The dinner served as an extravagant symbol of Trump’s inaugural festivities. Now, state, federal and congressional investigators are scrutinizing it. Inside the opulent Trump inaugural dinner designed as a glittery overture to foreign diplomats.
President-elect Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Chairman’s Global Dinner at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington on Jan. 17, 2017. By Michael Kranish , Michael Kranish National political investigative reporter Email Bio Follow Rosalind S. Helderman , Rosalind S.
Paid for by donors to the inaugural committee, the event put Barrack’s style of global networking on display and gave foreign guests an unparalleled chance to mingle with the incoming vice president, other members of the new administration and lawmakers. Separately, the attorneys general of Washington, D.C., and New Jersey have opened their own inquires into whether the committee violated nonprofit rules.
The grandson of a Christian emigre from what was once Syria and is now Lebanon, Barrack has long been Trump’s closest friend of Arab American ancestry. An Arabic speaker, he began conducting business deals in the Middle East in 1972. His investment company, Colony Capital, currently receives “less than 10 percent of [its] investor base,” from the region, spokesman Owen Blicksilver said.
Barrack sought to reassure him. Trump “is the king of hyperbole and is searching through radical popularism [sic] to creating a dialogue in our region!” he wrote, adding, “We can turn him to prudence — he needs a few really smart Arab minds to whom he can confer.”A few months later, after Trump won the election, Barrack agreed to be the chairman of his inaugural committee — and began planning elaborate events.
The biggest donors received perks that included tickets to a leadership luncheon with Cabinet nominees and members of Congress, a dinner held by incoming Vice President Pence, a candlelight dinner with Trump, the inaugural concert and the official Inaugural Ball. Of the roughly 600 invitees, 140 were foreign diplomats, according to a copy of the final invitation list obtained by The Post.
“Hosting an event specifically dedicated to the D.C.-based global diplomatic community was particularly important,” said Blicksilver, the Barrack spokesman, adding: “The intention of the dinner was to give the best foot forward of a newly elected and not well understood president to Washington’s diplomatic community — certainly a laudable goal.”
Wynn Resorts, his Las Vegas company, paid $729,217 to help bring the show to Washington, according to the inaugural committee’s public filings. An attorney for Wynn declined to comment. The president-elect arrived after the event had begun, making his way to the front and taking a seat with Barrack, attendees said.
Trump mentioned Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson, above, during the event, saying, “He’s going to be so incredible.” Trump would fire Tillerson 14 months later. Another Barrack guest was assigned to Table 42: Rashid Al Malik, the chairman of Hayah Holdings, a real estate company in the United Arab Emirates that partnered with Barrack on a 2014 bid to redevelop the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum . The deal never was consummated. Al Malik could not be reached tocomment.
Wynn, who stepped down from his positions at his company last year amid sexual harassment reports, is cooperating with the inquiry, The Post reported last year. From left, Larry Mizel, the chief executive of a Denver-based homebuilding company; Elliott Broidy, a Los Angeles-based venture capitalist; and Jeff Sessions, Trump’s incoming attorney general, talk at the dinner. Last year, the Justice Department released a legal opinion that further restricted Internet gambling, a move Adelson had long sought. Congressional Democrats and several state attorneys general are now seeking information about whether Adelson played a role shaping the opinion.
A few weeks after the inauguration, Wadie Habboush arrived unannounced to see National Security Council officials at the White House with Gentry Beach, a Texas businessman who is a college friend of Trump Jr., according to two people familiar with the event. In an email, Beach said he has “never been involved in any talks to help the country of Venezuela, lift sanctions or otherwise.” He did not answer other questions about the episode.
Those who had been involved in past inaugurations said they could not recall any event comparable to the chairman’s dinner during the Bush or Obama festivities and questioned its purpose. “Tom is well known as a vocal globalist and has based his business and personal reputation on building long lines with varying cultures and countries around the world,” said the partner, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. “It was Tom’s way of acknowledging their importance without any official visibility from the president and also allowed the president to choose to attend or not.
He chose as a consultant Rick Gates, who had been Trump’s deputy campaign manager and Barrack’s deputy on the inaugural committee. Two years later, Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI. Since then, he has been cooperating with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign.
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