³ÉÈËXÕ¾

DAVE ROSS

Fahrenthold expects congressional relief deal soon, without $1200 stimulus check

Dec 8, 2020, 12:56 PM | Updated: 1:46 pm

relief...

A face covering hangs on a fence outside the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 7, 2020, in Washington, DC. This week Congress will aim to extend government funding for an additional week as lawmakers work toward a $908 billion coronavirus relief package. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

It’s been months without a new coronavirus relief package passed in Congress as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact people across the United States.

Pulitzer Prize winning believes they are getting close, but does not expect another $1,200 stimulus check.

“I think we are getting close and there will be a deal this week,” Fahrenthold told Seattle’s Morning News. “I don’t think the $1,200 stimulus check will be in it. There’s been some Republicans who have pushed for that, notably Josh Hawley from Missouri, a senator. But there doesn’t seem to be any real momentum there for that. So I bet the Democrats are going to make a deal just to get some kind of stimulus out there before Biden takes over.”

Fahrenthold: Chance of success for Trump’s election lawsuits fades

Meanwhile, President Trump is raising a bunch of money, with donation matching and continuous text messages from various family members, some of which Dave has received.

“I missed the chance to have my donation matched 1000% and to get my name on the list in time for the president’s speech over the weekend so he could see that I’d given,” he said. “But they must be raising a ton of money. What’s it for exactly?”

“They are raising a ton of money, it’s at least $200 million since Election Day, which is kind of backwards, usually you raise money before the election,” Fahrenthold replied. “The money is nominally for fighting the election results, but that’s almost over, and it’s pretty cheap because his lawyers are terrible. The money really is going into a something called a leadership PAC, something that Trump started called ‘Save America.'”

“That may sound like something very restricted, but it’s actually not,” Fahrenthold added. “Basically, under campaign finance rules, whatever money goes into your leadership PAC, you could do pretty much whatever you want to with it. You can use it to pay yourself, you can have events at your hotels. There’s not a lot of restrictions. And so I imagine we will see some of that money used both to fuel Trump’s political ambitions, but also to enrich his company just given how he’s used campaign funds in the past.”

Fahrenthold says he’s not sure Trump can give it directly to his company, but he can pay it to himself in salary or hold events at his hotels and pay for it with the donation money.

“These things were set up — I don’t know why they did this because we’re talking about politicians — but they’re set up with kind of good faith in mind,” Fahrenthold said. “They had this idea that people who put this money in these PACs would use it for political purposes and not to enrich themselves.”

Listen to the full interview below:

Pulitzer Prize winning reporter David Fahrenthold joins ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Radio’s Dave Ross every Tuesday on Seattle’s Morning News. Listen to Seattle’s Morning News weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Dave's Commentary

Dave Ross on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • to ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.

Dave Ross

Image: From left, Chris Sullivan, Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien stand together in the ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradi...

MyNorthwest Staff

Dave and Colleen’s final ‘SMN:’ ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ colleagues, politicians say their goodbyes

"Seattle's Morning News" on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio will soon have a new sound. On Thursday, Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien will host their last show together after a decade of co-hosting.

7 months ago

Classical literature on bookshelves. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross as you’ve never heard him before: ‘I like fat books and I can’t deny’

"This song, inspired by one of my first interviews when I started my talk show, which was Sir Mix-A-Lot," Dave Ross said.

7 months ago

national debt...

Dave Ross

‘Don’t cut a cent:’ Dave Ross on why the national debt never gets under control

The national debt now exceeds $36 trillion, and every president says it has to be under control. And yet, it never is.

7 months ago

voters hormone...

Dave Ross

Ross: Voters weren’t just voting for change, they were voting for a hormone

The more I read the post-election analysis, the more I’m convinced voters weren’t just voting for a change – they were voting for a hormone.

8 months ago

ross o'brien - Seattle's Morning News...

Frank Sumrall

Dave Ross, Colleen O’Brien departing after co-hosting ‘Seattle’s Morning News’ for a decade

Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien, the co-hosts of "Seattle's Morning News" on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio are both leaving the show.

8 months ago

election day...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross: Election Day and Decision Day are two separate things

Tomorrow is Election Day – that’s what the calendar says. But there are two problems with the term "Election Day."

8 months ago

Fahrenthold expects congressional relief deal soon, without $1200 stimulus check