A new mystery firm enters Trump’s orbit, rekindling criticism of his presidential campaign spending

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Launchpad Strategies, incorporated less than a year ago, has received $15 million from Donald Trump’s election fundraising machine. Campaign finance experts say it was built for anonymity and is the latest example of how the Trump campaign has used secretive businesses to obscure its spending from the public. An Associated Press review of Federal Election Commission records shows that over $876 million moved through Trump’s campaigns and pro-Trump fundraising committees over the past nine years to six limited liability companies, including Launchpad Strategies. While other campaigns have relied on vendors with hazy origins, Trump’s operation has set its “own standard in terms of doing it far more than anyone else,” says Saurav Ghosh of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center.