Democratic Donor Who Pivoted to Trump Draws Scrutiny in Inaugural Inquiry

It seems Will Rogers was right when he quipped “we have the best politicians that money can buy”. We really need campaign finance reforms more than we need a wall.

The problem might not be with Mr. Zuberi, his only crime is having the wealth to play the game. The real problem could be the dirty politicians (in both parties) who seek out this type of money and force this game of favors. How can you honestly govern in a democracy when you a beholden to the top 1% for this level of donations. What a waist of money for a party. I thought trump was a populist? But I suspect if Elizabeth Warren wins in 2020, her party won’t be a potluck at the local Y

Hidden at the end of the article "Mr. Zuberi, who contributed $615,000 of his own money to Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, also raised $270,000 from other donors, according to the memo." It is obvious to me that this man, a citizen, donated money for access to people in power or decision capabilities. He was networking, which is common place around the globe. And to the NYTimes, and their obvious attack because of his donation to Trump, please, stop being naive and full of shock an horror because someone donates money for a dinner. Whether red or blue, businesses network. Big businesses network with big people. It's 'fair' and a part of life.

Your first paragraph seems to imply that Imaad Zuberi donated to both the Obama and Clinton campaigns. You detail his contributions to Clinton deep into the story but left me hanging about whether he gave money to Obama. Can you clarify this please. Thank you.

“That’s just fortunately or unfortunately how it works,” he said. “We don’t have the perfect system, but we probably have the best system in the world.” That really depends on your point of view, little man, but to most of us this stuff just looks like bribery and corruption and amorality. Now that you've accrued all this money, what good things do you plan to do with it? No, it won't serve to donate to the opera, art museums, etc.: that's what all the mega rich do. The less well-off, on the other hand, donate to those who need food, shelter, healthcare. Our great system has us worst among developed countries in childbirth deaths, 13th in longevity, etc. The best system for the top .1%, but not for most folks. Perhaps think about donating to Stacey Abrams this time. But I doubt you'd get any financial benefit from doing that.

"Sure, I chunked in a couple mill, but but but.......... look, all of these pictures with Trump associates and trips to Arab countries, and such..... well, it ...it ......it just APPEARS to be what it isn't! You know what I'm saying?"

A, quote, "New York real estate investment fund", unquote, is basically a money-laundering opportunity for foreign kleptocrats. A road to financial success that our president has both traveled and helped to pave. Mr. Zuberi simply made a wise $900,000 "investment" in the Trump inauguration. In the unlikely event that state and federal laws are changed to prevent anonymous front organizations from making cash purchases of NYC real estate, watch for a crash in the luxury condo market.

This is why campaigns for federal office should only be funded by tax dollars. Let people gain influence in Washington, DC, based upon their merit, not their money.

American lobbyists working both sides (or all sides) in itself is not sinister or criminal (under American law). But we Westerners are very hypocritical when we label and condemn the same actions carried out in "non-Western" countries as "bribes". It's protected activity under the US Constitution (and the US Supreme Court) as political contribution in the name of "free speech" but if the same activity occurs in other countries, we (righteous) Americans call it "bribery". They (i.e. monies) achieve the same purposes -- buy political access and lucrative jobs and business deals.

American First say the Trump followers and influence peddlers except when it comes to business." Grab the dollars first" is their private motto irrespective of the source, whether a historical enemy of the US or our allies. Treason has gray edges, but accepting money from a foreign country to influence US investments, elections or interactions with that country crosses the line.

The Zubari affair puts a sharp point on the malign influence of private money on our election process and our body politick in general. Until we voters grasp the reality of this problem and force our representatives to pass strict laws preventing private funds of any kind from entering the body politick (e.g. campaign donations, lobbying funds, free services) we will continue to become the Best Country Money Can Buy. Successful democratic republics do not permit such practices, only in America (and other for profit governments).

What's striking here is that the crime is apparently selling influence to foreigners, not selling influence. (Yes, there are bribery laws, but the bar us much higher.) Until we get money out of politics, I'm afraid America will remain deeply socioeconomically divided.

Some historical context would be useful here. While Zuberi is a US citizen and this has all the appearances of someone who is buying access (either for transactional reasons or because he is a "fanboy"), the Trump administration is hardly the first to be the beneficiary of questionable donations. Though most millenial journalists and readers don't remember it, Bill Clinton in 1996 was plagued by donations that had been made by one or more straw donors to disguise that the original source of the funds was China's People's Liberation Army, ie, the military of a US rival and communist state. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/18/us/clinton-says-chinese-money-did-not-influence-us-policy.html

When mentioning Elliott Broidy the authors might have mentioned that he was deputy chair (or other such important title) of the fundraising committee of the RNC at the time of these events.

A hearty thank you to the Supreme Court for further corrupting US politics.

Donors control The Senate, The House! We the people of the United States are no longer represented in D.C.!

Sick of the old saw: "We don't have the perfect system, but we probably have the best system in the world". And with these 16 magic words uttered, they are free to engage in their corrupt endeavors. Perhaps we should demand better of ourselves!?!?

Telling friends he needed to act quickly to balance out his political connections if he hoped to maintain access, he donated more than $1.1 million to committees associated with Mr. Trump and the Republican Party in the three months after the 2016 election. The sliminess of this most recent example of pay to play political hucksterism is just astounding. The mere fact that this creep was so arrogantly flagrant in his willingness to play Both party Sides for future business and political favor with no red flags waved publicly by anyone at the time, well, it only goes to show just how hideously corrupt our campaign finance system has truly become in the span of no less than ten years. (no thanks to Citizens United), But for me the worst thing of all the above is this. Our children, our future generations are seeing this kind of entrenched graft committed by the adults,(see your other article today about multi-city corruption) going mostly unpunished. We're raising a bunch of future adults who won't know the meanings of loyalty, character, decency, and, most important, personal honesty. It's all about who you know and how many millions you have to buy your future wealth and stardom. America has lost it's way.

There should be a cap on political donations. Networking should be done the old fashioned way, by the telephone.

Another day, another Trump scandal. Greed, graft and corruption appear to be constant companions of our current president.

Wow. So much protected political speech here. Drain the swamp indeed!

Woohoo, this is the way and the how of money seeking more money. Ah, to be able to make millions through having the "right" dinner contacts. And, this is how the world's politicians maintain their disinterest in the plight of their citizens. Good dinner mates and contacts, versus honest work on the assembly line. If he could just spend one day working with his hands perhaps he would be more interested in the average person. Why should he? His easy life continues unabated.

So far there is a whole lot of smoke, but no smoking gun the public can see yet. We are left guessing what the prosecutors already know -- they must have evidence sufficient to justify the subpoenas. But the old line "the biggest crime in this town is what is legal" applies here. Inaugurations have been the venue for legalized influence peddling a sleaze since the Revolution: Trump just took it to a whole new level. The only people who will be charged with anything are the truly-stupid ... the wannabees.

..now we’re looking at foreign donors for his inaugural events - how pathetic ...where’d Mr Mueller go?

Not interested in Josh Kuschener? Why not? Go after one, go after all to be sure there are no accusations of outside influence or favoritism. No one has to be dragged through the mud but each cent should be investigated.

People give $25 to $1000 because they support a candidate. When people give $900,000 to a party for our President it is meant as a legal bribe for access.

Mr. Zuberi says “We don’t have the perfect system, but we probably have the best system in the world.”-- for the 1% and foriegn nations seeking access and influence.

This story is a great example of what is wrong with U S Politics.Its pay to play all the way and the average voter has no influence

The fact that success in business has no moral component - modestly demonstrated here by Zuberi’s donating habits - is socially tolerable only if we’re not all ruled by business interests. Which we are. See: the president of the United States.

This large jigsaw puzzle of collusion and swamp swimming is so easy to put together it should be sold by Fisher Price (aimed at the age range of anyone who wasn't born yesterday)

It is time to come to terms with the real estate industry, carried interest, masked LLCs, depreciation and addiction to foreign money. It is an industry designed to launder money, and protect owners from paying taxes. When the investigations are complete we will learn how huge the profits are and how little they contribute society.