JAKARTA - Two New York State citizens have been charged with illegally using US$600,000 of funds from investors from China and Singapore, or around Rp. 8,988,900,000 for President Donald Trump's 2017 re-election campaign.
The scheme is part of Sherry Li and Lianbo Wang's efforts to demonstrate political ties as they seek funds to build a Chinese theme park in upstate New York, prosecutors said, adding that they raised an investment of $27 million or around IDR 404.500.500.000, but never finished the project.
Li called the park "China's Disneyland," according to a complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn.
Prosecutors said Li and Wang made contributions on their own behalf to the committee that held a fundraiser for Trump on June 28, 2017. The funds came from 12 foreign donors who had each been charged $93,000 to attend the event with them.
US campaign finance laws prohibit foreigners from contributing to political candidates, or soliciting donations. But there's nothing to block foreign nationals from attending fundraisers, said Washington attorney Kenneth Gross, an expert on election law.
Li and Wang, both originally from China but naturalized US citizens, were arrested on Long Island on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, as well as wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
Separately, Wang's lawyer declined to comment. However, a lawyer for Li did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, a spokesman and Trump attorney, who was not accused of wrongdoing, did not respond to a request for comment.
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Li and Wang used photos taken at a June 2017 event, when Li smiled with Trump and first lady Melania Trump to solicit investment for an amusement park project, prosecutors said.
In addition, Li also used Chinese citizen funds to make donations to other committees that allowed him to attend campaign events in October 2017, including dinner with Trump.
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