Fundraisers use Trump as lure

Wealthy Chinese solicited with chance to meet president

The letter circulated to dozens of wealthy entrepreneurs in China last week looked official. Topped with the insignia of a real Republican committee raising money for the party and President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, it purported to offer a handshake and a one-on-one photo with the president for $100,000 — a “VVIP” trip “to be remembered for a lifetime.”

The invitation, which Republican Party officials say they had nothing to do with, was not the only such offer. At least two other China-based companies have circulated similar solicitations in the past week, offering access to Trump at an official fundraiser in Dallas, charging two or three times the price of a ticket.

In an interview with the Washington Post, a Beijing man who claims to be an organizer of the excursion to Dallas said he coordinated a previous U.S. trip — bringing members of the Chinese business elite to snap selfies and pose for photos at a swanky Manhattan fundraiser headlined by Trump in December.

As a part of his promotional materials for the Dallas trip, he circulated pictures of wealthy Chinese business leaders, including a businessman known as the country’s first owner of a Ferrari, standing shoulder to shoulder with Trump in formalwear and giving a thumbs-up.

While U.S. election law prohibits campaign contributions from anyone but U.S. citizens and permanent residents, foreign visitors may attend fundraisers as long as they do not pay their own entry.

Republican Party officials confirmed the presence of Chinese nationals at the December fundraiser, but said they knew nothing about the Dallas solicitations.

In addition to the invitation crafted to appear as though it was sponsored by the Republican Party, a different solicitation carried the logo of the Chinese Construction Bank.