A charity event that purported to support veterans, first responders and rescue dogs is scrambling to prove it’s not a "thinly disguised” rally for former President Donald Trump, according to a new report.
The Palm Beach Post published Friday an extensive report on the Mar-a-Lago Hero Gala that has boasted access to key team Trump player Alina Habba, pro-Trump celebrities such as Jon Voight and a fan group that calls itself the “Trumpettes.”
"It sounds like a Republican fundraising event,” one Palm Beach resident told the Post, “knowing who these people are.”
The World Series of Golf Foundation, the nonprofit hosting the Hero Gala Sunday, was created in 2022 with a stated message of holding celebrity tournaments to benefit Palm Beach veterans, according to the report.
L.J. Foley, the nonprofit's listed leader, is also linked to a PAC called Patriotic Majority with a mission to fight “those who support the Biden crime family,” the Post reports.
“The [foundation] website is thin on other details,” the report notes. “The website does not list the names of officers or directors, nor does it feature information about its terms and conditions, its refund policy or its privacy policy.”
Last month, an organizer reportedly said the Hero Gala would support the Gary Sinise Foundation charity for first responders and veterans, the Tunnel to Tower Foundation and the International Institute of Orthotics and Prosthetics.
The Hero Gala's website also once listed the Big Dog Rescue among its charities, but the logo has since been removed, according to the report.
After the Post began asking questions about ties to Trump on the event organizing committee — whose members include a founding member of the Trumpettes, his Dominican Republic ambassador’s stepson and his U.S. consul general to Bermuda — the event updated its website.
"This is a Charity Non-Profit Event it is not a political event,” the new message reads. “It is a wonderful night to raise monies for charity that helps benefit heroes.”
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Tickets for the Hero Gala cost between $3,750 to $40,000 and booking an eight-seat front-row table asks a “whopping” $250,000, the Post reports.
Guests can pay via wire transfer to a Chase account with bank and routing numbers listed on the website, which a retired CPA told the Post is unusual.
"I have never seen a solicitation for funds with a request to wire the money," Rampell reportedly said.
It's not clear how many tickets have been sold — but the Hero Gala website is urging readers to act now in all caps.
Read the full report here.
