box out of state to avoid city and state taxes.
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While the Bulgari executives and the company that operated the Manhattan store pleaded guilty and
paid fines, they did not serve time in jail.
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paid fines, they did not serve time in jail.
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We are still in the 1980s, Mr. Tudor.
In fairness, I did warn that this was going to take a long while.
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In fairness, I did warn that this was going to take a long while.
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Legal headaches followed Donald Trump to his casino businesses too.
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We are now up to 1988 when Donald was in his early 40s.
No, friends [and @SenatorCollins ], he still had not learned his lesson.
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No, friends [and @SenatorCollins ], he still had not learned his lesson.
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That year, Donald agreed to pay the U.S. Federal Trade Commission a $750,000 penalty for violating the antitrust laws.
What was the offense? He he failed to notify the FTC, as required by law, of stock purchases he made in his attempted takeovers of two casino companies
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What was the offense? He he failed to notify the FTC, as required by law, of stock purchases he made in his attempted takeovers of two casino companies
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Then in 1991, more trouble for Donald.
The Trump Castle in Atlantic City agreed to pay the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement a $30,000 fine related to an unauthorized loan to the casino.
What was this about?
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The Trump Castle in Atlantic City agreed to pay the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement a $30,000 fine related to an unauthorized loan to the casino.
What was this about?
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Donald ran to Fred "Daddy" Trump for help when the business was struggling.
Fred purchased $3.5 million in poker chips from the Castle without placing any bets.
That was a loan
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Fred purchased $3.5 million in poker chips from the Castle without placing any bets.
That was a loan
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A terrible businessman, Donald found himself losing money running a casino.
Besides desperately seeking Daddy's help, he turned to other ways to attract customers
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Besides desperately seeking Daddy's help, he turned to other ways to attract customers
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Another one of Donald's Atlantic City casinos was called the Trump Plaza.
Enter Robert LiButti
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Enter Robert LiButti
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LiButti was a frequent gambler with reported ties to the Gambino organized crime family
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New Jersey had a law that forbid casinos from comping high rollers in cash.
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So, what did the Trump Plaza do?
Here's a clue.
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Here's a clue.
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Whew. I'm not a car gal, but that candy apple red Rolls-Royce Phantom is quite attractive.
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So, Trump's casino gave nine luxury automobiles to that Gambino-linked high roller. And he immediately exchanged the cars for cash.
That of course, triggered the state law that banned casinos from comping high rollers in cash.
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That of course, triggered the state law that banned casinos from comping high rollers in cash.
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In response, in 1991, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission leveled a $450,000 fine against the Trump Plaza.
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Donald's third Atlantic City casino, the $1 billion Trump Taj Mahal, struggled to stay afloat and filed for bankruptcy in 1991, followed by the Castle and Plaza in 1992.
To be clear, Mr. Tudor, there's no crime in filing for bankruptcy.
This is just some context
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To be clear, Mr. Tudor, there's no crime in filing for bankruptcy.
This is just some context
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The creditors took substantial haircuts.
In 1995. After that reorganization, Donald took his casino businesses public.
The new was Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts.
Or THCR for short
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In 1995. After that reorganization, Donald took his casino businesses public.
The new was Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts.
Or THCR for short
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By now, Donald is in his 50s.
Trying to make a go of his failed businesses.
And still, as aways, choosing shading dealings and legal violations to try to get ahead
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Trying to make a go of his failed businesses.
And still, as aways, choosing shading dealings and legal violations to try to get ahead
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What now?
Well before I answer that, let's reflect.
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Well before I answer that, let's reflect.
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By the 1990s he has already had trouble with the DOJ, the FTC, and the NJ Casino Control Commission. He's sold or rented apartments to many mob-linked characters some who ran gambling operations out of Trump Tower, cheated on jewelry sales tax and
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We should never forgot, of course, in that era he has raped his then-wife Ivana Trump, and raped E. Jean Carroll.
And, there's more
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And, there's more
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But, I must now go teach my first day of Civil Procedure.
It's an evening class.
More tomorrow
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It's an evening class.
More tomorrow
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A thought before officially calling it a day.
A few trolls continue to claim that I have not yet stated a single crime that Donald Trump committed, that this is all civil penalties and innuendo.
Not true.
Those trolls are telling on themselves.
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A few trolls continue to claim that I have not yet stated a single crime that Donald Trump committed, that this is all civil penalties and innuendo.
Not true.
Those trolls are telling on themselves.
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Rape is a crime. And he was a credibly accused repeat offender.
His contempt for women and contempt for democracy fits into his authoritarian strong man persona.
It’s about power and control. And his own fear of being dominated.
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His contempt for women and contempt for democracy fits into his authoritarian strong man persona.
It’s about power and control. And his own fear of being dominated.
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See you tomorrow.
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Good morning. I regret to inform you that your classmate, Mr. Greg Tudor is no longer with us.
I do not have the details of his passing yet Beyond this notice from Twitter that his account has been suspended.
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I do not have the details of his passing yet Beyond this notice from Twitter that his account has been suspended.
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Let us not speak ill of the freshly departed.
Fortunately, we still have the screenshot of our first meeting.
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Fortunately, we still have the screenshot of our first meeting.
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Shaken by the sudden loss, I need to gather my thoughts before continuing on this journey.
I will be back later this morning and continue to answer his question. It’s all I can do to honor his memory.
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I will be back later this morning and continue to answer his question. It’s all I can do to honor his memory.
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Apologies. Last night I jumped 100. So we really should be considering this tweet 110
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We left off last evening in the 1990s when Donald took his three failed Atlantic City casinos into bankruptcy.
Bankruptcy is not a crime. This is context.
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Bankruptcy is not a crime. This is context.
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Post that bankruptcy-facilitated reorganization, Donald took his casino businesses public.
The parent company that sold stock to the public was called Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts.
Or THCR
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The parent company that sold stock to the public was called Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts.
Or THCR
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Here’s a moment when I wish Mr. Tudor could still be with us. Sigh.
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Because now we are getting right into the fraud of the matter.
Bread and butter investment fraud.
What attorneys refer to as Securities Fraud.
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Bread and butter investment fraud.
What attorneys refer to as Securities Fraud.
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Now it’s time for me to drop off the Prius at its 35,000 mile service appointment.
To get a little exercise and I will be walking home. Back to the story later this morning.
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To get a little exercise and I will be walking home. Back to the story later this morning.
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Back from the car dealership, but just finishing up a meeting with my summer research assistant who is headed back to Sarah Lawrence soon.
The kid is trying to get Ponzu to stop interfering.
More soon
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The kid is trying to get Ponzu to stop interfering.
More soon
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About to continue, but want to take the moment to thank all of you for your support.
Just looked and saw that BIG DIRTY MONEY is outranking J.D. Vance. . .
To show my gratitude contributing (again) now to his opponent Tim Ryan for U.S. Senate.
secure.actblue.com/donate/timryan…
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Just looked and saw that BIG DIRTY MONEY is outranking J.D. Vance. . .
To show my gratitude contributing (again) now to his opponent Tim Ryan for U.S. Senate.
secure.actblue.com/donate/timryan…
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Okay, one more delay, I'm on with @MaryLTrump and the Nerd Avengers on the #MaryTrumpShow.
Special guests:
@ElieNYC
@ruthbenghiat
Regular #NerdAvengers
@Dahlialithwick
@NormOrnstein
@DeanObeidallah
Link:
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Special guests:
@ElieNYC
@ruthbenghiat
Regular #NerdAvengers
@Dahlialithwick
@NormOrnstein
@DeanObeidallah
Link:
118/
Actually, I think Elie is an actual regular!
We meet every Tuesday at noon. (I bring my lunch and you can too).
Lunch today is toasted ezekiel bread with 1/2 haas avocado, yellow sriracha, and everything seasoning.
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We meet every Tuesday at noon. (I bring my lunch and you can too).
Lunch today is toasted ezekiel bread with 1/2 haas avocado, yellow sriracha, and everything seasoning.
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OK. Done with that. We had such a great conversation. I’ll be back here at 4 PM no the lesson in honor of Mr. Tudor
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https://twitter.com/AuthorKimberley/status/1564698216125407241
It's now 1999. Donald is CEO of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Inc. THCR is the corporation that operates his his three restructured Atlantic City casino businesses.
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To be clear, there were several businesses under this umbrella, including the bankrupted ones.
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So, in October, Donald put out a press release boasting about his THCR's financial performance for the 3rd quarter.
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Will it surprise you to learn that the numbers that Donald on behalf of THCR included in that press release were, shall we say . . . .
LIES
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LIES
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Lawyers don't refer to numbers as lies, of course. We use words like "materially misleading."
No, we don't say that to be pretentious. We say "materially misleading" (the words the SEC used . .. more on that in a moment), because it has a specific legal meaning.
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No, we don't say that to be pretentious. We say "materially misleading" (the words the SEC used . .. more on that in a moment), because it has a specific legal meaning.
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That press release made it look like Donald's company had beat Wall Street's expectations.
However, that was a mirage.
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However, that was a mirage.
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Donald presented only a rosy picture, leaving out the details.
The press release failed to mention that the company too a charge (a loss) for $84.1 million in businesses it had shuttered.
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The press release failed to mention that the company too a charge (a loss) for $84.1 million in businesses it had shuttered.
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And the press release failed to mention that what look like strong results were only due to very unusual one-time gain of around $17 million.
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None of the numbers were calculated or presented in accordance with GAAP. The term for these times of financial is "pro forma," and it was a sneaky way some corporations used to pull a fast one on investors.
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The SEC made an example of Donald and his company, cracking down in 2002.
This was fraud.
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This was fraud.
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The SEC issued a cease-and-desist order and entered into a settlement with THCR.
The agency was clear that it was not just the business, but Donald too.
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The agency was clear that it was not just the business, but Donald too.
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The SEC said
"Trump Hotels, through the conduct of its chief executive officer, its chief financial officer and its treasurer, violated the antifraud provisions of the Securities Exchange Act by knowingly or recklessly issuing a materially misleading press release"
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"Trump Hotels, through the conduct of its chief executive officer, its chief financial officer and its treasurer, violated the antifraud provisions of the Securities Exchange Act by knowingly or recklessly issuing a materially misleading press release"
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To spell this out as simply as possible. The earnings per share (EPS) figure show in the press release was materially misleading.
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Stephen Cutler, SEC enforcement chief said "[T]he method of presenting the pro forma numbers and the positive spin [THCR] put on them were materially misleading. The case starkly illustrates how pro forma numbers can be used deceptively and the mischief that can cause"
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Did he learn his lesson?
Let's take a look.
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Let's take a look.
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When asked about the enforcement action by the SEC, Donald brushed it off saying that the press release "was just a statement that was too verbose."
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You may be shocked, shocked to find out that there was more failure going on at Donald's casino
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In 2004, with Donald still at the helm, THCR sought protection under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.
Around ten years after several of the underlying casinos had filed.
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Around ten years after several of the underlying casinos had filed.
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Even after this 2004 bankruptcy reorganization, Donald stayed on as Chairman of the Board (though he gave up the CEO position).
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Will it surprise you to learn what happened to THCR next?
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Here's a hint
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Okay. No, not that yet. That demolition was not until 2021.
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What actually happened next is that THCR, while Donald was chairman, failed again.
The second bankruptcy filing was in 2009.
At that point, Donnie stepped down from his role as chairman.
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The second bankruptcy filing was in 2009.
At that point, Donnie stepped down from his role as chairman.
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Donald was gone, but not forgotten . . . . kind of like Mr. Tudor.
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Well, he'd like us to forget. But I can't forget. Because it involves my favorite topic. Big Dirty Money.
And what was happing at his company while he in leadership.
You guessed it. . .
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And what was happing at his company while he in leadership.
You guessed it. . .
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Yep. . .money laundering
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Okay, I need to prep for my evening class.
See y'all on the other side.
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See y'all on the other side.
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Back to a little money laundering then time for bed.
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Scene: The Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort
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Remember. Upthread at #97 the Taj filed for bankruptcy protection in 1991.
Kind of shocking given that Donald had just opened the place in 1990.
Not so shocking, though given that it cost a whopping $1 billion to build it.
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Kind of shocking given that Donald had just opened the place in 1990.
Not so shocking, though given that it cost a whopping $1 billion to build it.
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The Taj was one of his casinos in Atlantic City that by 1995 was under the Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts (THCR) umbrella.
So, the money laundering happened between the time THCR was created and the time Donald lied in that press release in 1999.
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So, the money laundering happened between the time THCR was created and the time Donald lied in that press release in 1999.
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Were you still with us, Mr. Tudor, you might be scratching your head about now, puzzled.
Yes, we all wonder, why didn't we hear about this at the time.
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Yes, we all wonder, why didn't we hear about this at the time.
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Here's why. It wasn't until 2015 that "the law" caught up and crackdown.
Law is slow (as my friend @Dahlialithwick) reminded us today on @MaryLTrump's podcast.
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Law is slow (as my friend @Dahlialithwick) reminded us today on @MaryLTrump's podcast.
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So, what did we find out in 2015, and who got in trouble for what federal offenses?
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It was Colonel Mustard, in the Casino with the civil penalty. . .
No, I mean FinCEN
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No, I mean FinCEN
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It was FinCEN who said there was serious legal violations going on at the Taj casino, the place Donald deemed "the eighth wonder of the world" before he drove it for the first time into bankruptcy.
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That stands for Financial Crimes Enforcement Network , a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department.
So, in 2015 FinCEN imposed a $10 million civil penalty on the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort for “willful and repeated” violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
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So, in 2015 FinCEN imposed a $10 million civil penalty on the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort for “willful and repeated” violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
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The Bank Secrecy Act is an anti–money laundering law that targets people and entities (like banks, investment funds, and casinos) who help criminals ill-gotten gains, or “dirty money,” look clean.
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The law was enacted in 1970. Yes, Richard Nixon signed it into law.
Ironic, don't you think 🎶
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Ironic, don't you think 🎶
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The government’s press release from 2015 mentioned a $477,000 civil penalty paid in 1998 for currency- transaction reporting violations.
But, there was more.
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But, there was more.
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It also said that the “Trump Taj Mahal has a long history of prior, repeated BSA violations cited by examiners dating back to 2003.”
Yes. In 2003 Donald was CEO and chairman of THCR, the parent entity that operated the Taj.
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Yes. In 2003 Donald was CEO and chairman of THCR, the parent entity that operated the Taj.
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In that same press release in 2015, the director of FinCEN said the casino for many years left our financial system vulnerable to being “exploited by criminals, terrorists, and other bad actors.”
Oh, really.
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Oh, really.
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Do you think he "learned his lesson"?
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Do you see, @SenatorCollins why I was SCREAMING into the void when you said it was okay not for the Senate to convict him after he was impeached the first time?
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But, you know how it is with these rich, white, well-connected men. . .
In 2015, though the Trump Taj Mahal admitted to several willful violations, no criminal charges were brought against the entity or any individuals.
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In 2015, though the Trump Taj Mahal admitted to several willful violations, no criminal charges were brought against the entity or any individuals.
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Okay, so the last criminal behavior we pinpointed here was in 2003 at the casino.
It's time to move ahead to 2005.
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It's time to move ahead to 2005.
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In 2005, Donald expanded his exposure to the world of federal offenses with his dalliance into fraud and racketeering.
Surely you remember this. It is almost as fresh in our minds as Mr. Tudor still is.
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Surely you remember this. It is almost as fresh in our minds as Mr. Tudor still is.
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I'm talking about Trump University, of course.
We will take this up tomorrow.
Ciao for now.
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We will take this up tomorrow.
Ciao for now.
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We will pick up where we left off — in 2005 — later this morning.
It may will be that Donald is indicted before I actually finish this thread in the months to come.
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It may will be that Donald is indicted before I actually finish this thread in the months to come.
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Let's go!
Is it any wonder that Donald Trump’s dalliance with “higher” education also brought allegations of fraud and racketeering? In 2005, by now nearly in his sixties, he launched Trump University.
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Is it any wonder that Donald Trump’s dalliance with “higher” education also brought allegations of fraud and racketeering? In 2005, by now nearly in his sixties, he launched Trump University.
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Don't be fooled by the name, Mr. Tudor, bless your soul.
Trump University was not actually a university.
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Trump University was not actually a university.
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It was a seminar series promising to teach students the secrets of successful real estate investment.
Cough. Couch. Successful. Cough. From the gentleman who thrice bankrupted his businesses.
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Cough. Couch. Successful. Cough. From the gentleman who thrice bankrupted his businesses.
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According to the advertisements for this "university," the instructors were “handpicked” by Trump himself.
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Spoiler alert. The instructors were not actually "handpicked" by Donald.
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Tuition was not cheap. Gold elite classes cost nearly $35,000.
In 2005, you could get a 4-year degree at a real university in New York for less than in total tuition payments.
(and no, I didn't include room & board in that calculation, because neither did Trump U.)
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In 2005, you could get a 4-year degree at a real university in New York for less than in total tuition payments.
(and no, I didn't include room & board in that calculation, because neither did Trump U.)
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I mean you literally could pay tuition and get a law degree in three years at CUNY and spend less than that in 2005.
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This was civil fraud and racketeering (NY state law RICO).
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However, the charges could have been criminal. But, you know, that's not how things pan out for wealthy, well-connected, white scam artists.
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After he was elected, but before taking office (aka during the interregnum), Donald's university settled with former students and the NY DA.
What was the number this time?
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What was the number this time?
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Twenty-five million dollars.
Donald agreed to that amount in November 2016. settle various civil fraud and RICO cases.
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Donald agreed to that amount in November 2016. settle various civil fraud and RICO cases.
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Do you see a pattern? The "crimes" get more outlandish. More fraud. More victims.
And the dollars to settle get larger and larger.
And, yet. No criminal charges. Even when the laws would permit.
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And the dollars to settle get larger and larger.
And, yet. No criminal charges. Even when the laws would permit.
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Why the H*$$ not?
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Here's a clue . . .
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Okay. Time for a lunch break.
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Friends, during lunch, I had a brief colloquy with Andrew ("Drew).
In the interest of full transparency, I will drop a screenshot of that here.
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In the interest of full transparency, I will drop a screenshot of that here.
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Whoops. There should have been a quotation mark after the word Drew inside of that parenthesis.
(Consider this also an apology for all past and future typos).
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(Consider this also an apology for all past and future typos).
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Before lunch, we were pondering the question. Why in the world didn't the NY AG bring criminal (not just civil) RICO charges against Donald in connection with the Trump University scam?
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While we cannot ever read the AG's mind, we kind make some observations about his words and his behavior.
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Sorry folks. I had to re-thread here.
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Shortly after he took office in January 2011, AG Schneiderman began investigating Trump University (by then renamed the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative)
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In May of that year, the AG subpoenaed documents. In August 2013, on behalf of the state of New York, he sued.
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In the complaint, Schneiderman alleged that this fake educational institution had brought in tens of millions of dollars of revenue largely by misleading customers through false promises and outright lies.
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What types of lies?
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Donald claimed to have handpicked the instructors. But he had not.
Plus, they had little training themselves.
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Plus, they had little training themselves.
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Donald's victims spent thousands of dollars in their savings and went into debt to attend these courses.
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Let's be clear.
There was an opportunity for the attorney general to bring criminal charges against Trump’s fake university.
But, instead AG Schneiderman orchestrated a civil settlement.
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There was an opportunity for the attorney general to bring criminal charges against Trump’s fake university.
But, instead AG Schneiderman orchestrated a civil settlement.
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Why?
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Again, we cannot read his mind, but the following was publicly reported
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In 2013, while he was investigating Trump’s enterprise, rumors were circulating that Schneiderman had physically assaulted several women
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This information was apparently passed by attorney Peter Gleason to Trump’s then personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, who said he discussed it with Trump himself.
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And at the time, we couuld see evidence on Twitter that Trump let Schneiderman know he had some dirt on him.
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On September 11, 2013, private citizen Donald Trump tweeted the following:
“Weiner is gone, Spitzer is gone— next will be lightweight A.G. Eric Schneiderman. Is he a crook? Wait and see, worse than Spitzer or Weiner.”
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“Weiner is gone, Spitzer is gone— next will be lightweight A.G. Eric Schneiderman. Is he a crook? Wait and see, worse than Spitzer or Weiner.”
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Donald was since that date, banished from Twitter. Kind of like how our dearly-departed classmate Greg Tudor left us.
However, we do have a screenshot
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However, we do have a screenshot
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What to make of this tweet?
To begin, he sent it on September 11th. A day of national significance for our country. A day we honor the lives of those killed during the 9/11 attack from 2001.
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To begin, he sent it on September 11th. A day of national significance for our country. A day we honor the lives of those killed during the 9/11 attack from 2001.
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Though, Donald was never known for his patriotism or honoring the sacrifice of others
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This might be a good moment to recall what Donald was saying on 9/11.
What he was saying just hours after the Towers collapsed, the Pentagon was attacked, and the heroes on Flight 93 crashed the plane into a field to avoid attack on the U.S. Capitol.
What he was saying just hours after the Towers collapsed, the Pentagon was attacked, and the heroes on Flight 93 crashed the plane into a field to avoid attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Donald, went on local television, while the nation was under attack and boasted that now his building (40 Wall Street) was now the tallest in Manhattan.
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That. Should. Have. Been. Disqualifying.
NO. SUSAN COLLINS HE DID NOT, WILL NOT, HAS NOT AND WILL NEVER LEARN HIS LESSON!
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NO. SUSAN COLLINS HE DID NOT, WILL NOT, HAS NOT AND WILL NEVER LEARN HIS LESSON!
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Whew. I had a moment.
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Okay, back to the question of why the NY AG did not indict Donald Trump in connection with defrauding "students" but instead settled civilly on RICO charges.
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Like I said, upthread. In 2013, while he was investigating "Trump University," rumors were circulating that Schneiderman had physically assaulted several women.
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And, Donald signaled in September of 2013 via Twitter to Eric that he knew.
Let's go back to realdonaldtrump's tweet from 9/11
"Weiner is gone, Spitzer is gone— next will be lightweight A.G. Eric Schnei-derman. Is he a crook? Wait and see, worse than Spitzer or Weiner"
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Let's go back to realdonaldtrump's tweet from 9/11
"Weiner is gone, Spitzer is gone— next will be lightweight A.G. Eric Schnei-derman. Is he a crook? Wait and see, worse than Spitzer or Weiner"
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Besides the insensitive timing, there's something odd here.
This tweet contained an obvious allusion to sexual impropriety.
Otherwise, there would have been no reason to include Anthony Weiner in the tweet
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This tweet contained an obvious allusion to sexual impropriety.
Otherwise, there would have been no reason to include Anthony Weiner in the tweet
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And, no, I will not be sharing a redacted dick pic here.
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While Eliot Spitzer had held the same office that Schneiderman did— that of AG— Weiner was a member of Congress.
These two men had something in common.
We don’t know if Schneiderman read this tweet, but if he did, then message received.
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These two men had something in common.
We don’t know if Schneiderman read this tweet, but if he did, then message received.
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Is it possible this pressure led Schneiderman to go lighter?
Is that why the AG agreed to a relatively small $25 million civil RICO settlement in 2016, just weeks after Trump was elected president?
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Is that why the AG agreed to a relatively small $25 million civil RICO settlement in 2016, just weeks after Trump was elected president?
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We may never know.
But when the full story came out in May 2018 of the
physical assault allegations, Schneiderman did resign from office, under pressure.
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But when the full story came out in May 2018 of the
physical assault allegations, Schneiderman did resign from office, under pressure.
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But there's more
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There is some further support that this damaging information on Schneiderman may have influenced his actions in the Trump University matter.
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In May 2018, Peter Gleason sent a letter to federal judge Kimba Wood.
In that letter his wrote that two women, one in 2012 and one in 2013, had informed him that Schneiderman
had been “sexually inappropriate with them.”
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In that letter his wrote that two women, one in 2012 and one in 2013, had informed him that Schneiderman
had been “sexually inappropriate with them.”
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Gleason also told Judge Wood that he’d passed this information on to journalist Stephen Dunleavy, and that Dunleavy offered to speak with Trump about the matter.
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Gleason said he had a phone conversation with Trump’s personal lawyer at the time, Michael Cohen.
And based on that phone call, Gleason believed Trump had been informed about these allegations.
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And based on that phone call, Gleason believed Trump had been informed about these allegations.
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Gleason later explained in an interview that he thought the information was relevant to Trump, given his battle with the New York attorney general.
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Okay, I need to head off to teach White Collar Crime.
No, it's not a how-to class.
Yes, I've heard that joke before.
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No, it's not a how-to class.
Yes, I've heard that joke before.
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Oh, my goodness. This feels awkward, but we have lost another student. Brother Zimm is gone. Such an untimely departure.
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Though we know longer have Brother with us, we can cherish him forever through this screenshot.
May his memory be for a blessing.
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May his memory be for a blessing.
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Everyone grieves in different ways. I will have to take a break until the morning and will pick up this thread where we left off.
Just before Donald was elected.
In the meanwhile, I'll be joining @DeanObeidallah at 7 pm on @SIRIUSXM
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Just before Donald was elected.
In the meanwhile, I'll be joining @DeanObeidallah at 7 pm on @SIRIUSXM
228/
Thank goodness. A new student has shaken me out of my despondency.
Here's a screenshot that has made me grin again.
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Here's a screenshot that has made me grin again.
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Okay, off to my second class of the day.
More in the morning.
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More in the morning.
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Good morning!
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On this beautiful first day of September, let's take this moment to reflect on how we began this journey and the ground we have traversed.
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It all began on Sunday, August 28, when Mr. Greg Tudor asked a question that launched (what will be a 1,000 tweets).
Here's that is
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Here's that is
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We began our journey by teasing out from his thoughtful query, a central question.
Specifically, we are answering the question of what criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed.
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Specifically, we are answering the question of what criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed.
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Recognizing that the answer to this question was a marathon, not a sprint, we also set out the roadmap:
In chronological order violations by DJT and/or his businesses of the law including "hybrid" criminal-civil statutes (often fraud) resulting in gov't settlements
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In chronological order violations by DJT and/or his businesses of the law including "hybrid" criminal-civil statutes (often fraud) resulting in gov't settlements
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Twitter did not have an edit button when we began.
So you will notice I made a friendly amendment in the tweet directly above making the roadmap plan more clear.
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So you will notice I made a friendly amendment in the tweet directly above making the roadmap plan more clear.
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Even to get to that statement of a roadmap, we first explored the invention and evolving usage of the term "white collar crime".
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Before we could answer Mr. Tudor's question. Somewhere along the way, he left this world.
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We decided to soldier on in Greg's memory. And, then had a substitute step up to fill the hollow void.
Brother Zimm. Not Greg, but he would do. So caring. So wise.
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Brother Zimm. Not Greg, but he would do. So caring. So wise.
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Sadly, and it's hard for me even to speak of him in the past tense. Lo, we lost Brother too.
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I struggled to get over my grief, but somehow found comfort in these difficult times.
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ummmm. what was I saying?
Oh, that's right. We are talking about what we have learned so far re the central question: what criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed.
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Oh, that's right. We are talking about what we have learned so far re the central question: what criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed.
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Before answering that, I let Greg, Brother, and all of you know that this information was presented in the preface of my book BIG DIRTY MONEY, and that the book is around 336 pages, including endnotes to the sources.
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To summarize. Upthread, we have witnesses nearly a half-century of lawbreaking by Donald John Trump, none of which resulted thus far in a single indictment, let alone conviction.
However . . .
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However . . .
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We started in 1973 when he was in his 20s, and we had made it through late 2016 with offense after offense after offense.
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But that was just a sample.
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We have not even touched on how Trump allegedly gained at least $413 million (in today’s dollars) from his
father’s real estate empire.
Most of that was by using tax schemes that experts later told the New York Times appeared to be fraudulent.
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father’s real estate empire.
Most of that was by using tax schemes that experts later told the New York Times appeared to be fraudulent.
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And all what we have covered too, place before he became president of the United States.
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A hallmark of the crooked behavior that was never criminally charged is that in some instances related civil cases were brought by federal or state authorities and by individuals.
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The decision not to criminally prosecute him or his businesses appears to be the result of business as usual— going light on the wealthy. But could government corruption also be at play?
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What we can also observe is that the more Donald cheated and got away with a slap on the wrist and financial penalty or fine, the more audacious his behavior became.
The bigger his schemes and rackets grew.
The more dangerous his associates became.
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The bigger his schemes and rackets grew.
The more dangerous his associates became.
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Now it's time for us to turn to Donald's criminal behavior while in office.
And, the criminal behavior that took place before, but that we only found out about when he took office (such as election fraud, additional tax fraud, and more). . .
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And, the criminal behavior that took place before, but that we only found out about when he took office (such as election fraud, additional tax fraud, and more). . .
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But I need take a break for meetings. . . .
See you all in the afternoon
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See you all in the afternoon
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One caveat.
Somebody is just begging to be the main character. It ain't gonna happen though.
There will never be another Mr. Tudor, or another Brother Zimm, or another Lica. Period.
254/
Somebody is just begging to be the main character. It ain't gonna happen though.
There will never be another Mr. Tudor, or another Brother Zimm, or another Lica. Period.
254/
My lovely college friend Deborah came to visit. Plus there is the Biden address at 8 tonight. And I will be joining @MaryLTrump and #TheNerdAvengers at 7:45 pm
So pausing this discussion until the morning.
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So pausing this discussion until the morning.
255/
Join us here:
246/
246/
Deborah says, hi.
Okay. See you tomorrow
247/
Okay. See you tomorrow
247/
☕️ Good morning. Having coffee with Deborah, when she departs I will get back to the Mr. Tudor had a question thread
248/
248/
What a lovely time spent with a good friend, Deborah. Way too much laughing though. I'd better get serious when I return to this thread.
I know you are counting on my humorless takes
249/
I know you are counting on my humorless takes
249/
We have cover nearly 50 years of Donald's business affairs from young adulthood through his election to the U.S. presidency in November 2016.
250/
250/
What did we learn?
From a small representative sample, we saw that from the jump, Donald was engaged in discriminatory, abusive, misleading, often fraudulent, often tax-cheating tactics.
And that he was a failure. Time and time again.
251/
From a small representative sample, we saw that from the jump, Donald was engaged in discriminatory, abusive, misleading, often fraudulent, often tax-cheating tactics.
And that he was a failure. Time and time again.
251/
And, we saw something about the number of victims and the amounts of penalties he faced (typically through his assorted business enterprises).
252/
252/
Donald's victims and the dollars paid in settlements, penalties, or fines kept growing and growing and growing.
253/
253/
I want to share those numbers here so you don't need to travel upthread for a refresher
But first, I have to watch my friend @KatiePhang who is hosting the @TheBeatWithAri.
Fortunately I DVR'd the show so I won't miss her A block. And, I think @JoyceWhiteVance is a guest!
254/
But first, I have to watch my friend @KatiePhang who is hosting the @TheBeatWithAri.
Fortunately I DVR'd the show so I won't miss her A block. And, I think @JoyceWhiteVance is a guest!
254/
we are back
255/
255/
So, over that half-century, up through November of 2016, with that fake university RICO settlement, anyone with a good memory and a calculator could do do things.
255/
255/
One: They could calculate the damage Donald's lawbreaking had caused to date
Two: They could anticipate the mess ahead when he would assume the Presidency.
256/
Two: They could anticipate the mess ahead when he would assume the Presidency.
256/
Among those with the very best memories, calculators, and crystals balls were:
@DavidCayJ
@TimOBrien
The late Wayne Barrett
257/
@DavidCayJ
@TimOBrien
The late Wayne Barrett
257/
They wrote Donald, before a cottage industry of authors published books telling us what a terrible, tacky, rapey, racist, lying, cheating, traitorous fraudster he turned out to be.
258/
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Too many people only knew about Donald from THE APPRENTICE, and believed he was a business success.
Or they read THE ART OF THE DEAL (not knowing it was ghostwritten and Donald was terrible at dealmaking).
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Or they read THE ART OF THE DEAL (not knowing it was ghostwritten and Donald was terrible at dealmaking).
259/
If only someone had made THE MAKING OF DONALD TRUMP by @DavidCayJ into a binge-able NETFLIX series.
amazon.com/Making-Donald-…
260/
amazon.com/Making-Donald-…
260/
What I am getting at here, is that an educated public would have known what a dangerous greedy lying fraudster Donald was, and he would not have won.
261/
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What's more, if the DOJ had properly enforced white collar criminal laws against people like Donald, he would have served time in federal prison, not the Oval Office.
262/
262/
So, back to the victims and the numbers. From the sampling of legal entanglements involving some type of discrimination, fraud, or racketeering, etc.
263/
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1975: Victims of the housing discrimination lawsuit were people denied access to rental units. Something discovered by using "testers".
264/
264/
Well, unless you asked Daddy and Donnie. They thought they were the real victims.
So, Fred, Donald, and their corporation countersued the government for defamation for $100 million
Details here:
washingtonpost.com/politics/insid…
265/
So, Fred, Donald, and their corporation countersued the government for defamation for $100 million
Details here:
washingtonpost.com/politics/insid…
265/
The family lawyer? None other than Roy Cohn. Yes, the lawyer who worked with Joseph McCarthy and later as a lawyer for the mob.
But surely Mr. Tudor knew that (may he rest in peace).
266/
But surely Mr. Tudor knew that (may he rest in peace).
266/
More victims
1980: The workers who worked without wages or were underpaid to tear down Bonwit Teller to make room for Trump Tower were victims.
Donald later paid $1.3 million to settle a federal lawsuit for failing to make pension fund payments.
267/
1980: The workers who worked without wages or were underpaid to tear down Bonwit Teller to make room for Trump Tower were victims.
Donald later paid $1.3 million to settle a federal lawsuit for failing to make pension fund payments.
267/
Mid-1980s: When Donald allowed at least one person to pay (in part) for a unit in Trump Tower with a briefcase $200,000 filled with cash, we have to wonder whether this was laundering dirty money, or facilitating tax evasion.
The victims, at least being honest taxpayers
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The victims, at least being honest taxpayers
268/
And so much more suspected money-laundering, actual gambling, and tax evasion by people right there in Trump Tower. But, no hard brief that he "knew".
269/
269/
Maybe he was shocked, shocked, that gambling was going on in Trump Tower
or that the Russia mob was not on the up and up with those shell companies
270/
or that the Russia mob was not on the up and up with those shell companies
270/
There are more victims in the 1980s, including New York State and NYC
They were deprived of sales tax income on $65,000 in purchases from a jewelry store steps away from his home on 5th Avenue.
He then he ratted out the employees who helped him cheat
🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀
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They were deprived of sales tax income on $65,000 in purchases from a jewelry store steps away from his home on 5th Avenue.
He then he ratted out the employees who helped him cheat
🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀
271/
The first out-of-pocket settlement with the government was in 1988.
That year, Donald agreed to pay the U.S. Federal Trade Commission a $750,000 penalty for violating the antitrust laws.
Small potatoes
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That year, Donald agreed to pay the U.S. Federal Trade Commission a $750,000 penalty for violating the antitrust laws.
Small potatoes
272/
Next government settlement was when the Trump Castle in Atlantic City agreed to pay the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement a $30,000 fine related to Fred "Daddy" Trump's $3.5 million cash loan.
273/
273/
Donald was earning fines still just in the 5 figures. . .
Still small potatoes. As small as the canned potatoes (yes, I said canned) in Mother Dreyer’s Small Potatoes recipe.
(Thank you, @BCDreyer).
274/
Still small potatoes. As small as the canned potatoes (yes, I said canned) in Mother Dreyer’s Small Potatoes recipe.
(Thank you, @BCDreyer).
274/
1991: That's when Donald moves into 6 figure territory.
That's when the New Jersey Casino Control Commission leveled a $450,000 fine against the Trump Plaza. Recall, the casino was comping a high-roller in luxury cars that he converted immediately to cash.
275/
That's when the New Jersey Casino Control Commission leveled a $450,000 fine against the Trump Plaza. Recall, the casino was comping a high-roller in luxury cars that he converted immediately to cash.
275/
2002: The securities fraud settlement appears to be cash-free. Just an order to cease-and-desist.
Don't roll your eyes at me. Take it up with the SEC.
Victims were investors
276/
Don't roll your eyes at me. Take it up with the SEC.
Victims were investors
276/
2015: Donald hit the BIGLY league, attracting fines of seven figures
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277/
His nemesis? Financial Crimes Enforcement Network , a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department.
That year, FinCEN imposed a $10 million civil penalty on the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort for “willful and repeated” violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
278/
That year, FinCEN imposed a $10 million civil penalty on the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort for “willful and repeated” violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
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Remember that the activity dated back to when he was CEO of his casino conglomerate
279/
279/
This was a step up from the mere 6-figure $477,000 civil penalty from 1998 the casino had paid
280/
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Which brings us to November 2016, when Donald top his own personal charts for government settlements paid.
He reached the 8-figure level.
$25,000,000!!
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He reached the 8-figure level.
$25,000,000!!
281/
Donald reached that pinnacle in a settlement with the New York AG and others, including former "students" (aka suckers) who paid up to $35,000 for "classes" at "Trump University."
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282/
Great. We have review and on are the same page.
This is the foundation for the crime spree to come.
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This is the foundation for the crime spree to come.
283/
Now that we are moving past November 2016, we will answer our central question in month-by-month chronology, based on law enforcement actions.
284/
284/
Remember the central question is: what criminal offenses has Donald J. Trump apparently committed.
Or, in shorter form: "The Tudor Question".
See you in the morning
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Or, in shorter form: "The Tudor Question".
See you in the morning
285/
10 million is 8 figures. Sheesh.
Good morning. I am savoring my coffee and pumpkin spice almond creamer.
(Hush, please, pumpkin spice haters)
Have some other things to do. Back to the thread this evening.
286/
(Hush, please, pumpkin spice haters)
Have some other things to do. Back to the thread this evening.
286/
Several Friends of Tudor are still catching up on the thread, so I will pause until tomorrow. Enjoy your Saturday night!
287/
287/
☕️ Good morning, Friends if Tudor, let’s do this. On the couch, settling into my first cup of coffee.
A nice thing about being married to an artist is that he brought to the relationship an interesting collection of etchings.
288/
A nice thing about being married to an artist is that he brought to the relationship an interesting collection of etchings.
288/
This particular etching from 1616, is by French printmaker Jacques Callot (1592 - 1635).
The title translates as "Second Intermediate where Hell is seen arming itself to make Circe's revenge against Tyrrhenian. theatrical scene."
289/
The title translates as "Second Intermediate where Hell is seen arming itself to make Circe's revenge against Tyrrhenian. theatrical scene."
289/
That should be "Friends of Tudor" (not "if).
Welcome. In Greg's name, we go forth.
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Welcome. In Greg's name, we go forth.
290/
We now embark on a month-by-month exposition of what criminal offenses Donald J. Trump apparently committed from December 2016 onward.
291/
291/
A few notes:
1. What follows is new. It's not from BIG DIRTY MONEY;
2. To source, I'm going back to my day-by-day records (posted on Facebook), which includes news links; and
3. News of a government investigation or interaction typically will be the triggering event
292/
1. What follows is new. It's not from BIG DIRTY MONEY;
2. To source, I'm going back to my day-by-day records (posted on Facebook), which includes news links; and
3. News of a government investigation or interaction typically will be the triggering event
292/
🎅 Ho, ho, ho! On December 24, 2016, President-elect Donald Trump announced his plan to shut down his charitable foundation.
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293/
Why did he make that announcement on Christmas Eve?
(When he actually would not close the foundation for a couple more years)?
294/
(When he actually would not close the foundation for a couple more years)?
294/
Here's why.
News came out a month earlier that the Donald J. Trump Foundation (his charity) admitted to the IRS that it had broken the law.
295/
News came out a month earlier that the Donald J. Trump Foundation (his charity) admitted to the IRS that it had broken the law.
295/
Specifically, as reported by @Fahrenthold at the time, the DJT Foundation had admitted to engaging in unlawful self-dealing.
296/
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What was the self-dealing prohibition? It involved a charity's leadership using the charity for their own personal benefit.
Or to benefit their family or businesses.
297/
Or to benefit their family or businesses.
297/
This unlawful self-dealing by Donald's foundation dated back, apparently to at least 2007.
298/
298/
But, the was more. . . .
299/
299/
Remember Attorney General Schneiderman?
Well, he was also on the case. The investigation was "ongoing."
300/
Well, he was also on the case. The investigation was "ongoing."
300/
Will it shock you that under Schneiderman it just went on and on and on?
It was not until his resignation in 2018 when Barbara Underwood took over that the law won.
301/
It was not until his resignation in 2018 when Barbara Underwood took over that the law won.
301/
Before we get to that, here are some details of the self-dealing that you, Friends of Tudor may recall. Or FOT, if you prefer.
302/
302/
More details in a moment. Hubby would like to consult about the dinner plan for this evening.
303/
303/
So, about that shady self-dealing at the "charity" aka The Donald J. Trump Foundation.
304/
304/
On Christmas Eve 2016, The Donald announced he planned to close it down.
Mind you, he did NOT say the real reason why.
305/
Mind you, he did NOT say the real reason why.
305/
The real reason he was folding the joint was likely because the NY AG was on his tail and he thought this would make the problem go away.
306/
306/
In addition to paying for that charming gigantic portrait of the Donald (even though Melania had bid for it), the supposed charity did more of that self-dealing.
307/
307/
Thanks to the intrepid investigative reporting by David @Fahrenthold, we know of
"several instances — worth about $300,000 — where Trump seemed to have used the Trump Foundation to help himself."
308/
"several instances — worth about $300,000 — where Trump seemed to have used the Trump Foundation to help himself."
308/
"From 2009 until [2016], the charity was funded exclusively with other people’s money, an arrangement that experts say is almost unheard of for a family foundation."
309/
309/
Cool. (I mean, not cool. I mean not "very legal and very cool).
But, were Greg with us, he'd want the receipts. So, here goes.
310/
But, were Greg with us, he'd want the receipts. So, here goes.
310/
Mar-a-Lago (Donald's Palm Beach club) owed the city $120,000 in unpaid fines.
To settle the matter, MAL agreed to make a charitable donation to a charity called Fisher House.
311/
To settle the matter, MAL agreed to make a charitable donation to a charity called Fisher House.
311/
Fisher House is a REAL charity established 25 years ago to help military families.
It provides "military families housing close to a loved one in the hospital for an illness, disease or injury."
312/
It provides "military families housing close to a loved one in the hospital for an illness, disease or injury."
312/
Fisher House offers free lodging for military families to be near their loved ones while in the hospital.
These homes are near military and VA medical centers across the US (and in the UK and Germany).
313/
These homes are near military and VA medical centers across the US (and in the UK and Germany).
313/
So, this settlement was a nice, wholesome idea.
On paper, that is.
314/
On paper, that is.
314/
Come to find out, however, Mar-a-Lago did not pay the promised $100,000 donation to Fisher House.
Of course not.
I think you know where this is going by now.
315/
Of course not.
I think you know where this is going by now.
315/
Instead, he had his "charity" the Donald J. Trump Foundation write that check.
316/
316/
This saved his resort (and thus himself) $100K.
317/
317/
Remember, Donald's eponymous "charitable" foundation was almost entirely funded by others.
318/
318/
From the grave, I can almost hear Mr. Tudor moaning, "show me the receipts."
Okay. I got you Greg.
319/
Okay. I got you Greg.
319/
There are many more examples, and you can Google them.
But, let's get to the legal violations here.
321/
But, let's get to the legal violations here.
321/
As noted, in December 2016, when Donald announced the plan to dissolve the charity, AG Eric Schneiderman was investigating for potential violation of NY's charity laws.
Also, what about the IRS? We have not heard a peep since then.
322/
Also, what about the IRS? We have not heard a peep since then.
322/
How did Donald defend these interregnum allegations. First (before the Christmas Eve announcement), he denied anything was wrong.
Foreshadow of the "perfect phone call" et al.
323/
Foreshadow of the "perfect phone call" et al.
323/
Through a spokesperson, Boris Epshteyn, Donald claimed that “storing” the 20 foot portrait of the Donald, at the Donald's Doral golf resort, as a "favor" to the Donald's "charity."
324/
324/
Boris Epshteyn. That name is soooo familiar.
325/
325/
Who is he? Boris is the Moscow-born lawyer who met Don Jr. at Georgetown. He was a 2016 campaign adviser and at one time in the WH.
Most recently, he was allegedly caught up with Eastman and the fake electors criminal conspiracy from 2020 - 21.
326/
Most recently, he was allegedly caught up with Eastman and the fake electors criminal conspiracy from 2020 - 21.
326/
Back to Christmas Eve, 2016.
Donald said, he was "very proud of the fact that the Foundation has operated at essentially no cost for decades, with 100% of the money going to charity."
327/
Donald said, he was "very proud of the fact that the Foundation has operated at essentially no cost for decades, with 100% of the money going to charity."
327/
Which was, of course horseshit
328/
328/
The then-amazing, still amazing @amyspitalnick of the NY AG's office said not so fast.
“The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete."
329/
“The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete."
329/
That was December 2016.
Then, in June 2018, Barbara Underwood, the Acting NY Attorney General (who took over after Schneiderman resigned), sued the "charity" and its board of directors.
330/
Then, in June 2018, Barbara Underwood, the Acting NY Attorney General (who took over after Schneiderman resigned), sued the "charity" and its board of directors.
330/
Let's take a look at that board of directors
331/
331/
Eric, Don Jr., Donald, and Ivanka Trump
332/
332/
In 2018, AG Underwood sued the foundation, Donald, Donny, Eric, and Vanky seeking $2.8 million in restitution and penalties for violating state and federal law.
333/
333/
Here's a screenshot from the press release.
334/
334/
For those taking the Tudor Tutorial on an advanced track, here's a link to the release (which attaches the legal filings).
ag.ny.gov/press-release/…
335/
ag.ny.gov/press-release/…
335/
As part of the lawsuit, Underwood sought to dissolve the charitable foundation.
336/
336/
When she took office in 2019, AG Tish James continued moving the case forward.
Donald dragged and delayed, but eventually, it concluded.
337/
Donald dragged and delayed, but eventually, it concluded.
337/
Judge Saliann Scarpulla ordered Donald to personally pay $2 million.
Yes, a seven-figure penalty.
338/
Yes, a seven-figure penalty.
338/
Plus the "charity" was dissolved, and the remaining $1.7 million to be distributed to an assortment of nonprofits.
339/
339/
And, the settlement required numerous admissions of law-breaking
340/
340/
The final settlement placed restrictions on Donald ever running a charity.
This is different than the temporary ban while the case was pending.
341/
This is different than the temporary ban while the case was pending.
341/
We have covered just one brush with the law that Donald faced in December 2016.
Tomorrow, we will continue with that month.
But, one more thing
342/
Tomorrow, we will continue with that month.
But, one more thing
342/
This year. This August, to be exact. Donald's middle son, lashed out in response to the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago.
“My father never got so much as a speeding ticket in his life," Eric Trump said.
343/
“My father never got so much as a speeding ticket in his life," Eric Trump said.
343/
Oh, really? [Tips head to gesture upthread].
Eric's implication that Daddy was and is a law-abiding citizen is of course false.
But, is it literally true?
344/
Eric's implication that Daddy was and is a law-abiding citizen is of course false.
But, is it literally true?
344/
It could be possible that Donald never got a speeding ticket.
He takes a limo everywhere, no?
345/
He takes a limo everywhere, no?
345/
Happy Labor Day!
Took the day off from the thread in solidarity with the union movement and workers everywhere.
Poster by Ricardo Levins Morales
rlmartstudio.com/product/labor-…
346/
Took the day off from the thread in solidarity with the union movement and workers everywhere.
Poster by Ricardo Levins Morales
rlmartstudio.com/product/labor-…
346/
Okay. I'm back to the Greg Tudor Memorial thread.
We left off in December 2016 when Donald and his oldest adult children were caught up in a major tax fraud investigation involving his "charity."
347/
We left off in December 2016 when Donald and his oldest adult children were caught up in a major tax fraud investigation involving his "charity."
347/
Years later, Don the Con ended up paying $2 million personally, and the so-called charitable foundation had to disperse its remaining $1.7 million to real charities.
348/
348/
December was bountiful. A Christmas Grift to remember.
349/
349/
That was when Jared and Ivanka began house hunting and made designs on working in the White House.
350/
350/
Which is to say, having all of the power, authority, and proximity to the President (aka Dad), without complying with federal laws that other executive branch employees must.
351/
351/
Ethicists @NormEisen and @RWPUSA raised these issues in an op-ed (I think the NYT now calls them guest essays).
352/
352/
Regular executive branch employees need to provide financial disclosures and are NOT permitted to engage in transactions that create a conflict-of-interest
That second part is a criminal provision.
353/
That second part is a criminal provision.
353/
Here's the first paragraph of that law. (And you can link for the full statute).
law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18…
354/
law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18…
354/
What are the potential penalties for violating this conflict-of-interest law.
You know the ones that apply to regular executive branch employees?
355/
You know the ones that apply to regular executive branch employees?
355/
One year in prison. Or up to 5 years for willful violations.
356/
356/
But Jared and Vanky wiggled their way out of that law. By "working" for the Office of the President, apparently.
Plus they also were somehow not in violation of the anti-nepotism statute.
357/
Plus they also were somehow not in violation of the anti-nepotism statute.
357/
This grift brought Javanka up to $640 million during their time "working" in the White House, according to @CREWcrew
358/
358/
Tomorrow we will continue. Still in December 2016!
In the meantime, let's take a vote on this question.
When will this thread end?
359/
In the meantime, let's take a vote on this question.
When will this thread end?
359/
Disburse
Traveling today. Will return to this saga tomorrow morning
360/
360/
We return this morning to the scene of many “crimes” in the Sutherland sense.
361/
361/
The date is December of 2016. The stage is split.
On the left a gilded Manhattan interior of a tower on 5th Avenue.
On the right the buffet line at a country club in Palm Beach Florida.
362/
On the left a gilded Manhattan interior of a tower on 5th Avenue.
On the right the buffet line at a country club in Palm Beach Florida.
362/
Something like this
363/
363/
Ah — my coffee date has arrived. More soon
364/
364/
Lots of meetings, so back to this when I get to the airport this evening
365/
365/
☀️ Good morning.
In the name of the late, great inquisitive Mr. Greg Tudor we have been painstakingly demonstrating that Donald Trump has gotten away with the white collar crime version of murder for decades and decades.
366/
In the name of the late, great inquisitive Mr. Greg Tudor we have been painstakingly demonstrating that Donald Trump has gotten away with the white collar crime version of murder for decades and decades.
366/
Beneath the surface of this narrative, of course, is that truism that if you are a white wealthy well-connected man in America, you get special treatment.
367/
367/
The power system protects its own. Consequences for criminal acts are few and far between.
Two Americas.
But the good news, is that is beginning to change. And there have been cracked downs in the past.
368/
Two Americas.
But the good news, is that is beginning to change. And there have been cracked downs in the past.
368/
So, imagine my surprise to find Donald’s very own lawyer admitted it all.
For goodness sake, she could co teach the Tudor Tutorial.
369/
For goodness sake, she could co teach the Tudor Tutorial.
369/
☕️ I will be back soon to this thread. We must have coffee
371/
371/
☀️This would be a good time to catch up on the thread.
I’m using today and tomorrow to finish up some writing (related to my new book in progress).
See you on Monday morning!
372/
I’m using today and tomorrow to finish up some writing (related to my new book in progress).
See you on Monday morning!
372/
☀️ Good morning!
Though I had planned to pick up in December 2016 and bring this to the present day, we really should be entirely focused on what is happening in the news right now to Donald and his associates.
What a time to be alive!
373/373
Though I had planned to pick up in December 2016 and bring this to the present day, we really should be entirely focused on what is happening in the news right now to Donald and his associates.
What a time to be alive!
373/373
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