The committee for President Trump’s inauguration raised a record-setting $107 million, leaving many wondering where all that money went and how much of it, as promised, was donated to charity.
The committee for President Trump's inauguration raised a record-setting $107 million, leaving many wondering where all that money went and how much of it, as promised, was donated to charity, notes USA Today. A tax filing released on Thursday shows the funds were mostly consumed by massive payments to various business entities, while a relatively modest sum was used for philanthropic purposes. According to the New York Times, about $51 million went to two companies involved in the planning and execution of the events. $26 million was reportedly paid to the firm WIS Media Partners of Marina del Rey, California, which was started by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, a Manhattan gala planner and a long-time friend of first lady Melania Trump. Event production company Hargrove Inc. was paid $25 million. The Times notes those sums likely comprised of payments the companies forwarded to contractors. Charitable donations totaled about $5 million and included financial support for organizations such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. Among the other recipients were the Smithsonian Institution, which was given $250,000, and the White House Historical Association. The remainder of the $107 million raised was reportedly spent, in part, on event-related expenses like ticketing, promotional gifts, and staff payments. Prior to the filing's release, the inaugural committee had suggested it only spent half of the donations it received, notes the Daily Beast. That sparked a great number of questions about what became of the rest of it, something the committee had been reluctant to disclose.
