Trump family drops access offered for charity donations
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump’s children may see his move to the White House as a way to raise money for their favourite causes.
Two recent fundraising pitches featuring the incoming first family were meant to benefit charities, but they also raised questions among ethics experts that the Trumps might be inappropriately selling access.
Last week, Eric Trump tried auctioning a coffee date with his sister Ivanka to raise money for a children’s hospital. Now, Eric and Donald Trump Jr. are part of a venture that initially offered a private reception with their father during inauguration weekend in exchange for $1 million donations that would go to conservation charities. Some of those contributors could later go hunting or fishing with one or both of the sons, the invitation promised.
These events are dissolving as quickly as they become public, suggesting the family is learning on the fly what’s acceptable.