Trials of Hunter continue
EX PREZ LAUNCHES AN AGGRESSIVE MERCH BID TO DRUM UP CASH
ATTORNEYS for Hunter Biden (pictured below) were expected in court yesterday in Los Angeles, where he is accused in what prosecutors call a four-year scheme to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes while living an extravagant lifestyle.
US President Joe Biden’s son has pleaded not guilty to the nine felony and misdemeanor tax offenses. He’s asking the judge to toss out the case, arguing the prosecution was politically motivated, was tainted by leaks from IRS agents who claimed publicly the case was mishandled and includes some allegations from before he moved to California. He has also been charged in Delaware with lying on a federal form to buy a gun in 2018 by saying he wasn’t addicted to illegal drugs, even though he admitted being addicted to cocaine at the time. In that case, he is also accused of possessing the gun illegally. Both cases are overseen by special counsel David Weiss and have tentative trials scheduled for June, though defense attorneys are trying to get the Delaware gun charges tossed out.
THROUGHOUT his varied career as a businessman, TV personality and even US President, Donald Trump could best be defined as the ultimate shady salesman.
Now the cash-strapped hotel mogul is putting those skills to good use again as he tries to muster up some much needed moolah from selling and endorsing all kinds of merchandise and wacky tat. While he won’t publicly admit it, Trump’s finances have hit the skids, due to mounting legal cases, and just as he’s launching a new bid for the White House.
To help fund that, Trump is now selling everything from bibles to trainers as he tries to cash in on his popularity amongst religious right-wingers in America. Trump’s merchandise mania initially k i c k e d off in 2016 when his election slogan, Make America Great Again (MAGA) started appearing on everything from caps to t-shirts and car stickers. The Trump merchandise website, The Trump Store, has everything from a Spring collection of cups, floral aprons and tie-die hoodies, to a men’s section full of Trump ties, polo shirts and the inevitable MAGA caps.
The women’s section includes Trump bling clutch bags, bracelets and even pink pearl necklaces.
Legal
Trump has never been shy about his love of golf, with his online store also offering fans everything from Trump golf club covers to ball markets and even divot tools.
More recently Trump has been trying to cash in on his various legal proceedings and court appearances.
In August of last year, Trump’s infamous mugshot went global after the photo was released by Fulton County Sheriff ’s Office after Trump surrendered to authorities at the jail.
Within minutes of the mugshot’s release, Donald Trump Jr - Trump’s eldest son - advertised T-shirts and posters featuring the mugshot on his X account.
In a social media post at the time, Trump Jr said “all profits” from sales would go towards his father’s defence fund.
“Breaking news: the mugshot is here” read the subject line of the campaign’s fundraising email, as it advertised a new T-shirt with the image.
It adds: “This mugshot will forever go down in history as a symbol of America’s defiance of tyranny.”
There was a range of T-shirts up for sale on this online shop, including the mugshot sitting atop a “Free Trump” slogan.
But there were also some creative photoshop efforts, with one top featuring a wild-west themed, sepiacoloured Trump wanted poster.