Today’s newsletter is a rare look at how business really gets done in Trump’s Washington. The piece you are about to read involved collecting and analyzing tens of thousands of records from the FEC, the court system, and the federal lobbying database. The internet is awash in hot takes and sensationalism. But you won’t find this reporting anywhere else. Popular Information is a three-person newsletter, and this is a substantial undertaking. You can support this work — and help expand our capacity to do more of it — by upgrading to a paid subscription. To stay completely independent, Popular Information does not run advertising. This newsletter only exists because of the support of readers like you. Last month, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation made a $2 million donation to Trump’s Super PAC. Mining a trove of internal Trump administration documents, Popular Information unravels how the donation appears to be an effort to protect the tribe’s casino business by influencing the Interior Department. On Tuesday, Trump indicated that he was open to offering the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a financial bailout to offset the economic fallout caused by the war in Iran. The UAE has partnered extensively with the Trump Organization and has multiple business ties to the Trump family. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, has represented the U.S. in negotiations with Iran while engaged in a multi-billion-dollar business relationship with the Saudi government. Despite the brazen corruption, Kushner’s connection to the Saudis has received very little media attention. A Popular Information analysis of media coverage of Kushner’s diplomatic role from February 28 to April 19 found that 97% of the coverage from a variety of major media outlets did not mention Kushner’s financial conflict of interest. |