The Trump Network Was Scandalous. The Government’s Response May Have Been Worse

YahooFinance ^ | March 25, 2016

[Steelfish]

The Trump Network Was Scandalous. The Government’s Response May Have Been Worse

David Dayen,The Fiscal Times Mar 25

Donald Trump’s presidential campaign is rooted in the idea that, with him at the helm, Americans will all get rich. In many of his affiliated businesses, he also promised great fortunes, while instead leaving people in ruins.

We already knew about Trump Mortgage, Trump University, and a few other get-rich-quick ventures. But the Trump Network, a classic multilevel marketing scheme, perhaps best exemplifies this tendency of Trump to over-promise and under-deliver.

Trump licensed his name to Ideal Health, a seller of multivitamins, diet pills and energy drinks, turning it into Trump Network in late 2009. Trump Network charged its salespeople for the products upfront, and then paid them through commissions and for attracting new sales recruits. It operated like a pyramid scheme. The salespeople took on all the risk, spending thousands of dollars in materials that they could only make back by bringing other people into the company and getting them to pay as well. Although salespeople say they were led to believe that Trump was actively involved — and why wouldn’t they, with a name like Trump Network — he merely lent his name to the company and gave a few motivational speeches.

Ultimately, few salespeople ever recovered their investments in leadership seminars, marketing kits and promotional leads. The company made money by impoverishing its sales force. Eventually, even that didn’t work; the Trump Network’s owners filed for bankruptcy and sold off the company.

We can go on about the perfidiousness of Trump participating in these predatory con jobs that rely on giving false hopes to vulnerable people. But we should also point out that running this kind of business can be illegal.

[A CA Guy]

I was never ignorant enough to fall for schemes. Maybe because I worked to hard for my money.

[nathanbedford]

I find the similarities between the allegations describing this vitamin pyramid scheme and Trump University suggest obvious inferences of exploitation by Donald Trump.

However, when one reads the article one must admit that it is devoid of real facts which would substantiate a claim of personal wrongdoing by Donald Trump. I would add this episode of Trump's biography to his list of questionable, fraudulent, or bankrupted deals to make the point that of 315 million Americans surely we can find one with a better history than this. I think it is also fair to observe that if he can screw the students of Trump University, if he can screw the people who paid so much to peddle these vitamins, or if he can lend his name to those who do, we should be fools not to expect him to do it to us.

Standing alone, however, I don't think we can take more away from this article than that.

[Jane Long]

Another Yawn 😴 TDS post.

[Jay Thomas]

I was young then. Jeez. Glad you’re life was perfect. I did lot’s of stupid stuff when I was younger. I’m better know though, lol.

[Seruzawa]

You waste your time responding to a paid GOPe agent.

[onyx]

VOTE TRUMP!

[Jim from C-Town]

Sounds like Herbalife or Amway. Not my cup of tea, but not exactly unique.

[jonrick46]

I witnessed for myself numerous people who dropped their bone killing jobs and go into the ultimate pyramid scheme, Amway. I saw a doctor, tired of the rising costs of malpractice insurance leave his practice and go Amway. What I saw was people making a killing. The doctor was making $1000 a day. Some made more money in two months than they did in an entire year. I asked the doctor how much he thought I could be making in a year? He told me the golden words: “It depends upon how much you put into it.” I almost did it, but I know others can and did put put in a lot and get back yeugh!

[HarleyLady27]

Oh but it's ok to have an adulterer in the White House .... right!!!

You need to vet your candidate more, there are 3 more women coming out that Cruz has been with...along with all the other stuff, wow you guys should go into hiding...

[huldah1776]

DT abandoned his greatest golf course in the world, and is probably never going to be able to use that description for another build again. LOL

“The next president, if they so choose, can remake this agency almost entirely, instilling a new posture of aggressive enforcement. “Those appointments will either reinvigorate federal protection of consumers against deceptive marketers like Donald Trump, or they will pick and choose a few commendable actions while letting the broader economy continue to reward deceit,” Hauser said.”

In 1991 he argued against the Reagan tax reform of 1986. Supported Dodd with $1k (lots of these high dollar donations...probably came with perks for vacations which could be written off?—don’t know the laws.) So was he in part responsible for the real estate bubble and how much did he make during that time? Did he learn this from Soros who bailed him out a couple of times?

He also had a business relationship (got paid 2.5 million for his name) with the king of Azerbaijan who just happened to finance the woman who ran the ad of Mrs. Trump.

scotland
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13806500.Trump_s___2_million_losses_at_Scottish_golf_courses/

congressional speech 1991 (he can talk rationally!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rksd80-FCAw

political funding site:
http://www.politicalmoneyline.com/Default.aspx
(by the way, he was 17 million in debt in feb. trump change I know)

DT owes soros 170 mil?

http://thewashingtonstandard.com/donald-trump-soros-useful-idiot-agent-provocateur/

http://gulagbound.com/50891/unanswered-questions-trumps-ties-to-soros-organized-crime-and-the-chinese/

Azerbaijan:

http://www.eurasianet.org/node/76606

Hotel Project in Muslim Country Mysteriously Vanishes From Donald Trump’s Website

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/12/azerbaijan-hotel-vanishes-from-donald-trumps-website

[zaxtres]

Has David Dayen written about Hillary’s corruption, selling influence through the Clinton Foundation?...

Umm, that is his next story. /s

[A CA Guy]

I didn’t say perfect, I said it was hard making money for me so I couldn’t afford to take chances.

[kik5150]

FACT: Trump is the adulterer. Have you ever heard of Marla Maples?

[HarleyLady27]

Yes, and it was all over the news on the East Coast, in the NE and all of the newspapers, just as it should have been...but he didn’t LIE about it, he didn’t hold the BIBLE high in the air with one hand, and lay it down and lie about things...

Carson; Rubio; 5 women with 3 more coming out...

Still Report # 736 - Enquirer: 3 More Cruz Babes

According to an update by the National Enquirer, three new Ted Cruz lovers have spoken out, bringing the total to 8. This confirms earlier rumors that much more was to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vV5jLoSmko&feature=player_embedded#t=0

Trump is running a great campaign, he is for America and the American people...can you say the same with Ted and his (mrs) CFR; TTP; TPA; H1B visas; New World Order??????

[Lopeover]

Sorry you are angry. Ted betrayed you. No one else.

[nickcarraway]

Telling the truth about Trump should be a crime.