Air Force crew made an odd stop on a routine trip: Trump's Scottish resort

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

In early Spring of this year, an Air National Guard crew made a routine trip from the U.S. to Kuwait to deliver supplies.

What wasn’t routine was where the crew stopped along the way: President Donald Trump’s Turnberry resort, about 50 miles outside Glasgow, Scotland.

Since April, the House Oversight Committee has been investigating why the crew on the C-17 military transport plane made the unusual stay — both en route to the Middle East and on the way back — at the luxury waterside resort, according to several people familiar with the incident. But they have yet to receive any answers from the Pentagon.

The inquiry is part of a broader, previously unreported probe into U.S. military expenditures at and around the Trump property in Scotland. According to a letter the panel sent to the Pentagon in June, the military has spent $11 million on fuel at the Prestwick Airport — the closest airport to Trump Turnberry — since October 2017, fuel that would be cheaper if purchased at a U.S. military base. The letter also cites a Guardian report that the airport provided cut-rate rooms and free rounds of golf at Turnberry for U.S. military members.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/09/06/air-force-trump-scottish-retreat-1484337

[JohnnyRingo]

1. K&R

Good article. worth reading in full.

Thanx for posting.

[Totally Tunsie]

2. "Why don't you stay at my place?"

[Larrybanal]

11. just a suggestion

[Chrysanthemum]

3. Hmmm

I suppose it would be irresponsible to speculate that they were drug drops...

[Doitnow]

29. I'm still wondering what has happened to all those refugee children coming over the border. 45 does

so many rotten things, it's easy to imagine what he is capable of doing.

[riversedge]

4. Maddow is having her opening segment on this article right now.

[riversedge]

5. Maddow saying the Military and Pentagon is NOT cooperating!!.........

Link to tweet

?s=20

Link to tweet

?s=20


Rachel Maddow MSNBC
@maddow
·
58m
"Accusations that Trump’s properties are unfairly profiting off of his administration have dogged the president since entering office...

But the potential involvement of the military takes the issue to a different level."
Rachel Maddow MSNBC
@maddow
·
53m
It's one thing to think about this president and this white house trying to pull off this kind of thing.

But... the military not only going along with it... but refusing to comment? And refusing to hand over documents to the oversight committees about it?
Natasha Bertrand
@NatashaBertrand
·
1h
I hate to do this to you all on a Friday night but ...stand by for news

[brush]

6. Everything about this admin is putting money in trump's pockets. Grifters gotta grift...

and impeachers gotta impeach. It's time.

This is more evidence of his poor business sense. That out of the way resort of his would go out of business if that little airport went under so he tries to keep the airport open by giving it US government fueling business from Air Force planes.

What a dummy. He builds a resort so remote it has to depend on a little airport keeping open so people can get to his resort. Doesn't sound like it was very well thought out.

What an idiot. He borrows money, most likely from Russians, then blows it on a stupid idea to put a resort in a place no one can hardly get to.

[DENVERPOPS]

23. How much and what is the cargo ?????

How much and what cargo do these planes drop off at Ireland.

Dropping off supplies/liquor for his resort, purchased much cheaper here in the U.S...........??????

Major increase to his profits than if he had to buy stuff over there, or if he had to pay Fedex to deliver the stuff to his resort all the way from the U.S.........?????????

It would be great if one of the crew members spoke off the record.........

[brush]

28. He's re-routing Air Force planes to refuel at the struggling airport there to keep it in business..

which in turn keeps his struggling resort in business. No one could get there easily without the airport being there. The airport gets the money from selling fuel to the Air Force. Normally these planes refuel less expensively at Air Force bases.

It would be even more shocking if it turns out the planes are also delivering supplies to trump's resort. Just the refueling has been report, as weil as the servicemen having to pay for much more expensive food and lodging at trump's resort.

This sort of petty self-dealing is specifically prohibited by the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, not to mention Pence staying at another trump resort 180 miles away from his meetings in Dublin, Ireland just to put money in trump's pocket.

[yaesu]

7. so the military is helping their dictator by blocking investigations nt

[DENVERPOPS]

24. Any day

Any day we will see the Repeal of the Posse Comatatus (sp?) Act....... "W"'s admin tried it but failed.......(Cheney Rumsfeld et al)

If the Republican Senate and President repeal it, we will truly, once and for all time, know we are screwed. We will then have become a Banana REPUBLICan true dictatorship. Run by a Tyrannical party and leader like so many third world dictatorships.........
Katie bar the door.........

[yaesu]

8. I have 100% given up on anybody holding Rump accountable for all his criminal actions

including our own party, must escalate my plans to leave the shithole country.

[BadgerMom]

9. K & R

Despicable. And super frightening that the Pentagon-THE PENTAGON-is stonewalling. Prosecute EVERYONE involved.

[riversedge]

16. Silence from Republicans in congress implecates them ALSO!

[mysteryowl]

10. CORRUPTION

Will there be any justice?

[bluestarone]

12. SO SCARY

Feels like a COMPLETE TAKE OVER of our country! Seems like Every fucking one of the rethugs and military has decided to say fuck you to the congress! (HOUSE)

[riversedge]

14. Trump has involved the Military--the Pentagon and they are not cooperating! This is so WRONG!

[bluestarone]

20. Yea for sure

Feel so fucking helpless. Who will stop them when they fuck up our election in 2020? They certainly act like they cannot lose! What is up their sleeves? I really fear for this!

[riversedge]

13. Joy is filling in for Lawence and is now covering this issue also!

[dchill]

15. Yep. Malcolm Nance!

[riversedge]

18. saying this One stop is NOT an isolated case!!

[dchill]

17. This is NOT GOOD.

[Judi Lynn]

19. Incredible effort made to satisfy his greed. Hideous abuse of power. n/t

[ffr]

21. My family is ready. We should be in the streets and striking at work

This grift against America must stop!!!

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. Prestwick is Glasgow's 2nd airport. The larger 'Glasgow International' is more convenient

for nearly everything - expect Trump's Turnberry course. Diagram:

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=244020&y=629499&z=140&sv=244020,629499&st=4&ar=Y&mapp=map.srf&searchp=s.srf&dn=619&ax=219960&ay=606579&lm=0

Turnberry is marked with the arrow - and Prestwick Airport is on the northern edge of Ayr. Glasgow International is immediately to the west of Glasgow, next to the M8 motorway. Turnberry is about 20 miles from Prestwick, and 60 from Glasgow International. Prestwick has been on the point of closure for decades.

So this paragraph explains a lot:

Prestwick Airport has long been debt-ridden. The Scottish government bought it in 2013 for £1, but it has continued to lose money in the years since. In June, the government announced its intent to sell the airport, which the panel’s letter described as “integral” to the success of the Turnberry property, 30 miles away.

Trump needs the airport to stay open; the airport needs an attraction, like Turnberry. So they've been happy to subsidize stays at Turnberry, when, after all, they get some profit by selling fuel to the US military. And the traffic makes the airport look more viable. Though the more the publicity ties that to the here-today, gone-tomorrow Trump grift, the less attractive it will look.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

25. 2014: Donald Trump pledges to make Prestwick Airport 'really successful'

Guardian article cited in @NatashaBertrand's scoop says the airport—which was a US defense contractor & owned by a foreign govt—offered cut-rate rooms to air crews and free rounds of golf at Trump Turnberry to U.S. officials, raising so many questions!
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/feb/07/scottish-government-criticised-over-us-military-use-of-airport …

Link to tweet

{Replying to @waltshaub @NatashaBertrand}

Link to tweet

2014 - "Mr Trump, chairman and president of the Trump Organisation, added: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Glasgow Prestwick Airport.""
"The airport will be the Scottish base for all Trump Aviation Operations"

Link to tweet

Donald Trump pledges to make Prestwick Airport 'really successful'
STV
14 November 2014

Tycoon announces partnership between Trump Turnberry resort and Ayrshire hub.

Billionaire tycoon Donald Trump has pledged to make Prestwick Airport "really successful" as he announced a partnership with the Ayrshire hub.

The Trump Organisation has chosen Prestwick to service the nearby Trump Turnberry resort, in which the businessman plans to invest £250m. ... The airport will be the Scottish base for all Trump Aviation Operations, including Mr Trump's private Boeing 757 and Sikorsky 76B helicopter.

Prestwick Airport is continuing to run at a loss after being bought over by the Scottish Government in 2013 in a last-ditch effort to keep it open. ... A vision document published in October recommended that the airport should maintain its status as a gateway to Glasgow and work towards becoming the UK's first spaceport.

Now, Mr Trump hopes that tourists heading to Trump Turnberry will use the airport, flying in from around the world on private planes. ... The US businessman said: "We are going to have planes coming in from New York and all over, very high-level planes like Gulfstreams and Bombardiers.

"We are going to make this really successful. You are going to get a lot of business."
....

[stopdiggin]

26. note, for the "Doing Nothing!" crowd ... since at least April ..

since at least April ...

Since April, the House Oversight Committee has been investigating why the crew on the C-17 military transport plane made the unusual stay — both en route to the Middle East and on the way back — at the luxury waterside resort, according to several people familiar with the incident. But they have yet to receive any answers from the Pentagon.
The inquiry is part of a broader, previously unreported probe into U.S. military expenditures at and around the Trump property in Scotland.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

27. THREAD: Here's a primer on gift rules related to @NatashaBertrand's scoop

THREAD: Here’s a primer on gift rules related to @NatashaBertrand’s scoop on USAF routing flights through Prestwick airport near Trump Turnberry. (Won’t draw conclusions about violations yet—too soon, plus want to see what folks where I work think.) /1

Link to tweet

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.
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Just a few hours ago....

Link to tweet