White House says probe of inauguration funding has 'nothing to do with the president'
WASHINGTON — The White House press shop is brushing off reports that federal prosecutors in New York are investigating the over $100 million that was raised from donors for President Trump’s inauguration last year.
Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley was asked about the probe by Yahoo News when he briefly spoke to reporters on the White House lawn Friday morning. He described the matter as being completely separate from Trump.
“As you guys know, at the time of the inauguration, the president was trying to establish a government and right all the wrongs of the Obama administration. He did both of those things, quite frankly, at historic levels,” Gidley said.
Gidley went on to say Trump had only “one job” at his swearing-in ceremony.
“But the president of the United States has one job at the inauguration. It’s to show up, to thank everyone for the service to get him elected, and then also dance with the first lady. He did all of those things. This charge has nothing to do with the president of the United States, and it has nothing to do with this administration,” said Gidley.
Gidley’s comments echoed remarks made by White House press secretary Sarah Sanders in an interview with Fox News Thursday evening.
“This didn’t have anything to do with the president — he was focused on the transition and building out a new government and preparing to take office,” Sanders said. “The role that the president had in the inauguration was to raise his hand and take the oath.”
The investigation into the inauguration funding was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which said the prosecutors are looking into whether Trump’s inaugural committee “misspent funds” and if donors “gave money in exchange for access to the administration.”
Recent legal filings by special counsel Robert Mueller and other federal prosecutors in cases involving former Trump allies Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen have revealed that there are multiple ongoing investigations involving members of the president’s inner circle. Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to multiple felonies, including charges related to payments he arranged to silence two women who claimed they had affairs with Trump. Prosecutors have said those payments, which were set up during the 2016 election, constituted illegal campaign contributions because they were meant to influence the race. Trump’s attorneys have vehemently denied this accusation.
Cohen, who spent over a decade working at Trump’s company and as the president’s personal attorney, has cooperated with prosecutors and said Trump directed the payments. That assertion was also made by prosecutors in court filings. In an interview with ABC News that aired Friday morning, Cohen admitted he lied when he initially denied making the payments. He also repeated his claim that Trump helped coordinate the payments and suggested he has “documents” to back up that allegation.
Gidley was asked about Cohen’s comments when he spoke to reporters on Friday. He described coverage of Cohen’s case as giving “credence to a convicted criminal.”
“I understand that. He’s a self-admitted liar,” Gidley said of Cohen. “You guys all know that, and for him to say … ‘I’m going to stop lying starting now’ is somewhat silly.”
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