Trump’s New Spokesperson Was Paid for Articles Praising the Fraudster

late last monthDonald Trump has appointed Caroline Levitt as his next press secretary, making her the youngest secretary ever to do so. That’s a big step. Just two years ago, after a failed congressional campaign, Levitt put his name on a series of right-wing publications praising the fugitive Chinese tycoon who was convicted of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from his fans. anti-communist movement.

Leavitt’s article closely mirrored the themes, talking points, and even specific language prepared for her by supporters of exiled Chinese businessman Guo Wengui, as journalist Walker Bragman and I reported last year. I have since confirmed that the Guo alliance paid Leavitt for these comments.

Leavitt’s article contains no disclosure to readers that Guo’s loyalists helped her write the article, which is the main subject of the article. That omission appears to have resulted in one outlet. town hallLast year, shortly after I asked about the website, I removed two of Leavitt’s comments. “This column has been removed because it violates Townhall’s comment submission guidelines,” the outlet said in an editor’s note, where Leavitt’s piece had previously appeared.

Leavitt told me he wrote the article himself last year. She did not deny that Guo’s colleagues paid her to publish the article. “I will not comment on any of my clients or business relationships,” she said at the time.

When I contacted Leavitt recently, she did not answer additional questions or dispute my reporting. But in a text message she said she hadn’t read any of my articles from last year. mother jones And like the more than 70 million Americans who just voted for President Trump, I don’t pay attention to your leftist propaganda.”

Leavitt, the first Trump administration aide to run unsuccessfully for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, is stepping into a position previously held by public officials with more robust resumes, some with backgrounds in serious journalism. But President Trump’s recent choice of Leavitt, who said he was prepared to stand up to a “hostile media,” suggests he prefers messengers who engage in performative battles with reporters.

In America Guo Perhaps best known for its fundraising by Steve Bannon. A few years ago, he made a fortune as a real estate developer in China. He fled the country in 2014 to avoid criminal charges and settled in a Manhattan penthouse. Since 2017, he has identified himself as a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party. He posted videos filled with mostly unsubstantiated claims about Chinese government corruption that gained him a large following in the Chinese diaspora. After partnering with Bannon that year, Guo started Chinese-language news outlets, nonprofits, and other organizations. He has used these groups to promote himself, spread disinformation about COVID-19 and other topics, and, in 2020, push false claims aimed at helping Trump get re-elected.

Mr. Guo has long been dogged by claims that his anti-Communist rhetoric concealed work being done on behalf of China’s intelligence services, which he has denied. In 2020, Mr. Guo faced further trouble when federal agents began investigating complaints that he had defrauded investors who funded financial ventures he promoted as part of an effort to counter the influence of the Chinese Communist Party. I did it.

By early 2023, Guo’s legal troubles were mounting. He was held in contempt of court by a New York state judge, filed for bankruptcy, and saw many of his assets frozen by federal authorities.

Guo’s supporters responded with a publicity push from right-wing media. They paid broadcasters for the opportunity to promote Guo on their shows. Guo’s supporters have also worked to bolster Guo’s image and plant stories attacking his enemies on conservative websites. In addition to Leavitt, Guo’s backers recruited Gavin Wax, head of the New York Young Republicans club. far-right pundit Matt Palumbo; Natalie Winters, who was on Bannon’s streaming show staff at the time.war roomWe churn out articles on his behalf.

As Bragman writes for OptOut Media important context “Representatives working on Guo’s behalf will recruit writers to be named in opinion articles praising him and his efforts,” the publication first reported last year. Bragman reports that these professionals “can receive pre-prepared drafts and prompts to edit.” The articles, published in various conservative media outlets, echoed Guo’s routine claims that all of his critics, including judges, journalists, lawyers and former supporters who accuse him of fraud, are working for the Chinese Communist Party.

Last year, I obtained a document prepared by Guo supporters containing a list of messages and points for the proposed article. Four of Leavitt’s articles repeated claims or expressions presented in these prompts. (See chart below.)

One of the prompts suggested an article alleging that three men frequently criticized by Guo, who often goes by the name “Miles,” were Chinese agents. The article indicated by the prompt should claim, “These three Chinese Communist Party billionaires, or white gloves, are the main source of illicit funds for the Chinese Communist Party’s unrestricted war abroad, including the Chinese Communist Party’s overriding goal of eliminating mileage.” .

In March 2023 town hall In the article, Leavitt claims that the three men, whom he also described as “white gloves,” are “the main source of illicit funds for the Chinese Communist Party’s unrestricted war abroad, including the Chinese Communist Party’s overriding goal of eliminating key freedom fighters in China.” I did it. , Miles Guo.”

Leavitt’s work was puzzling to Guo. She called him an “incredibly influential Chinese dissident” and “a renowned critic of the Chinese Communist Party.” The article also reflected very specific complaints that Guo frequently made. on March 14th headline usa Leavitt wrote about the computer hacking of the law firm that represented Guo in his 2017 asylum bid. The article tracked the claims in the lawsuit Guo filed against the company and called the little-known case “a shocking reminder of how long authoritarian regimes will go to silence dissent and suppress free speech.” .

credit billing Articles written in part by someone else are not that uncommon in online commentary. Senators do that. But Levitt used material provided by people working on the subjects of her articles, and she kept that arrangement hidden.

“The lack of disclosure is the most problematic aspect,” Deborah Weber-Wulf, a media ethics professor at the University of Berlin, said in an email.

“It stinks,” Weber-Wulff added.

Leavitt’s article praising Guo was published shortly before his arrest on fraud charges on March 15, 2023. Prosecutors said Mr. Guo stole investments from people he believed would use the funds as part of an effort to oust the Chinese Communist Party. Instead, he spent it on items including a $25 million mansion, a $1 million chandelier, $978,000 rugs, a $3.5 million Ferrari, and two mattresses worth $36,000.

A Manhattan jury found Guo guilty in July 2024 of nine counts, including racketeering conspiracy and securities fraud. According to the ruling, Mr Guo’s claim to be ‘China’s leading freedom fighter’ was part of a large-scale fraud.

When asked if she had stood by the cheerleaders for Guo, Leavitt did not respond.