Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, is reportedly operating his transition team with secret funds, soliciting unlimited donations without disclosing the donors, according to The New York Times.
The newspaper reported that Trump has not yet signed a memorandum of understanding with the General Services Administration (GSA), which allows him to collect unlimited donations from anonymous donors for expenses such as hiring staff and office costs related to the transition.
Trump is the first president-elect not to sign an agreement with the GSA. If signed, it would provide the transition team with $7.2 million in funding, but would also cap donations at $5,000 per person and require the disclosure of donor lists.
Currently, Trump’s transition team is set up as a “dark money nonprofit organization,” which is not obligated to disclose donors to the IRS.
The New York Times pointed out that individuals wanting to gain favor with the Trump administration may donate without revealing their identities. Unlike campaign funds, even foreigners can donate, raising concerns among ethics experts.
Professor Heath Brown of John Jay College of Criminal Justice commented that if the donations are not disclosed, it will remain unclear who is contributing and what they might receive in return. He added that Americans would want to know who is footing the bill.
Reporter: Kwon Jun-gi
AI Anchor: Y-GO
Caption Editing: Lee Mi-young
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