'Lack of ethical guardrails': People are paying millions to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago

04 March

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 18, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

A pro-Trump Super PAC is selling lucrative tickets to dine and meet with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, WIRED reported Tuesday.

“Business leaders can secure a one-on-one meeting with the president at Mar-a-Lago for $5,000,000, according to sources with direct knowledge of the meetings. At a so-called Candlelight Dinner held as recently as this past Saturday, prospective Mar-a-Lago guests were asked to spend $1,000,000 to reserve a seat, according to an invitation obtained by WIRED,” write Leah Feiger, Louise Matsakis and Jake Lahut.

"So-called candlelight dinners offering access to the president are known to have been held prior to Trump’s inauguration, but have not previously been reported to have occurred while he is in office," they add.

The $5 million meetings have become a “hot ticket” among businesspeople, a source told WIRED.

The invitation is on MAGA Inc. stationary and reads, “You are invited to a candlelight dinner featuring special guest President Donald J. Trump.” MAGA Inc. is a super PAC that supported Trump in his 2024 run for president.

“Donald J. Trump is appearing at this event only as a featured speaker, and is not asking for funds or donations,” the invitation states.

People were asked to contact Meredith O’Rourke to RSVP. O’Rourke was national finance director and senior advisor at Donald J. Trump for President 2024. They were also told to email Abby Mathis, who is the finance coordinator at MAGA Inc.

“Michael Solakiewicz, a pro-Trump digital creator, posted photographs of the event on Instagram,” write Feiger, Matsakis and Lahut. “WIRED has also viewed photographs and videos ofElon Musk with his son X at Mar-a-Lago the following day during acharity event hosted by a group called Wine Women & Shoes that also featured Trump.”

These tickets are unprecedented, according to one expert.

“I can’t recall a sitting president in the first weeks of his administration asking for millions of dollars in fundraising,” Don Moynihan, a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan, told WIRED. “The concern is less about fundraising, and more about access and influence … People hoping to get favorable treatment view it in their interest to donate money to Trump.”

“Part of what is worrying is the lack of ethical guardrails in the current Trump administration, where there doesn’t seem to be a clear line between Trump’s businesses and the presidency,” Moynihan added.

A source told WIRED that the money was going toward Trump’s presidential library.

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