Former President Donald Trump's efforts to catch up with Vice President Kamala Harris' fundraising pose a serious danger of major corruption, a slew of political experts told the Guardian Monday.
Trump in recent weeks has amped up fundraising antics by courting bigwigs in tech and fossil fuels with problematic promises of perks and profitable federal policies, Saurav Ghosh of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center told the Guardian.
“For Trump, political support, as well as access and influence, are all for sale,” Ghosh said. “It is difficult to imagine a more apt description of corruption.”
The Guardian report argued the Republican presidential nominee has become increasingly desperate as Harris' campaign out-raises him by tens of millions of dollars — and pointed to August data that showed Harris raking in $190 million to Trump's $43 million.
Larry Noble, ex-Federal Election Commission general counsel, raised specific concerns about Trump's promises to Elon Musk, the tech billionaire behind X with a near unlimited ability to spread propaganda and misinformation.
“[Musk] has been aggressively promoting far-right conspiracy theories, lies and memes, many of which call into question the integrity of our elections," Noble told the Guardian.
"Trump’s talk about giving Musk a role in advising on government operations in a second Trump administration should frighten anyone who cares about a functioning government.”
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Ex-Republican congressman Dave Trott of Michigan told the Guardian he shares concerns about the lack of limits on Trump campaign tactics, telling the Guardian, "There’s no doubt he’s pushing the envelope.”
Richard Painter, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, said he was troubled by Trump's fundraising in the cryptocurrency realm.
Trump has promised to fire Securities and Exchange Commission chair Gary Gensler, who made a name for himself cracking down on cryptocurrency fraud, while raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars from industry moguls and helping his son launch their own venture, the Guardian reported.
“The last thing we need is a candidate for president of the United States or his family going into the crypto business,” said Painter. “Crypto is one ideal vehicle for money laundering and paying bribes.”