• ZephrC@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    I think the question here is how is this money laundering? I could sell Sherlock Holmes for $60, and that wouldn’t be Arthur Conan Doyle giving me money under the table. How is this any different?

    • lad
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      8 months ago

      It’s laundering because when someone is expressly forbidden to give you money and you start to sell them snow in the winter that’s what is called giving you money. And the cheaper you get stuff to sell the less you pay to clean up the funds

      • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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        8 months ago

        Is there any evidence of churches buying these stupid bibles? If there is that’s a pretty serious accusation. If it’s just weirdo Trump cultists then that’s not actually money laundering.

        • nomous@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Hey I’m sure Trump will release the sales records right?

          Right after he tells us who’s buying up all the shares of Trump Media & Technology Group that just went public but just BEFORE he releases his taxes.

          I’m all for giving the benefit of the doubt inititally but those days are long long past. He’s definitely using this to funnel money into his campaign.

        • prole@sh.itjust.works
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          8 months ago

          You’re right, if anyone deserves the benefit of the doubt it’s Donald Trump and Evangelical Christians.

          • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Holy crap, you’re making accusations that the guy who’s out of money is illegally recieving tons of money and I’m the unreasonable one? From everything I’m seeing and hearing outside of Lemmy churches are actually pissed off at how tacky this is, but sure, baseless accusations make you the reasonable one.

        • HowManyNimons@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          Serious accusation? Please. Trump does six financial crimes worse than this one every morning before his breakfast burger. All we’re saying is we can see the grift.

          • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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            8 months ago

            Just because he does worse things all the time doesn’t mean this isn’t serious. Don’t let him move the goalpost like that. But also maybe have some actual evidence instead of just paranoid conspiracy theories. That’s their thing. We need to be better than them.

            • HowManyNimons@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              Again I guess I haven’t explained properly.

              I am not accusing him of a specific crime.

              I am saying: look, he’s selling bibles, which will allow terrible churches to support his cause without falling foul of campaign finance law.

              There’s no evidence because technically there’s no crime. He’s just found a new way to rip the system off.

              Also: I don’t have access to Trump’s Bible sale records. Never will. Nor will you Does that mean we shouldn’t say anything about the fact that he’s cheating the electoral system? That right-wing churches can advance their power grabs without fear of prosecution? Even if it’s not illegal it’s unjust and dangerous.

              • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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                8 months ago

                Look, campaign finance in the United States is absolute bullshit. Chances are that anyone dumb enough to buy an overpriced Trump branded bible could already legally just give him the money though.

                Yes. He is a con-man and a grifter. We all know that here. Trying to pretend this is money laundering when the money doesn’t even need to be laundered just makes you seem like a crazy person though. I would like for us to all stay in touch with reality. Election finance reform would be great. Wild criminal accusations based on nothing but vibes won’t help that happen though.

                • HowManyNimons@lemmy.world
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                  8 months ago

                  Trying to pretend this is money laundering

                  Ugghhhh. “It’s a form of money laundering” does not mean “We can accuse Trump of formal criminal money laundering as defined by the law.” We’re saying the cunt is making it easy for bad churches to funnel him money. That is still bad, criminal or not.

                  Wild criminal accusations based on nothing but vibes

                  Do you read my replies? Again, we are not making criminal accusations. And it’s not “vibes”: We can see the man hawking bibles to free up his own money for campaign funds. It’s so obvious what he’s doing, that he’s put out a phoney disclaimer not-quite saying he isn’t.

                  • ZephrC@lemm.ee
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                    8 months ago

                    So your argument is that he’s money laundering because money laundering doesn’t mean money laundering.

                    Okay. This conversation was a mistake.