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[chadskin]

Donald Trump used his campaign funds to buy thousands of copies of his own book at retail cost, simultaneously diverting donor money back into his pockets while artificially boosting his sales figures. It’s a tactic that may be illegal, campaign finance experts say.

On May 10, the Trump campaign paid Barnes & Noble $55,055, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission. That amounts to more than 3,500 copies of the hardcover version of Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again, or just over 5,000 copies of the renamed paperback release, Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America.

A spokesperson for the Republican nominee told The Daily Beast the books were purchased “as part of gifting at the convention, which we have to do.” Sure enough, delegates in attendance at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July were given canvas tote bags, stamped with the Trump slogan, and filled with copies of Crippled America, as well as Kleenex and Make America Great Again! cups, hats, and T-shirts. Delegates were also given plastic fetus figurines.

The Republican National Committee did not respond when asked to confirm that its presidential candidate was required to spend tens of thousands in campaign funds on copies of his own book. And a spokesperson for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, asked if they’d ever done something similar, said, “We think we’ve probably purchased a copy or two just to have in the office, but the campaign has never purchased her book in bulk or anything close to that.”

Paul Ryan (not that one), of the nonpartisan nonprofit Campaign Legal Center, said that Trump would have to forgo accepting royalties for sales on the book in order for the transaction to be legal, under Federal Election Committee rules.

“It’s fine for a candidate’s book to be purchased by his committee, but it’s impermissible to receive royalties from the publisher,” Ryan said. “That amounts to an illegal conversion of campaign funds to personal use. There’s a well established precedent from the FEC that funds from the campaign account can’t end up in your own pocket.”

When asked if Trump agreed to forgo royalties for sales of the book, the Trump campaign refused to comment on the record while representatives at Simon & Schuster, Trump’s publisher, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...-donations-to-buy-55-000-of-his-own-book.html

 

[echoshifting]

Delegates were also given plastic fetus figurines.

Boy talk about burying the lede

 

[Lagamorph]

Do the fetus action figures at least have articulation?

 

[jelly]

Does he know republicans won't revolt because they need the house and senate so Trump can be as blatant as he wants like this?

I can't explain it any other way. You would rip him to shreds otherwise.

I read in the paper last week that his property and stuff is weird off shore owned and by groups, not really him so if anything implodes he walks away untouched. I imagine that's how everything works for him, including books.

 

[Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!]

Didn't the Church of Scientology used to do this with Dianetics?

 

[Netherscourge]

He's been unusually quiet since the whole thing about his tax debt came out last week.

 

[Garlador]

Delegates were also given plastic fetus figurines.

See, THIS is the part that keeps tripping me up.

 

[Slayven]

isn't that illegal?

 

[Jonnax]

Renamed paperback release

• Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again
• Great Again: How to Fix Our Crippled America.

lol

 

[Gnome Scat]

isn't that illegal?

Crooked Trump strikes again. Sad!

 

[hydrophilic attack]

The GOP got played hard

 

[NH Apache]

Plastic. Fetus. Figurines.

And then the delegates went home and put that on their mantle.

 

[Slacker]

What do I unlock by scanning the fetus figure into Twilight Princess HD?

Wait until you see the 'new challenger approaches' video for Smash Bros.

 

[smurfx]

The GOP got played hard

the art of the steal.

 

[Xe4]

isn't that illegal?

Only if he takes the royalties. Otherwise it's just campaign expenditure.
http://www.inquisitr.com/3448740/donald-trump-campaign-trouble-over-barnes-and-noble/

 

[Karkador]

Why would he go through a retail chain to get copies of his own book?

 

[RPGCrazied]

He's been unusually quiet since the whole thing about his tax debt came out last week.

Nah man, he just posted a poll, one poll, were he is LOSING by three points to her.

Haha

 

[Garlador]

Only if he takes the royalties. Otherwise it's just campaign expenditure.
http://www.inquisitr.com/3448740/donald-trump-campaign-trouble-over-barnes-and-noble/

He's Trump.
... He very well MIGHT take the royalties and thing discover he shouldn't have.

 

[RPGCrazied]

#LoserDonald

 

[BobTheFork]

See, THIS is the part that keeps tripping me up.

I don't care if it rains of freezes,
as long as I've got my plastic fetus
sitting on the dashboard of my car..

 

[iammeiam]

Not only did he buy his own book, he bought the one he promised to donate all profits from. Guess how many donations have been confirmed as happening.

 

[Replicant]

Do the fetus action figures at least have articulation?

It's probably a nasty-looking Play Arts Kai one. Does it matter if it has articulation when the face is absolutely fug?

 

[Ozigizo]

The name change is priceless. Should have just thrown MAKE in at the end in all caps.

 

[Count Dookkake]

The balls on this guy.

 

[rjinaz]

Got to love how many conservatives don't bat an eyelash when Trump flat out does something unethical or right on the line of unethical, but they get all mad and flustered at just the thought that it would be possible for Hillary to do something like that, like with the Clinton charity.

 

[jelly]

So, who actually does business with Trump. He seems so untrustworthy and from a few things that came out isn't found of paying what is owed
like blood out a stone. How tasty it would be if his whole world imploded.

 

[StoOgE]

I thought this was somewhat common with political books.

 

[Ponn]

Using donation money to buy his own books (which he will gloat about later in sales of his books), renting his own property and catering from his own restaurant. *whistle* Got to give it to the guy, well his donors have already at least.

title of his next book "How to Make Millions Running for President: And You Don't Even Have to Win, Tremendous!"

 

[zelas]

Do the fetus action figures at least have articulation?

Were attendees required to view the figurines before entering the convention center doors?

 

[iammeiam]

I thought this was somewhat common with political books.

My guess is what makes this really weird is dropping the cash at a retailer. When Cruz did it, he bought from the publisher. Which makes sense, because author gets a discounted price and the publisher doesn't pay out royalties on the buy.

Trump bought his at Barnes and Noble, which sure seems like he overpaid and the publisher would have no way of knowing not to pay out royalties unless he set out to intentionally make sure the publisher knew.

 

[smurfx]

trump probably wants his book to be on best sellers lists so he can say people are motivated to vote for him.

 

[echoshifting]

Were attendees required to view the figurines before entering the convention center doors?

Only the women

 

[rjinaz]

My guess is what makes this really weird is dropping the cash at a retailer. When Cruz did it, he bought from the publisher. Which makes sense, because author gets a discounted price and the publisher doesn't pay out royalties on the buy.

Trump bought his at Barnes and Noble, which sure seems like he overpaid and the publisher would have no way of knowing not to pay out royalties unless he set out to intentionally make sure the publisher knew.

It's funny, I was going to ask why he didn't just get this from the publisher, it being his book? Why couldn't they just sell it to him at a discount without royalties. Seems like they can do just that then.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

it's not weird that they bought copies of the book to hand out at the convention

it IS weird that they bought them directly from a retailer and not the publisher

oh and the fetus figurine thing is TOTALLY fucking weird

 

[Seductivpancakes]

This seems like a reflection on how he'll run this country.

 

[robochimp]

My guess is what makes this really weird is dropping the cash at a retailer. When Cruz did it, he bought from the publisher. Which makes sense, because author gets a discounted price and the publisher doesn't pay out royalties on the buy.

Trump bought his at Barnes and Noble, which sure seems like he overpaid and the publisher would have no way of knowing not to pay out royalties unless he set out to intentionally make sure the publisher knew.

Didn't Cruz only buy from the publisher to mask that his camp was buying them, in an attempt to make the New York Time best sellers list?

 

[Darryl M R]

zerodayssincelastaccident.gif

 

[nubbe]

isn't that illegal?