Donald Trump hosts a $1.5 million-per-person fundraiser, raising ethics concerns

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Updated May 5, 2025, 10:23 p.m. ET


A $1 million-per-plate campaign dinner? That was so April. Just 11 days after President Donald Trump hosted a $1 million dollar dinner for the MAGA Inc Super PAC, he kicked it up another notch in May with a $1.5 million-per-plate dinner at the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia. Co-hosting the shindig with him on May 5 was David Sacks, the White House AI and crypto czar who collaborates with lawmakers on potential regulations for digital assets.

The purpose of the fundraiser was unclear as the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment bars him from seeking a third term. Still, last month, the Trump Organization began selling “Trump 2028” caps. While Trump has teased the idea of a third term, he said during a recent interview that it is to “the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do." “I’ll be an eight-year president; I’ll be a two-term president. I always thought that was very important,” Trump told with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in an interview that aired May 4.

Even if Trump doesn’t use the war chest for himself, he could help candidates he chooses, giving him immense influence. On May 22, a second fundraiser will give 220 of the top holders of a $TRUMP meme coin a chance to have dinner with the president at the same golf club. The dress code? Black tie optional.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, questioned a White House ethics waiver allowing Sacks to shape federal crypto policy while holding personal financial stakes in the industry. “Tonight, Mr. Sacks is co-hosting a $1.5 million-a-head dinner for crypto industry players to raise money for a Trump-aligned super PAC,” wrote Warren in a letter to the United States Office of Government Ethics. “Meanwhile, Mr. Sacks is financially invested in the crypto industry, positioning him to potentially profit from the crypto policy changes he makes at the White House.”

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/05/trump-hosts-fancy-dinner-crypto-czar-ethics/83466076007/

---

Link to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Democrats' PRESS RELEASE - FORWARDING: Merkley, Warren: Trump-Linked Crypto Deal is a 'Staggering' Conflict of Interest

Link to LETTER (PDF) - https://www.banking.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/oge_sacks_letter.pdf

[travelingthrulife]

1. When isn't he doing this?

[vapor2]

2. Seems to be weekly

Grifting constantly while cutting Medicaid, Vet's benefits, social security etc etc etc

[hamsterjill]

3. Makes my skin crawl.

The amount of groveling that is being done for this jerk. That money could have saved so many lives, made so much difference in lives, done good, etc.

[Falcon101]

4. Past Rich

Prior rich like Mellon, Vanderbilt, Ford, Mellon and others donated to so many worthy programs. Today the rich just want more money and nothing for common good.

[Martin68]

5. "Raising ethics concerns?" Donald Trump is one big fat ethics concern.

[Hope22]

7. It's absurd!!!

I think ‘concern’ left town months ago. We are wayyyyy past that. How do the Republican Congress critters get away with this? Impeach the monster already!!!

[wolfie001]

6. Corruption! Pay-to-play!

This was SOP in many poor, tin-pot dictatorships across the globe. Repukes have institutionalized it with a big, fat assist from our SC.

[Justice matters.]

8. It's like a orange republic.

Since there's no bananas...

[FakeNoose]

9. What is Chump raising "funds" for? He can't run for President again

There's no reason for him to be fundraising at all. I think he ought be taxed on all this "fundraising" and also be investigated for fraud. He'll never have enough money to make him happy, but that doesn't mean Uncle Sam should let this continue.

[SupportSanity]

10. Starting a GoFundMe so I can attend one of these.

[bluestarone]

11. Money laundering at it's finest!

I give to you, then you give back to me.