In yet another tawdry scene from the unholy marriage between (right-wing)
politix and Scamworld,
billionaire huckster/Scientologist Grant Cardone and his wife
Elena are appealing to the Trumpcult to cover Trump's massive New
York civil fraud fine.
While many lauded the $354.8 million judgment
(plus approximately $100 million in interest) against
#NeverWasMyPresident Donald John Trump in his New
York civil fraud case, that development provided yet another
splendid fundraising opportunity for him and the Trumpcult. This always seems to be the case whenever Trump has a legal
setback.
Among the Trumpcult, the first out of the chute to
make the news were prominent social media
influencer/huckster/Scientologist Grant Cardone and his wife
Elena of Floriduh (that's where their primary residence is, anyway), who are passionately and earnestly boosting the phony
Trump-as-hero/martyr narrative that has snookered so many folks
into forking over to support the Mango Mussolini. (Elena C is also involved in fundraising for
election-denying loon Kari Lake.) On
February 16, 2024, just after the news about the judgment broke,
Elena started a GoFundMe page to get the rubes to pay Donny's yuuuge
fine. The fundraising goal? $355
million big ones -- though apparently Trump is on his own with
that $100 million in interest.
Never mind that Trump boasts he's a multi-billionaire, which
means that he should have no problem paying that fine as well as
other judgments against him. And never mind that the Cardones are
billionaires too, and have no business soliciting regular folks,
many of whom may be struggling to keep the lights on and food on the table, to give their hard-earned money to another alleged billionaire.
And also never mind that Trump's lawyers are, as
expected, preparing to appeal the New York judgment, which may hinge on Trump's "there were no
victims" defense. The argument
goes that the loans were paid back, and the banks were
sophisticated lenders instead of innocent rubes, and they knew
darn well what they were getting into, and they made a tidy profit, and nobody was really
hurt, and therefore all's right with the world. (Here are some reasons why that defense is bunk.)
At any rate, the appeals process could take more than a year.
More than likely Trump will use an appeal bond,
secured with his assets as collateral. This would entail Trump
putting up a percentage of the judgement, and a third-party
guarantor would be on the hook for the full amount, according to
Joshua Naftalis, a former federal prosecutor now in private
practice in New York. At the very least, Trump may be able to get
the judgment significantly reduced.
In short, there's no guarantee that every dollar of that big fine
will actually have to be paid. The point is that at the moment, nobody knows exactly how much Trump will ultimately have
to pay on the New York civil fraud case (and on other judgments
against him), or when he will have to pay it.
It's complicated, in other words.
But no scammer worth his or her salt ever let complicated reality
get in the way of a good and simple grift. What the Cardones are
doing is appealing directly to the great unwashed MAGA cult to
donate every dollar possible, which the Cordones pinky-swear will
be sent directly to the Trump Organization for the Great One's
defense of "this ridiculous judgment." And oh, does
Elena ever pour the histrionics on thick on the GoFundMe page:
My name is Elena Cardone and I am a wife of Grant Cardone, mother and an ardent supporter of American values and an advocate for justice, I stand unwaveringly with President Donald Trump in the face of what I see as unprecedented and unfair treatment by certain judicial elements in New York. The recent legal battles he faces are not just an attack on him, but an attack on the very ideals of fairness and due process that every American deserves. It's a moment that calls into question the balance of justice and the application of law, disproportionately aimed at silencing a voice that has been at the forefront of advocating for American strength, prosperity, and security.
In standing with Trump, we're upholding the cause of every business owner and entrepreneur who believes in the fight against a system that increasingly seeks to penalize dissent and curb our freedoms.
The fact that a business owner did a loan with a bank, never defaulted, nor missed a payment, pays back the loan with interest and caused no financial damage to anyone, yet, the government overreaches and slaps a business owner with a $355M ruling should terrify all business owners and entrepreneurs. Is this Government seizing assets? Seeking financial ruin?
This is more than a legal fund; it's a call to all businesses owners and entrepreneurs to rally in defense of all businesses and for man who has never hesitated to stand in defense of us.
This fundraiser, therefore, is not merely about raising the “ruling” amount. It's about making a stand. It's about showing that when one of us is targeted for championing the values that make America great, he does not stand alone. We stand with him, shoulder to shoulder, ready to support, defend, and fight back against a system that threatens to undermine the very foundations of our republic.
Now, more than ever, it's time for business owners and entrepreneurs to unite, to show our collective strength and resolve. Let's stand with Trump to ensure that justice prevails and that we continue to fight for a country that respects freedom, honors courage, and rewards the unwavering spirit of its people.
So the Cardones claim to be standing shoulder to
shoulder with Trump, fighting back "against a system that
threatens to undermine the very foundations of our
republic?" Huh. Apparently they don't seem to be at all
concerned about Trump and gang's serious and deadly threats to American
democracy -- and last time I checked,
democracy was also a pretty important foundation of our republic.
And what's this about Trump never hesitating to stand in defense
of "all business owners and entrepreneurs?" It's true
that he has been good to select business owners who were his
buddies, as well as to large corporations). But overall Trump, who has a long and infamous history of stiffing small
businesses and entrepreneurs, and whose tax cuts largely benefited huge wealthy
corporations rather than small businesses, has never actually stood, or stood up, for anyone but
Donald Trump. (Demagogic rhetoric at fascist pep rallies and
reich-wing gatherings doesn't count; talk is cheap.)
When I started writing this post, the GoFundMe had
raised more than $67,000 towards that $355M goal, and at the
moment, the tally is nearly $138,000 -- and the donations keep
pouring in. The "words of support" following the pitch
are, for the most part, sickeningly culty praises for the Lard
God Trump (with the NY AG and the judge cast as the Devils in the narrative),
but there are, fortunately, some trolls as well. One cannot troll
for free, however. You have to donate in order to be able to comment, and
some, I am happy to say, have sacrificed a few bucks for the
privilege of trolling. For instance, one woman donated $5 in
order to say this:
Hi everyone, my name is Billie N*****. I am raising funds to prove that my grift is stronger than Donald Trump's. I have set a lofty goal of $355,000,000, but with your help, we will beat Donnie's numbers and prove ONCE AGAIN, that he will never be smarter, faster, nor better than ANY FEMALE EVER! It's a GRIFT, a GRIFT, and nothing, BUT the GRIFT, so help me, GOD! Donate here at my link above, and watch as I blow right past him. After all, how hard can it be to beat him?
There were a few other $5 donors who used more
spicy language to describe the orange abomination. It's quite
entertaining, and it's almost worth sifting through the worship
and the groveling to find those kernels of truth. Even if the
trolls' money goes into the same black hole that the supporters'
cash does.
[Update, February 22, 2024:
Unfortunately, it appears that commenting has been disallowed
on the Cardones' GoFundMe page, and apparently all existing
comments have been disappeared. At least I can't find them
anymore, either on my mobile devices or my desktop computer. ~
CC]
Grifters who have each other's
scaly backs
Grant Cardone himself has
spoken up several times on Xitter about the judgment against
Trump. For example, there's this February 17, 2023 post:
Regarding Trump $355M Judgement I have bought over $5,000,000,000 of real estate in my career… Every loan requires by law the lender get an independent appraisal, including an estimate of the property’s value. My estimate of value does not & cannot make for fraud.
Sure, Grant. In response to Cardone's Xitter post, a person named Mitch had a helpful suggestion.
so lend him the money if you and your wife trust him so much. he is suppose[d] to be a billionaire. so sure he will pay you back. go fund me is for health issues, homeless and poor to middle people in wealth. obviously you don't believe he would pay you back.
Good suggestion, Mitch. In any case, Cardone's passionate defense of Trump is to be expected, since Grant and Donny apparently have quite the sleazy bromance going on. From HuffPost, July 20, 2023:
In March 2022, businessman Grant Cardone stood onstage at his annual conference at the Diplomat Beach Resort in South Florida, preparing to introduce a special guest.
“The gentleman I’m about to bring to the circle right here is massively, massively successful,” he said, his voice reverberating through a room filled with thousands of his adoring fans.
As the crowd roared and Lee Greenwood’s song “God Bless the USA” blared across the sound system, former President Donald Trump emerged from a corner of the room and strode to center stage, spotlights and smoke machines erupting around him.
Trump, smiling, fist-bumped Cardone, who seemed uncharacteristically starstruck as the former president told him, “You have a great reputation.” He added that if Cardone ever went into politics, “You would automatically have my vote. I don’t care whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, you have my complete and total endorsement.”
That endorsement has been shared by millions of fans who eagerly follow Cardone’s advice; A-list celebrities like John Travolta, Tom Brady and Kevin Hart who routinely appear at his events; and finance websites like CNBC’s Make It and Forbes that tout him as an expert.
Ah, John Travolta, a fellow Scientologist (who nonetheless has shown recent signs of disillusionment with the evil cultchurch). And Tom Brady, a fellow huckster (as observed on this Whirled back in May of 2016). Turds of a feather...
Cardone's journey from minor
scammer to major scammer (with some help from Scientology)
The key to Grant Cardone's success has been his social
media skills, which he has leveraged to sell his "training"
programs and real estate "investments" to his millions
of devoted followers. As one of the world's leading
"finfluencers" or financial influencers, he uses the
classic Scamworld come-on of flaunting his opulent, ostentatious,
celebrity-infested lifestyle while repeating the ancient
Scamworld mantra: "And you can too!" From the
HuffPost article cited above:
Cardone’s promise is simple: His fans, too, can have a slice of the high life, provided they attend his seminars to learn his sales techniques or invest money in his real estate company.
But as is always the case, sooner or later, with the and-you-can-too grifters, there have been some pesky legal problems as a result of some folks waking up and recognizing that they'd been had.
...lawsuits examined by HuffPost show that he’s been involved in a series of business disputes over the years and that people around him have been accused of fraud by federal authorities. His twin brother, Gary, who put up the seed money for Cardone’s booming real estate business, has been the target of Federal Trade Commission civil action, which alleges his company helped scammers evade credit card fraud alerts. The FTC is petitioning the court to close Gary Cardone’s business and order him to pay money to consumers impacted by his activities. (Gary Cardone did not respond to requests for comment.)
Court records from lawsuits involving Grant Cardone’s training programs include claims from former clients who say they were trapped into lengthy, inflexible contracts that they were unable to pay for or get out of.
The owner of an Ohio power-washing business claims he tried to cancel the firm’s $497-a-month contract after eight weeks but said he was unable to do so. An employee from Cardone’s training company stated they could only cancel after their contract was completely fulfilled, and the firm later sued for the remaining $16,401 of the contract. The case was settled.
Lisa Williams, the owner of Jubilee Family Chiropractic, a struggling family business in Virginia, signed up for a six-year training contract at $795 a month. A fan of Cardone, she claims she maxed out her credit cards to attend training sessions with him....
And then there's a class action lawsuit, filed
in 2020, that alleges he used his mighty social media prowess to
mislead investors with overblown promises of high returns. Natch,
Cardone has denied the allegations, accusing his accusers of
suing in order to "hold a company that is doing great things
hostage." [There's more about this class action suit in the February 23, 2024 Whirled post. ~ CC]
Cardone is also accused of infusing Scientology teachings into
his business methods. He settled a 2017 lawsuit filed by former
employees, though the terms of the settlements haven't been made
public. And although none of the settled or ongoing lawsuits have
named Scientology as a co-defendant, a rep for the cultchurch
wrote this to HuffPost:
The slanted and offensive allegations you have sent us, while mostly unsourced, from their tenor, appear to be lifted from a handful of anti-Scientology bigots who shriek at any successful Scientologist. The fact is there are many Scientologists and they are everywhere around the world. You can find them in their homes, at work and helping others in the community.”
And that, as you may know if you know
even the basics about Scamworld and cults, is a variation on the
standard reponse of both cults and scam artists to criticism: The
critics are nothing more than jealous losers who hate success.
For his part, Cardone credits his involvement with Scientology
with propelling him to new heights of success.
While Cardone’s training business empire was on the ascent, he was still intent on building something much bigger — and when he joined the Church of Scientology in the early 2000s, his path to wealth accelerated. When asked if he is still a Scientologist, Cardone did not respond. In its written response, the Church of Scientology stated: “While Mr. Cardone is undeniably a prominent parishioner, he holds no official nor unofficial position in the Church hierarchy and has no special ‘status.’”
You really should read the entire Huffpost
article (here's that link again),
because it provides the history of Grant Cardone's rise in both
Scamworld and the Church of Scientology, and it details some of
the ways he has tried to leverage his Scientology connections to
enhance his own scampire.
Teach your children well...
Unfortunately, it appears that Grant and Elena are encouraging
their fourteen-year-old daughter to carry on the scamily
tradition. The young girl has made a few headlines for her Tik-Toks where she offers tips on how to become a
millionaire before the age of twenty.
She has outlined her own plans to do just that by working for her
dad, apparently. From Unilad, January 18, 2024:
She said she works for her father, and is paid $4,000 to $5,000 a month. For doing what? Not quite sure, to be honest.
This hefty monthly sum then goes straight into real estate, and according to her own calculations, each year that money is doubled and tripled and will allow her to reach $1 million in the next six years.
Fortunately, not a whole lot of folks seem to be taking her seriously.
Rather than thank you messages for the pseudo financial wisdom, social media users were quick to dispute her method.
Many remarked that most teenagers don’t have access to jobs that merit $60,000 a year.
Others added that they also don’t have a luxury of being able to put all of their money into investments, with their hard earned cash more likely ending up in the pockets of landlords, utility companies, coffee chains, etc.
But apparently the youngster is learning from
the best, so she may very well have a great grifting career ahead
of her.
For now, her shameless parents are waving the Trump banner
proudly, profiting from their promotion of Trump's hero/martyr
mythology.
Another Scamworld parallel:
Kevin Trudeau's ongoing grift
If you have been following this blog for any length of time, you
very likely saw this bit coming a mile away. This is the part
where once again, as I have done so many times before, I compare
Donald Trump's hero/martyr shtick to that of serial scammer and
convicted felon Kevin Trudeau, aka KT, aka
Katie on this Whirled. (Katie, by the way, has been a devoted Trumpster for years, as have many of his followers.)
Like Trump, Trudeau has built an entire fundraising scampire
around the lie that he is not just fighting for himself, but for
each and every one of us, and that when "they" (the
government, law enforcement, etc.) come for him, they
are coming for us too. Like Trump, he is the mighty
warrior who is standing between us and "them." And just like Trump, Kevin Trudeau has an army of
sycophantic proxies who spread his message and endlessly
fund-raise for him. People are still
giving thousands of dollars a month to Kevin Trudeau, a known
fraud, because he appeals to some of their basest emotions and
because they believe his slick lies that he is looking out for
them.
As I often like to say, Donald Trump is Kevin Trudeau, writ
large, and conversely, Kevin Trudeau is Donald Trump, writ
smaller. Again, turds of a feather...
By the way, Kevin has something in common with
Grant Cardone (I mean besides Trumplove, and being an inveterate grifter who
brags about his successful lifestyle): an abiding love for Scientology,
which, like Cardone, he has infused in various ways into his
businesses. Not only did he foist Scientology and Dianetics on his employees in the
past, but just recently (January 29, 2024), his "Official Fan Club" page highlighted Speaking
From Experience, a business book by Scientology founder L.
Ron Hubbard, as "the 1st book that Kevin Trudeau has all new
staff read." As well, he borrowed heavily from Scientology indoctrination
techniques to advance his mega-scam GIN (the Global Information Network).
While we're on the topic of Scientology, there
have been some eyebrow-raising Trump-Scientology connections, as noted by The Daily Beast in the July 2020
article linked to in this sentence. And the Cardones aren't the
only wealthy Scientologists who luv Trump; there's also another
Florida Scientologist named Trish Duggan, who donated many
millions of bucks to the Trump campaign in 2020, as well as in
2024 (though she and her fellow donors haven't been able to keep Trump's Save America Super PAC
from running out of money). But
Trump/Scientology is another rabbit hole, which you're welcome to
explore to your heart's content. I don't want to get too far off topic.
And lest you think that I'm beginning to sound like one of the
conspiranoid loons I'm always snarking about, I am not suggesting
that there is some tightly woven conspiracy or collusion
involving Trump/Trudeau/Scientology/the Cardones et al. I'm
simply pointing out connections and common threads. For now,
though, let's get back to the Cardone con, whose GFM page I just
now checked again, and it's already approaching $167,000.
Suckers!
How long can the Cardone GFM
grift go on?
Some have suggested that the Cardone GoFundMe page violates
GFM's terms of service, mentioning, for
instance, that GoFundMe has rules against raising funds to pay
criminal fines. But Trump's case is civil, not criminal, and so
far GoFundMe hasn't taken the page down.
Even so, potential donors would be wise to question the Cardones'
promises about the disposal of the funds. Until and unless the
Cardones actually get nabbed for fraud, it looks like a win-win
situation for them. As a writer on the National Zero blog put it on February
16, 2024:
In the first of what is sure to be many crowdfunding efforts to pay Donald Trump's $355 million judgment, Elena Cardone, the wife of wealth fund manager Grant Cardone–himself worth a reported $700 million who runs a website called 10xGrowthCon (c'mon people, the word "con" is right in the name)–wants everyday people to pay for Trump's malfeasance by setting up a site on GoFundMe.
"In standing with Trump, we're not just supporting an individual; we're upholding the cause of every patriot who believes in the fight against a system that increasingly seeks to penalize dissent and curb our freedoms," Cardone asserts defiantly. "This is more than a legal fund; it's a clarion call to all patriots to rally in defense of a man who has never hesitated to stand in defense of us." It's also a way to generate a fantastic mailing list of people who want to experience 10xGrowth.
Yes, there is that.
All of this puts me in mind of another Trump-related scam from a
few years back, We Build The Wall, in which a
few shameless Trumpsters, including the terminally repulsive
Steve Bannon, suckered the rubes out of millions of bucks to go
towards building Donnie's big Wall because the big bad government
was refusing to fund it. That scheme did turn out to be
a big fraud, with legal consequences.
As for the Cardones' GoFundMe grift, at this point, I am inclined
to agree with one of the commenters on the National Zero post I linked to above. In response to the suggestion that folks should report
the Cardone page to GFM for violation of TOS, one person wrote:
It's beautiful, but part of me does not want to interfere with the separation of fools and their money. Particularly since these monies are likely to go to GOP campaign funds if not diverted.
As for me, I'm finding it more and more
difficult to sympathize with anyone who is willingly screwed by a
grifter, whether that grifter is Grant Cardone, Kevin Trudeau, or
Donald Trump.
The takeaway, once again: Caveat emptor.
And if you want to save democracy in America, vote blue.
PS added on February 18, 2024: I checked the Cardones' GoFundMe grift page, and the donations now total more than $306,000.00. Granted, that's a long way from $355 million, but still. One of the people I follow on Xitter, Brian Kassenstein, posted about the grift page yesterday, writing:
A billionaire, Grant Cardone's wife, is raising $355,000,000.00 for another alleged Billionaire, via GoFundMe, because the one billionaire was found to have committed FRAUD.
So far hundreds of non-billionaires have donated money to the billionaire, who committed fraud, in order to help that billionaire pay off his fine, of which would indirectly go to the taxpayers of New York.
I'd rather light my money on fire. At least I'd get a few seconds of entertainment..
I'm just waiting for it to be shut down because it appears to violate Gofundme's rules.I'm surprised these people have money left after all the NFTs and gold Trump coins they have purchased over the years.
Since the page remains up and running, I'm
thinking that it will be allowed to stay up and running, most
likely because it doesn't violate GFM's rules. Here is
the link to GFM's terms of service,
which may or may not be helpful to you if you're trying to figure
out whether or not the Cardones' grift actually violates those
terms.
Just for grins I copied and pasted the top 99 donations at the
time, eliminating last names. I wonder how many of these folks
who donated hundreds or thousands of dollars to help Trump are
also bitching about how horrible the economy is under Biden, or are griping because food and gasoline prices are still too high. You
can buy a lot of food and gas for $2,500. Just saying.
1. Aaron J. $5,000
2. Anonymous $2,500
3. Anonymous $2,000
4. Anonymous $2,000
5. Anonymous $1,500
6. Stuart G. $1,000
7. James W. $1,000
8. James F. $1,000
9. Anonymous $1,000
10. margaret k. $1,000
11. Edward L. $1,000
12. Diana O. $1,000
13. Michael D. $1,000
14. Anonymous $1,000
15. Anonymous $1,000
16. Luke & Toni Ann R. $1,000
17. joseph p. $1,000
18. Anonymous $1,000
19. Theresa K. $1,000
20. Trey M. $1,000
21. Anonymous $500
22. Anonymous $500
23. Jeffery R. $500
24. Brook N. $500
25. Anonymous $500
26. Russell B. $500
27. Brad M. $500
28. Maria B. $500
29. Anonymous $500
30. Marie E. $500
31. Glenn S. $500
32. Anonymous $500
33. Anonymous $500
34. Scott B. $500
35. ALICE A. $500
36. William L. $500
37. Anonymous $500
38. Moon P. $500
39. Don W. $500
40. Anonymous $500
41. Anonymous $500
42. Gordon S. $500
43. Anonymous $500
44. Anonymous $500
45. Anonymous $500
46. Anonymous $500
47. Eva P. $500
48. Judy S. $500
49. Javier R. $500
50. Matthew I. $500
51. Yvette B. G. $500
52. Anonymous $500
53. Yvette G. $500
54. Anonymous $500
55. Anonymous $500
56. Anonymous $500
57. Zachary T. $500
58. Anonymous $500
59. Anonymous $500
60. Brock B. $500
61. Anonymous $500
62. Bethny H. $500
63. Joseph M. $500
64. brian N. $500
65. Anonymous $500
66. Donna I. $500
67. Richard A. $500
68. Angela G. $500
69. Anonymous $500
70. Anonymous $500
71. Jay C. $500
72. Barry C. $500
73. Lisa C. $500
74. Anonymous $400
75. Brandy M. $400
76. David B. $360
77. Terence M. $355
78. Anonymous $355
79. Erick G. $333
80. Anonymous $300
81. Anonymous $300
82. Lance L. $300
83. KEVIN F. $300
84. Anonymous $300
85. margaret k. $300
86. Sophia M. $300
87. Anonymous $300
88. Cambridge C. $300
89. Kenton A. $275
90. Anonymous $253
91. Ronald L. $250
92. Donna M. $250
93. Anonymous $250
94. Anonymous $250
95. Anonymous $250
96. Karla H. $250
97. Anonymous $250
98. T E $250
99. Anonymous $250
Update/addendum, February 22, 2024
The bucks keep coming in to the Cardones' gift page; when I
checked just now the total was approaching $975,000.00, and it's
still steadily climbing. As of a couple of days ago, the top
donation was an anonymous gift of ten grand. $975k is still a
long way from $355 million, but there's no indication that
GoFundMe has any intention of taking the page down any time soon,
and apparently there's no deadline for reaching the goal, so it
may stay up indefinitely.
Meanwhile, Elena Cardone has added a few paragraphs to her
original pity-the-poor-billionaire-business-owner screed:
Given the circumstances, my husband and I have also now decided to cancel all future events in NY and halt all our real estate ventures there. I believe NY is not safe nor a place to conduct business at this time.
Thank you to all who are showing support. We ARE standing for what’s right. We ARE being seen and heard.
My lawyers are diligently working to ensure the funds are utilized properly.
Thank you for Standing With Trump, and thank you for Standing for This Country.
This would be merely funny if not for the fact
that so many dimwits believe it. Anyone who is Standing With
Trump is, undoubtedly, Standing With Trump, but is emphatically not
Standing for This Country and is certainly not standing up for
what's right. Elena is either gaslighting, or she is willfully
blind to the grave danger Trump poses for American (and world)
democracy.
As for the Cardones boycotting New York -- wow, what a
devastating blow to a state (and city) that have already been felled by the latest stupid
MAGAtrucker boycott.
Another update, February 23, 2024:
The GoFundMe sucker fund total has now exceeded $1 million, and
Elena Cardone added an extended Update about this milestone to to
her original begging-for-bucks missive. She also took time to
assure donors that the funds are really, really, really going to
be used only as intended, i.e., "to cover fines related to
the New York civil fraud case, its appeal, and any related
expenses." Hmmm... "any related expenses" could
cover, well, just about anything.
And there's also this: "We are currently in communication
with President Donald Trump's team to ensure that he can and will
accept the funds raised. It's crucial that we navigate this
process carefully and legally, and we appreciate your patience as
we work through the details."
So, if it's determined that Trump can't or won't accept the
funds, will everyone who contributed get a refund? Elena pledges
"transparency," but I'm thinking that with hucksters,
particularly Trump-aligned hucksters, the use of the word
"transparency" could be like Vizzini's use of "inconceivable" in the movie The
Princess Bride.
This post has been updated and amended
several times since its original publication on February 17,
2024. ~CC
