Federal prosecutors investigate $1 million donation to Trump's inaugural committee
Federal prosecutors in New York are conducting an investigation into the finances of President Trump's inaugural committee, and one particular donation has caught their eye.
The investigation, which is focused on determining whether donors received any benefits after making large contributions, has honed in on a $1 million donation from prolific political donor Franklin Haney. Haney made the donation while he was asking for approval and funding from the government for his attempt to acquire the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in Alabama, The Associated Press reports.
While the donation may have been intended to help Haney's cause, his bid for the power plant has not yet been successful. But this is far from the first time Haney has been investigated for contributions suspected to have ulterior motives. Back in the '90s, he was accused of making loaded donations to the Clinton administration, though he was never indicted for the charges.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, shared information regarding Haney and his son with the federal prosecutors, per an anonymous source "familiar with what Cohen told the authorities," AP explained.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.
-
Critics’ choice: The year’s top 10 moviesFeature ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘It Was Just an Accident’ stand out
-
The small Caribbean island courting crypto billionsUnder the Radar Crypto mogul Olivier Janssens plans to create a libertarian utopia on Nevis
-
Political cartoons for December 21Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include Christmas movies, AI sermons, and more
-
TikTok secures deal to remain in USSpeed Read ByteDance will form a US version of the popular video-sharing platform
-
Unemployment rate ticks up amid fall job lossesSpeed Read Data released by the Commerce Department indicates ‘one of the weakest American labor markets in years’
-
Phish food for thought: Ben & Jerry’s political turmoilIn the Spotlight War of words over brand activism threatens to ‘overshadow’ the big ice cream deal
-
What a rising gold price says about the global economyThe Explainer Institutions, central banks and speculators drive record surge amid ‘loss of trust’ in bond markets and US dollar
-
US mints final penny after 232-year runSpeed Read Production of the one-cent coin has ended
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
Will latest Russian sanctions finally break Putin’s resolve?Today's Big Question New restrictions have been described as a ‘punch to the gut of Moscow’s war economy’
-
Warner Bros. explores sale amid Paramount bidsSpeed Read The media giant, home to HBO and DC Studios, has received interest from multiple buying parties