As Donald Trump's New York hush money criminal trial is about to enter its third week, Robert Samuel, who owns the niche company "Same Ole Line Dudes," is making cash getting people a front row seat.
According to a profile from Salon, Samuel started his company 12 years ago after he lost his job with AT&T. His new business allowed people to pay him to reserve a spot in line for new Apple iPhone releases — and it evolved from there.
“It grew from me doing it by myself, and then when I realized that there was a demand, I started pulling in the people closest to me, my friends and family,” Samuel said. “New York is this rich, fertile ground — things to see, things to do, things to buy, experience, taste.”
Line Dudes has held spaces for Brooklyn pizza, ramen burgers, rainbow bagels and cronut pastries, PlayStation games and sample sales at fashion houses, according to Salon.
And now the company is reserving spots for members of the public and journalists wanting to get a seat to Trump's trial.
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Samuel said his company had "built up a good rapport with media agencies. We're the go-to when they don't want their reporters standing in line.”
"Line Dudes has previous experience with high-profile trials in Manhattan — for example, the 2021 trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was ultimately convicted for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring. The company was also involved in last fall's trial of cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, and E. Jean Carroll’s two civil suits against Trump for sexual assault and defamation," Salon's report stated.
Trump's trials have been good business for Samuel since courtroom space is limited. His company charges $50 an hour for places in the Trump trial line, which is twice his regular rate.
“This is such a high-profile type of assignment," Samuel said. "You run the risk of, you know, coming in contact with protesters and supporters, so we charge a premium."
Read the full profile over at Salon.