Tag: Fred Trump

Donald Trump Wants His Daddy Back

  By , , , , , , ,

EDITORIAL:

Donald Trump Wants His Daddy Back

Fred Trump came in multiple times and rescued his son from his business mistakes. Donald wishes Fred were here today to clean up after his son at least one more time.

EDITORIAL:

“I Want My Daddy.” “I Want My Daddy.”

Donald’s father, Fred Trump, was an extremely wealthy real estate developer, who supported Donald’s business ventures with hundreds of millions of dollars over his lifetime. Fred Trump died in 1999, but his money has kept Donald Trump and his siblings financially comfortable since the old man’s death. That comfort may now be in jeopardy.

By D. S. Mitchell

Despite 45’s claims of being a self-made man, a NY Times investigation several years ago showed that Fred Trump gave Donald at least $413 million from his own successful real estate business over the years. The Times also reported that Fred transferred some of this wealth through dubious tax schemes. Much of what Fred provided Donald seems to be unravelling as the ex-president battles fraud charges in New York state.

On Tuesday, Donald Trump, the twice impeached former U. S. president, and faux billionaire, was found guilty of repeatedly violating New York fraud laws by New York Supreme Court Justice, Arthur Engoron. In what is known as a summary judgment Engoron, days before the trial, found that Trump persistently participated in business fraud— and that Mr. Trump was liable for his lies and misrepresentations. Next week’s trial will be all about settling the money damages and penalties Trump & Co. will owe.

The civil case, was brought by New York State Attorney General, Letitia James. James is demanding $250 million dollars from Trump and the The Trump Organization for multiple decades of fraud. Engoron ordered the business certificates for all of Donald Trump’s holdings in New York be canceled.

The potential damage to Trump’s New York business empire is staggering. Iconic properties like 40 Wall Street, Trump Tower on 5th Avenue, and his Westchester county estate, Seven Springs, is to be, within 10 days, put into the hands of three independent receivers. The “receivers will manage the dissolution of the canceled” LLC’s associated with Trump and the Trump Organization.

Engoron’s order, according to Trump’s lawyers will be appealed. If the appeal fails Trump will lose all financial authority over Trump Organization properties in New York. A representative for Trump’s attorney, Melissa Cintron, noted that not only could the businesses be placed under the control of a receiver, but “the receiver will sell off the assets of the businesses and wind up affairs” such as paying creditors.

“Without a corporate charter, you can’t operate as a corporation. You can’t get loans, you can’t apply for a government contract,”  financial crimes prosecutor Diana Florence told reporters outside the courthouse. “It’s comparable to once a person dies. A dead person can’t sell property. Only the executor of the estate can do that — or in this case, the receiver.”

From the early 1980’s through today, Donald Trump has been making headlines as a business phenom. Gold towers and blonde beauties, all the glitz and glamour of a rich real estate tycoon, all in one well crafted package. The “reality” TV show, “The Apprentice,” ran for 14 years and cemented the image of  Trump as a successful businessman.

But we see now, it was all a lie. It was make believe. It was a grifter’s slight of hand. Donald Trump’s career was built on his father’s money. Donald has been a daddy’s boy; who has, his entire life, lived off the money his father had made. The only thing Donald knows about money is how to spend it. He especially likes spending other people’s money.

I just want to say to all the small donors who support Trump, think before you write Daddy’s Boy another check.

 

Part VII: Behind The Curtain

  By , , , , ,

Part VII: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

At the end of Part VI it was January 11th and Donald Trump was holding his first press conference since his Electoral College win. Trump stood to one side of the stage, flanked by Donald Jr 39, Ivanka 35, and Eric 33, listening to his tax attorney, Sheri Dillon explain to the audience of reporters and staff, the changes that were being made to the Trump Organization.

The stage with a center podium was decorated with solemn dark blue drapes and a row of American flags with long gold tassels giving the event a sober tone. On a black shrouded table, to the left of where Dillon stood at the podium, were stacks of manila folders. The stacks were impressively high. Pointing to the stacks of folders, Dillon claimed they were filled with 1000’s of documents proving that Trump was re-arranging his empire to satisfy the growing chorus of critics.

Dillon claimed the Trump “business empire” was “massive”. She emphasized massive several times. A couple of times Dillon tried to draw a correlation between Trump and former Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller as she talked about the changes being made at the Trump Organization. Evidently, she did not know that Rockefeller had released his tax returns and later offered to place his sizeable assets in a blind trust. Neither of which Trump has offered to do.

“The plan” was, according to Dillon, to put the Trump Organization into a trust to be managed by his sons and a long time executive. She emphasized that there would be no more foreign deals, an ethics advisor would be chosen and lastly, Donald Trump would have no involvement in the business. It quickly became clear that Trump was not going to sell his business or put those assets in a blind trust, or release his tax returns.

Continue reading

Part III: Behind The Curtain

  By , ,

Part III: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

One thing we have learned over the years is that Donald Trump is very aware of perception, most notably, the size of his fortune. In a 2006 lawsuit Trump sued Timothy L. O’Brien, author of TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald, for $5 million in damages because O’Brien asserted that Trump was actually “worth somewhere between $150 million and $250 million.” This was after Trump had stated in the book that he was worth $6 billion.

Trump claimed that “low ball estimates of his wealth came from guys who have four hundred pound wives and were jealous of his success.” ***(“four hundred pound wives’ sounds eerily familiar. Remember that imaginary “four hundred pound hacker siting on his bed” Trump described during the debates? So, my first twisted thought is that if I hear the “400 pound” line come out of his mouth I will assume it is an outright lie.)

So, what is Trump really worth? We are now entering murky waters. In the O’Brien lawsuit Trump claimed that an unfavorable news story, article, comment, or book in this case, could “psychologically hurt me. I am a billionaire, not a perceived billionaire.”

Court records from that case, based on a Trump Organization financial statement placed his net worth at $3.5 billion, far less than the $6 billion Trump claimed to O’Brien during interviews for TrumpNation. That same year there were many other efforts to assess the size of Trump’s fortune.  North Fork Bank, now Capital One Bank, estimated his total worth to be $1.2 billion, while Deutsche Bank put the estimate at closer to $788 million in 2005.

Continue reading

Part I: Behind The Curtain

  By ,

Part I: Behind The Curtain

D. S. Mitchell

We are now in the midst of the most controversial presidency in our in our country’s history. Trump’s erratic and often bizarre behavior, his Twitter storms, his failing public agenda, his plummeting poll ratings, the mounting pressure of multiple ethics and campaign investigations, his attacks against members of his own party, keep the world riveted to our various media devices.  Sadly, for the country his first 7 months in the Oval Office have been nearly toxic, starting with his dark and angry Inaugural Address has led to anger and violence on “both sides.” There is an uptick of violence by whites against blacks and other people of color.

How did we go from a Republican House, a Republican Senate and a Republican President that had the potential to ramrod through any legislation they proposed has dissolved into the current chaos. What started as whispers over drinks at dinner between Republican party operatives and legislators, moved to the first timid voices, and what now can best be described as a near free-for-all between the varying Republican factions. Louder voices are demanding either changes in his behavior,  or they will use the power of the Congress and remove his spoiled, delinquent ass, from office.

You can almost see the salivating lawmakers as they look to their quiet former colleague, the up-tight Vice President Mike Pence. The visual is all photo perfect, with Pence looking like a TV game host and sounding like a Baptist preacher. That budding love affair between Pence and the Legislative Branch, is at the moment, only wishful thinking, but as Trump becomes more toxic I can see increased support for the presumptive “new” president.  I can see Trump when forces begin to close in on him; Trump will pardon everyone in sight, including himself and resign, leaving us with that devoted conservative Mike Pence.

I promise you, if Trump resigns, or is removed from office and they try to leave us with Mike Pence I will lose it–seriously lose it.  If Russia colluded with the Trump campaign, then Pence was at the very center of the scandal and should never under any circumstances be sworn into the office of the President of the United States.

So, how did it come to pass that a probable losing candidate for a second term as Indiana governor, could now  be standing this close to being sworn in as the 46th President of the United States.  Paul Manafort is the man behind Trump picking Mike Pence for this now pivotal role. Paul Manafort and Mike Pence. What ties did those two have between them, that made Manafort confident enough in Pence that Manafort would push Pence for the Vice President role, working apparently overtime to convince Trump that Pence was the perfect balance to the ticket.

Continue reading

Keep Smiling Sucker

  By

Keep Smiling Sucker

D. S. Mitchell

I started writing the Calamity Politics blog to present the urgent political news of the day. I take pride in presenting current and meaningful issues in the hope of connecting with people that have similar political leanings. There is also a bit of silliness, now and then.

I want to be a supportive voice of the “Resistance”. I, like so many others this political season have become unbelievably energized by the election of Donald Trump. He defines everything I don’t want in a man; much less a president. I have never previously been ashamed of a U.S. president, but knowing that Donald Trump is the “face of America,” truly sickens me.

I am sure we can defeat this megalomaniac and his science rejecting policies and his Fossil Fuel Agenda. None of us can do it alone. We need to bind together. It is together that we can keep the heat on these thugs and hoodlums; by our sheer numbers. Whether by impeachment, implementation of Amendment 25, or some other means Donald J. Trump will be removed from office before the end of his term. That conviction keeps me writing, talking and networking every day. I hope all my readers make that their mission also.

Donald Trump is one of the biggest phonies in U.S. history and he is now President of the United States and I’m worried that he will make as big a mess out of the United States government as he did his own personal finances.

Donald Trump began working for his father’s real estate company in 1972 after graduating from the Wharton School of Business with a degree in Economics. From the beginning Donald was better at self-promoting than actually making any money. It is estimated that when Fred Trump, Sr died in 1999 Donald Trump inherited something in the neighborhood of 100-200 million dollars.

According to the Associated Press, if Donald Trump had done nothing more than place his inheritance into index funds his net worth today would exceed 13 Billion dollars. Estimates project his current net worth is far from that dazzling amount. So, after all the ballyhoo and boasting he is rich because he was born rich. He could have been stratospherically wealthy if he had done nothing. Funny, in a peculiar way.

Continue reading