#public-integrity-project

Only 16% of Americans Think a UFC Fight at the White House Is Appropriate — It's Costing $60 Million, Trump Bought the Stock, and They're Selling $12,000 Coins with His Face

A Reuters/Ipsos poll finds only 16% of Americans think Trump's UFC cage match at the White House is appropriate — 46% say it's inappropriate, and only 31% of Republicans support it. The event costs $60 million, requires 494 port-a-potties, a 90-foot lighting rig called "The Claw," and 5,000 seats on the South Lawn. TKO expects to lose $30 million. Trump bought $15,000-$50,000 in TKO stock before promoting the event — the stock rose 8.86% after the announcement. The Trump Organization is selling commemorative coins with Trump's face for up to $11,999.99. A federal lawsuit alleges the event violates park regulations and is "deeply corrupt." The DOJ's response: "No one is holding Plaintiffs in a jiu jitsu lock." UFC — not the White House — controls press credentials. Dana White invited celebrities; most declined. Joe Rogan objected to the outdoor venue. The president turns 80 during a cage fight he's profiting from on the South Lawn of the people's house.

Jan. 6 Officers Who Were Beaten by Rioters Sue to Block $1.776B Fund That Would Pay Their Attackers

Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and DC officer Daniel Hodges — both beaten defending the Capitol on Jan. 6 — filed a federal lawsuit to block Trump's $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund." They call it an illegal slush fund to reward insurrectionists, citing the 14th Amendment's ban on paying debts incurred in aid of rebellion. The same pardoned rioters who attacked them could now be paid with taxpayer money — from a fund with no congressional authorization, no transparency, and no statutory basis.