Page 6 - ARUBATODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 23 January 2020
DC sues Trump inaugural committee, alleging abuse of funds

By COLLEEN LONG and MI- about pricing with Trump,
CHAEL BALSAMO Gates and Ivanka Trump,
WASHINGTON (AP) — The according to the lawsuit.
District of Columbia is suing Ivanka Trump is the presi-
President Donald Trump's dent's daughter and a se-
inaugural committee and nior White House adviser.
two companies that con- Those concerns included
trol the Trump International a written warning that the
Hotel in the nation's capital, price proposal was at least
accusing them of throw- twice the market rate. But
ing parties for the Trump Gates went through with it
family with nonprofit funds, anyway, at a cost of $1.03
and overpaying for event million, the suit says.
space at the hotel. In one instance, Gates
The district's attorney gen- contacted Ivanka Trump
eral, Karl Racine, said the and told her that he was "a
inaugural committee had bit worried about the op-
been "blatantly and un- tics" of the committee pay-
lawfully abusing nonprofit ing such a high fee, Racine
funds to enrich the Trump said.
family." The lawsuit, an- Stephanie Winston Wolkoff,
nounced Wednesday, al- a former adviser to first lady
leges that the committee Melania Trump who played
abused nonprofit funds In this March 11, 2019 file photo, the Trump International Hotel is seen in Washington. a leading role organizing
and coordinated with the Associated Press the inaugural parties, had
Trump family to "grossly also told Trump, when he
overpay for event space" while he is president. Trump didn't consider less expen- nonprofit funds that were was president-elect, and
in the hotel. has maintained ownership sive alternatives. improperly funneled direct- Ivanka Trump that she was
The committee has main- but turned the reins over The committee raised an ly to the Trump family busi- uneasy with the offer, Ra-
tained that its finances to his adult sons, who have unprecedented $107 mil- ness." cine said. Winston Wolkoff
were independently audit- bristled at the charge that lion to host events celebrat- Prosecutors found that later followed up with an
ed, and that all money was they are profiting off their ing Trump's inauguration Rick Gates, a former Trump email to Gates and Ivanka
spent in accordance with father's presidency. in January 2017. But the campaign aide who Trump warning that the ho-
the law. The suit alleges the commit- committee's spending has flipped on the president tel's proposal was at least
It was the latest allegation tee coordinated with the drawn mounting scrutiny. during the special counsel's twice the market rate, Ra-
that Trump and his family hotel's management and "District law requires non- Russia investigation, per- cine said.
have used public and non- members of Trump's fam- profits to use their funds for sonally managed discus- Prosecutors say the com-
profit funds spent at Trump- ily to arrange the events their stated public purpose, sions with the hotel about mittee could have hosted
owned properties to enrich and that committee staff- not to benefit private indi- using the space, including inaugural events at other
themselves — part of the ers knew they were paying viduals or companies," Ra- ballrooms and meeting venues either for free or for
peril of Trump not fully with- prices that were "grossly cine said. "In this case, we rooms. One of the event's reduced costs but didn't
drawing from his businesses above market rate" but are seeking to recover the planners raised concerns consider those options. q

New tarp covers exposed remains

at New Orleans collapse site

collapsed building near City officials, after learning old Jose Ponce Arreola
the French Quarter. But fire of the exposed body, be- and 36-year-old Quinnyon
chief Tim McConnell said gan asking residents not to Wimberly, cannot be re-
firefighters were able to re- take or distribute photos of covered safely ahead of a
place the tarp Wednesday the remains, out of respect controlled implosion of the
afternoon, braving windy for the family. Arnold said site planned for mid-to-late
weather at the unstable Facebook and Twitter had March.
site. some of the posts removed "Capturing or sharing imag-
"It has proven to be a chal- after talking with city offi- es of the victims in such a
lenge as we said it would," cials. condition is irresponsible, it
This Oct. 12, 2019, file photo shows damage of a partial collapse McConnell said. The latest photos of the is indefensible, and it is not
at the Hard Rock Hotel under construction in New Orleans. The body is one of two that building show a yellow tarp who we are as New Orlea-
Associated Press officials have been unable covering the area, several nians," city spokeswoman
to retrieve since the partial stories above street level, LaTonya Norton said. "Out
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A posed after wind blew collapse of the structure where the victim had been of respect to the victims
new tarp was hung at a away another tarp. Pic- — a hotel that was under visible. A red tarp that and their families, and in
building collapse site in tures of the remains began construction. McConnell once obscured the body the name of basic com-
New Orleans on Wednes- circulating on social media said wreckage has contin- dangled from wreckage mon decency: we urge
day to hide the partially ex- Tuesday. ued to shift at the site. nearby. news outlets, residents, and
posed remains of a worker City officials had said safe- "They had to drop lines from The Oct. 12 accident killed social media users to have
who was killed there in Oc- ty concerns might keep the four and five floors above," three people and injuring nothing to do with making
tober. tarp from being replaced said Collin Arnold, the city's dozens more. The bodies a tragic situation needlessly
The body had been ex- at the unstable partially emergency director. of two workers, 63-year- worse."q