Group Linked to Trump Sons Offered Access for $500K

That included a photo with the president-elect
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 21, 2016 2:15 AM CST
Group Linked to Trump Sons Offered Access for $500K
Donald Trump, accompanied by, from left, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, Melania Trump, Tiffany Trump, and Ivanka Trump, speaks during the grand opening of the Trump International Hotel in Washington.   (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)

In another Trump connection likely to make ethicists scratch their heads, or possibly tear their hair out, a nonprofit linked to Donald Trump's two adult sons tried to sell access to Trump the day after his inauguration. The recently created "Opening Day Foundation" is holding a hunting-themed fundraiser in Washington, DC, on Jan. 21, and according to an invite seen by TMZ, "Bald Eagle" donors who paid $1 million or "Grizzly Bear" donors who coughed up $500,000 were offered a private reception and photo opportunity with the president-elect, along with the chance to go hunting with Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. at a later date. Organizers, including close friends of the Trump brothers, removed the offer after details leaked and the transition team said Trump was not involved, the Washington Post reports.

The Trump brothers are listed as directors of the foundation, though the transition team says their names were added to the paperwork in error. Organizers of the event, which will feature entertainers including Toby Keith and Alabama, say the Trump brothers were involved in discussions. They are still listed as "honorary co-chairmen" on the event's website. Experts including former White House lawyers tell the New York Times that Trump needs to clearly set out what roles his children are going to play in his administration. "Families can be complicated, and big families are even more complicated," says C. Boyden Gray, who served as White House counsel during the George HW Bush administration. "And the Bush families and the Trump families are both big families. So a little extra care is warranted." (More Donald Trump stories.)

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