Bannon earned more than half a million dollars from entities tied to GOP donors

White House disclosures give more insight into holdings of Trump family and top aides.

By JOSH GERSTEIN and DARREN SAMUELSOHN
03/31/17 05:27 PM EDT
Updated 03/31/17 09:35 PM EDT


Steve Bannon reported a stake worth between $5 million and $25 million in his eponymous consulting company, Bannon Strategic Advisors, Inc. | AP Photo


Steve Bannon, a top adviser to President Donald Trump, earned more than half a million dollars last year from entities linked to a pair of major conservative donors, according to documents released by the White House detailing the personal finances of its officials.

Bannon reported an ownership stake of $1 million or more in a data-crunching firm that did work for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during the presidential race. He also took in $191,000 in consulting fees in 2016 as executive chairman of the conservative media website Breitbart News, which sided with Trump during the Republican primary.


Cambridge, which rocketed onto the political scene during the 2016 GOP primaries, is funded by two prominent conservative political donors, Robert and Rebekah Mercer. They backed the Cruz early on, but eventually swung their allegiance to Trump.

Cambridge also later worked for Trump, and now it is seeking out government contracts. Bannon’s disclosure form said that he has “an agreement in principle” to sell his stake in Cambridge.

Bannon also reported income from the Government Accountability Institute and the film production company Glittering Steel, both of which are linked to the Mercers, who also are part owners of Breitbart.

The details about Bannon's income and investments appeared in a slew of standard government forms the White House released Friday night. They included financial details about the holdings of President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, both of whose families are deeply involved in the real estate business.

Kushner resigned from positions with 266 different entities in order to assume his post as senior adviser to Trump, a senior administration official told reporters Friday. Ivanka recently assumed an official adviser post, so hasn't filed a disclosure yet, but her husband's form also includes her assets.


White House staff financial disclosures: A deeper dive into the forms

By POLITICO STAFF

Others with lengthy disclosure reports released Friday include officials coming from high-powered roles in the world of finance, such as National Economic Council Chair Gary Cohn, a former president of Goldman Sachs.

Administration officials said the disclosure process had been time-consuming and complex because of the significant financial holdings of many of Trump's appointees. The forms being made public on request cover White House staff making more than $161,755 a year, as well as anyone who's a commissioned officer — essentially people who hold a title like assistant or special assistant to the president, officials said.

Trump's own form is not among those being released, officials said. He filed the form twice as a candidate, in July 2015 and May 2016.

He's not required by law to file again until May 2018, but aides said they've not decided whether he may file an update this year.

Here are highlights from the newly-disclosed financial reports:

Steve Bannon
Trump's chief strategist, both on the campaign and at the White House, also reported a stake worth between $5 million and $25 million in his eponymous consulting company, Bannon Strategic Advisors, Inc.

Earlier this month, Breitbart's CEO told a Senate press credentialing panel that Bannon resigned on or about Nov. 13. However, his disclosure form says he left on Aug. 16.

Bill McGinley
Trump’s Cabinet secretary and deputy assistant left his partnership at the Jones Day law firm — making $1.5 million — to join the White House, according to his financial disclosure form. He also listed legal services prior to joining the administration for both the Trump and Chris Christie presidential campaigns, as well as the GOP’s House and Senate congressional campaign committees.

Julia Hahn
Trump’s deputy policy strategist worked at the far-right Breitbart News Network as a senior investigative reporter from July 2015 until she joined the administration in January. At Breitbart, where Bannon was executive chairman, Hahn commanded a salary of nearly $120,000. She had previously worked for Laura Ingraham’s radio program as an executive producer. She owns a small interest (less than 0.83 percent) in Cherrywood Partnership, a residential rental firm in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

John Eisenberg
The top lawyer at the National Security Council made more than $1 million a year in salary and bonuses before leaving his job at Kirkland & Ellis. Among his clients: Boeing, BP America, GM, Honeywell International and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He also still earns between $15,000 and $50,000 a year on a Pasadena, California, rental property. Eisenberg, a former Bush-era Justice Department official, was named earlier this week by The Washington Post as one of three White House staffers who handled intelligence files that were shared with House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).

Thomas Bossert
Bossert, Trump's homeland security adviser, left his job at Civil Defense Solutions where he had worked since 2009 and was making $161,396. He's also consulted for Obsidian Analysis Inc., The Cadmus Group Inc., and Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications.

Peter Navarro:
Peter Navarro, director of the newly-created National Trade Council, made $240,000 in his previous job as a professor of economics and public policy at the University of California-Irvine. He also earned extra income of $10,500 for delivering a keynote speech to the Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America on Nov. 15, 2016. He pocketed another $10,000 last year on the paid speaking circuit, addressing the Captive Insurance Companies Association.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...losures-236765