Ivanka Trump Auctioning Off $50,000 Private Coffee ‘Meet and Greet’ – With Ivanka Trump – for Charity
Ivanka Trump Expected to Play Major Role in Father’s Administration
It’s hard to see this as anything but a thinly-veiled a pay-to-play event, but Ivanka Trump is auctioning off a 30-45 minute private coffee “meet and greet” for up to two people, with her. The money will go to her brother’s charity, the Eric Trump Foundation, and the listing at Charitybuzz says it will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It’s unclear who will get the tax write-off, if there is one, as Ivanka is listed as the person who is donating.
“Enjoy coffee with Executive Vice President of The Trump Organization & President/CEO of the Ivanka Trump Brand, Ivanka Trump,” the listing reads. It also notes the coffee date will “take place at Trump Tower in NYC or Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. – dependent on Ivanka’s schedule.”
The winner and their guest will have to be cleared by the Secret Service, which “will be Present for the Duration of the Experience.” They also “must pass criminal background check and be approved by the United States Secret Service and reserves the right to decline the winner on any grounds they deem fit.”
Vanity Fair first reported the auction, which is open for bidding for just one more week.
“The auction appears to veer perilously close to the same kind of situation President-elect Donald Trump claimed existed at the Clinton Foundation,” The Huffington Post reports. “Trump lashed the foundation during his campaign, arguing that it was a way the wealthy could curry favor with Hillary Clinton through “pay to play†contributions while she was secretary of state. In Ivanka Trump’s case, the winning bidders could curry favor with a daughter who has the ear of a president-elect — and is active herself in his incoming administration.”
Ivanka Trump already has been very active in the president-elect’s transition team. She and her husband, Jared Kushner, are on the executive committee of the Transition team, and have been present at events including Trump’s first meeting with a foreign head of state as PEOTUS. The president-elect has been pushing to have both Ivanka and Kushner become official members of his administration and attorneys are reportedly looking into how that could be done legally.
Some responses via Twitter:
Will be most transactional and transparently corrupt POTUS ever: Ivanka Trump Auctioning $50,000 Private Coffee Chat https://t.co/EvItssIuh5 pic.twitter.com/A4WI6Qx2yX
— Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) December 13, 2016
But there’s good news: You can still drink coffee without Ivanka Trump for free. https://t.co/8RNSD8qwyD
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) December 13, 2016
#PaytoPlay much? Ivanka Trump is auctioning a $50,000 private coffee chat https://t.co/vYqlEl3Rxi via @HuffPostPol #notmypresident
— ƙεყÖօძძεʂʂ (@keygoddess) December 13, 2016
Nothing weird here *shudder*:
Ivanka Trump is auctioning a $50,000 private coffee chat https://t.co/jNoCwxs756 via @HuffPostPol— LM Taylor (@dollyllamaX) December 13, 2016
Â
Â
To comment on this article and other NCRM content, visit our Facebook page.
Image by Disney | ABC Television Group via Flickr and a CC license
Â
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.