NOT A DON DEAL
‘Your licence will be revoked’, Donald Trump warned not to attend Miami Grand Prix over $250,000 fundraiser
The fundraiser was reportedly set up by a Florida golf club
DONALD Trump's plans to hold a fundraiser at this weekend's Miami Grand Prix have been shut down by organisers, and the former President has been warned not to attend the event.
Tickets for the fundraiser for Trump would reportedly have cost $250,000.
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There are six months to go until the US election between President Biden and former President Trump.
And the Washington Post reports that a cease and desist letter has been sent to Trump's friend, Steven Witkoff, who purchased a suite at the Grand Prix for the purposes of operating the fundraiser.
The letter states that Republican Presidential candidate Trump violated terms of the suite agreement by planning to raise money for a federal election.
"It has come to our attention that you may be using your Paddock Club Rooftop Suite for a political purpose, namely raising money for a federal election at $250,000 per ticket, which clearly violates the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix suite license agreement," the letter read.
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"If this is true, we regret to inform you that your suite license will be revoked, you will not be allowed to attend the race at any time, and we will refund you in full."
The fundraiser was reportedly set up by a Florida golf club which is owned by Witkoff's real estate company, with club members recently receiving an invitation to the fundraiser.
It didn't mention Trump by name, but is understood to have been for the Republican candidate.
Real estate developer Witkoff told the Washington Post, "this is something fake, for sure," but declined to comment any further.
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It is also reported that the secret service has reached out to race officials to coordinate Trump's attendance at the event.
Since leaving the White House early in 2021, Trump has lived in south Florida.
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In broader terms, an appearance from Trump would obviously have created a lot of interest and possibly real headaches for race organisers.
The last time that the 77-year-old attended an auto racing event was the Daytona 500 in 2020.
He served as grand marshal for the race, which took place a month before much of the United States shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is the third year that the Miami Grand Prix has been staged, with the first edition in 2022.
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The race takes place at a purpose-built temporary circuit in the Miami Gardens part of the city.
It is built around the Hard Rock Stadium, which is the home of the NFL team, the Miami Dolphins.
There was an attendance of 270,000 over the weekend of last year's Grand Prix in Miami.
The race provides a major boost to the local economy, believed to be in the region of $350 million.
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It is the first of three Formula One races in the United States this year.
There will be races in the fall in Austin, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada.