That Great Deal Donald Trump Made to ‘Save’ Carrier’s Worker Jobs? He May Have Profited Financially From It.

Did Donald Trump Benefit Financially From the $7 Million Tax Break His Vice President-Elect Just Handed to Carrier?

As Donald Trump was patting himself on the back for “saving” about 800 Carrier jobs from going to Mexico – while not being able to save 1100 others from heading south of the border – he may also have been patting himself on the back for making money on the deal.

Carrier, and its parent company, United Technologies, will be sending about 1300 jobs from Indiana to Mexico, despite Trump “working hard, even on Thanksgiving, trying to get Carrier A.C. Company to stay in the U.S.,” as the president-elect tweeted last week. Trump literally has been talking about Carrier’s intention to move jobs to Mexico since the company announced its plans in February.

Indiana governor and vice president-elect Mike Pence was able to arrange a $7 million tax break for Carrier, meaning that Indiana taxpayers will literally be paying the salaries of some of the workers who are able to keep their jobs. 

But Carrier and parent company United Technologies aren’t the only ones to financially benefit from Donald Trump’s deal.

So may be Donald Trump.

While the president-elect still refuses to release his taxes, claiming he is still under audit – a condition that does not preclude him from releasing them – and while he refuses to prove he is actually under audit, it turns out we do know Trump had investments in United Technologies. In other words, that $7 million tax break will financially benefit Trump’s portfolio.

“Donald Trump profited from an investment in the parent company of a business he has slammed for laying off 2,100 workers in Indiana and moving production to Mexico,” the Indy Star reported back in May.

“Trump earned interest income of $2,501 to $5,000 from an investment in a United Technologies Corp. bond, according to a new financial disclosure form he filed,” that month, “with federal election officials,” the report continues.

The Indy Star notes that Trump “did not mention his investment in United Technologies during his campaign appearances,” and adds that he “also made $2,501 to $5,000 from a $100,001 to $250,000 investment in the company, according to his July 2015 disclosure form.”

“The Associated Press,” the Indy Star report notes, “is reporting that he no longer owns stock in the company, but it’s unclear from the documents whether he still has an interest in the company.”

So did Donald Trump benefit financially from the $7 million tax break his vice president-elect just handed to Carrier?

No one can be sure, and that’s the problem.

Here’s Rachel Maddow’s take on “why Mike Pence decided to hold on to his day job as Indiana governor,” from Wednesday night: