Gov. on ‘Apprentice’; Trump later donates
Billionaire Donald Trump gave $10,000 to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to help pay off his campaign debts, a little more than a month after the governor guest-starred on Trump’s TV show “The Apprentice: Los Angeles,” campaign filings show.
In an episode that aired March 18, Schwarzenegger hosted five of the show’s contestants in his private conference room at the state Capitol.
The governor denies any link between the donation and the TV appearance, but at least one watchdog group is skeptical.
“He’s clearly using his personal friendships and his celebrity to pay off his campaign debt, and that’s just wrong,” said Jamie Court, president of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights.
Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Julie Soderlund said the April 20 donation was not connected to the governor’s appearance on the NBC prime-time show. She added that the taping took place earlier in the year.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
