Charities Pay Huge Sums to Donald Trump and Mar-a-Lago to Hold Fund Raisers

Yes, Supporting the Enemy of Their Causes

Disgust in Palm Beach

It turns out that Trump’s Mar-a-Lago exclusive club in Florida is not just an ugly display of opulence gone bad.  It also charges huge sums for charities to use it for fund raising, and incredibly, charities are willing to do so.

It’s booked solid from December through March, with big and small events every weekend for organizations ranging from the Palm Beach Police Foundation to the American Cancer Society.

And of course Trump does nothing that does not line his own pockets, that’s the kind of person he is.

Mar-a-Lago is more than Trump’s Florida home — and future winter White House. It’s also a high-priced members-only club — a membership is $100,000, plus $14,000 in annual dues — and rentable venue for groups looking to put on large and small events. Prices to host a big gala at Mar-a-Lago range from $100,000 to $300,000, and the venue needs to be booked more than a year in advance.

And if a charity gets less out the experience than Trump, well too bad, after the purpose here is to make Trump money, not to aid a charity.

Tina Philips, president and chief executive of the Palm Beach Habilitation Center, said in October that her group would take a careful look before it booked Mar-a-Lago again.

But now Philips said she’s glad her group will be at Mar-a-Lago again this year for its Hab-a-Hearts luncheon on March 20.

“It’s the best venue in this county,” Philips said. “We’re not hearing any backlash. We believe our attendance will be way up this year, because we’re having it on Presidents’ Day in the president’s house.”

Philips said one of the best reasons to keep the event at Mar-a-Lago: It makes money.  “It brings in big numbers,” she said. “We’re able to net well over $100,000. It’s our biggest fundraiser of the year.”

Hm, let’s do the math.  The charity gets $100k, Trump gets maybe $300k.  What a deal.

And what about groups that actually show concern?  Well hardly.

Groups that expressed concern about continuing to hold events there following the release of an “Access Hollywood” video in which Trump brags about forcing himself on women have decided to keep their galas at the venue as scheduled. A spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen foundation, one such group, had told the Associated Press in October that the foundation would “discuss” its Mar-a-Lago event.

Let’s see, they are concerned so they will discuss it at their event at Mar-a-Lago.  A lotta concern there.

What has to be done here is that the rest of us, the people who actually care about the nation and about charities need to say to any of them that hold events at Trump venues that no, we will not support you, we will not give to you, we will not work for you and we will condemn you to the maximum extent possible.  You are betraying your mission, you are making things worse and until you recognize this and stop it we cannot help you.

Is the message clear?