Politico reports that the first event, held in Cleveland last month, featured Trump supporters giving speeches praising the president while handing out cash to recipients whose tickets were drawn from a bin. The Urban Revitalization Coalition (URC), a cadre of black Trump supporters who are active in business, political and faith communities, sponsored the event where up to $25,000 was handed out.
In most big cities around America, it's called "street money." In Baltimore, it's "walking around money." In Chicago, it's part of the "Chicago Way." New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles -- it's just a continuation of the time-honored American custom of buying votes.
But when a Republican does it, it's a no-no.
The tour comes as Trump’s campaign has been investing its own money to make inroads with black voters and erode Democrats’ overwhelming advantage with them. But the cash giveaways are organized under the auspices of an outside charity, the Urban Revitalization Coalition, permitting donors to remain anonymous and make tax-deductible contributions.
The organizers say the events are run by the book and intended to promote economic development in inner cities. But the group behind the cash giveaways is registered as a 501(c)3 charitable organization. One leading legal expert on nonprofit law said the arrangement raises questions about the group’s tax-exempt status, because it does not appear to be vetting the recipients of its money for legitimate charitable need.
Democrats have a ready-made political infrastructure that handles the vote-buying. The alderman or committeeman hands out gobs of cash to precinct captains whose job is to make sure the cash gets spread around into the right hands. Today, that means that drug gangs get their cut, as well as friendly pastors and prominent business leaders. Anyone who can help get out the vote is a target.
Republicans have no such infrastructure, so the Trump campaign had to invent a means to challenge Democrats in the contest of vote-buying. The cash giveaway scheme won't reach as many people as "street money," but it's a start.
