Despite being warned to stop, Donald Trump is still soliciting illegal foreign donations for his campaign. Lawmakers in Australia and the U.K. have shown proof that Trump’s campaign has been sending them emails asking for “generous donations.”
Donald Trump‘s illegal foreign donations scandal is making headlines. This week, it has been revealed that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has received a formal complaint that Mr. Trump has been sending emails to lawmakers all over the world begging for campaign money.
The FEC complaint was made on June 29 by non-partisan watchdogs Democracy 21 and the Campaign Legal Center. Days later, the Trump campaign received an official warning by the FEC to stop their illegal activity but failed to do so.
According to the independent regulatory agency, which regulates the campaign finance legislation in the United States, “it is illegal for foreign individuals, corporations and governments to either give money directly to U.S. candidates or spend on advertising to influence U.S. elections.”
Almost three weeks after being asked to abide by the rules, the Trump campaign was back at it. On July 12, Terri Butler, a progressive Parliament member in Australia, revealed that she was shocked to receive an email from Trump requesting a “generous contribution.”
Butler said she has no idea how Trump got her personal information because she never signed up to any of the mogul’s mailing or fundraising list. She explained:
“I haven’t signed up to any Trump lists.”
Bob Blackman, a member of the U.K. House of Commons, said he was sent a fundraising solicitation on July 12. Mr. Blackman is as puzzled as Butler because he too never shared his email address with the Trump campaign. He revealed:
“I did not sign up, these are sent unsolicited.”
Another member of the U.K. Parliament, Peter Bottomley, who was not pleased to receive those emails, said he has gotten three solicitations from the Trump campaign. He contacted the politician’s children and demanded a response. He said:
“Neither [Trump’s] sons nor anyone else has answered my questions about how they acquired my email nor why they were asking for financial support that I suppose to be illegal for [Trump] to accept.”
Fred Wertheimer, president of the campaign finance watchdog Democracy 21, said he has never seen anything like what Trump is currently doing. He explained:
“This is kind of absurd. I don’t know of anyone else in this situation who would just go on keeping on soliciting money from foreign interests.I think the fact circumstances here are unprecedented.”
Wertheimer continued:
“If they are put on notice that their fundraising solicitations of potential foreign donors are illegal and they keep doing it, then you potentially have knowing and willful violations of the law which moves this from civil violations to criminal violations.”
Wertheimer said he plans to file a criminal complaint in addition to his standing FEC complaint because this “kind of arrogance” has to end.
