Donald Trump’s long-stalled nominees Audrey Robertson and Joe Popolo cut suspicious six-figure checks to the Republican National Committee during their confirmation process — raising serious pay-to-play concerns 

After similar pay-to-play schemes went down during his first term, new reporting shows that multiple Trump nominees made suspiciously timed donations in the middle of their confirmation processes. Trump’s nominee to lead the renewables department at the Department of Energy — Audrey Robertson — donated $100,000 to the RNC just one day before her nomination advanced in the Senate. On top of that, Joe Popolo — Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the Netherlands — and his wife donated $100,000 to the RNC as his nomination was stalled in the Senate. The U.S. Office of Government Ethics says donations like these pose “serious impacts on the public trust.” 

In response, DNC Senior Spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg issued the following statement:

“The corruption in Donald Trump’s White House is staggering. To no one’s surprise, Trump and his cronies find new ways to line their pockets every day, selling influence and positions to the highest bidder. While working families get screwed by his disastrous policies, Trump and the RNC are treating the government like his personal ATM and raking in the cash.” 

Trump promised to “drain the swamp,” but corruption has flourished on his watch — and these donations are just the latest example. Trump is helping lobbyists rake in record-setting profits by selling connections in the administration while the Trump family grows their family fortune by $3.4 billion. Recently, Trump’s Justice Department dropped a criminal investigation into his Border Czar Tom Homan, who was recorded accepting $50,000 from undercover FBI agents seeking government contracts. The message is clear: Under Trump, the White House is for sale.