ETHICS/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP FAMILY/DONALD JR: “Donald Trump Jr. has a previously undisclosed business relationship with a Texas hedge fund manager and longtime hunting pal who raised millions of dollars for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and has special access to top government officials, it was reported on Monday [3-12-18].
The president’s son and Gentry Beach have been involved in business deals since the mid-2000s and recently formed a company — Future Venture LLC — even though they both claimed they were just friends, the Associated Press reported, citing court records and other documents.
Last February, a month after Trump was sworn-in as president, Beach and an Iraq-American businessman met with top officials at the National Security Council to pitch them on reducing sanctions on Venezuela in exchange for opening business opportunities for US companies, the report said. The NSC officials were directed by the White House to take the meeting because Beach and the businessman were friends of Trump Jr.
Lawyers for the intelligence agency questioned the appropriateness of the meetings… A White House official said Trump Jr. didn’t arrange Beach’s meeting with NSC officials.
The Trump Organization also denied Trump Jr. set up any meetings with White House of other government officials… Future Venture was incorporated last October in Delaware, but did not list Trump Jr. as an agent for the company. But a disclosure report filed with New York City officials showed Trump Jr. was named as the company’s president, secretary and treasurer.”
-Mark Moore, “Trump Jr.’s hunting buddy and secret business partner got special access,” The New York Post online, Mar. 12, 2018 12:23pm