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Omarosa releases new tape claiming Lara Trump offered her campaign position as 'hush money'

Lara Trump, who can be heard making a job offer to Omarosa in the recordings, called the secret tape a 'fraud'

Chris Riotta
New York
Thursday 16 August 2018 21:59 BST
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Omarosa Newman releases tape of Lara Trump offering her $15K-a-month campaign job

Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman's has released another audio tape she claims shows that Donald Trump's campaign was trying to keep her silent after being fired by the White House - by offering her a job.

The president’s former adviser has been promoting her new book, Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House. In the recording which Ms Manigault-Newman said was recorded in December 2017, campaign advisor Lara Trump can apparently be heard making the offer detailing how a proposed salary of $15,000 a month would be paid for entirely by donors.

"It sounds a little like, obviously, that there are some things you've got in the back pocket to pull out. Clearly, if you come on board the campaign, like, we can't have, we got to," Ms Trump appears to say on the tape, before Ms Manigault Newman interjects and says "Oh God, no."

"Everything, everybody, positive, right?" Ms Trump continues.

However, Ms Trump — the president’s daughter-in-law who spearheads his re-election campaign — has called the recording a "fraud" in a statement attacking Ms Manigault Newman.

“When Omarosa was fired by the White House Chief of Staff in December of 2017, my entire family was concerned for her because we had no idea about the basis of her dismissal,” Ms Trump wrote. “That’s why I reached out to offer her a position with the 2020 Trump Campaign before we knew anything about the gross violations of ethics and integrity during her White House tenure.”

Though her statement also appeared to confirm Ms Manigault Newman’s claims, Ms Trump said the job offer arrived amid multiple conversations between the two women.

"Another one of Omarosa’s ‘bombshell’ tapes is a fraud. The discussions about a position with the campaign took place in numerous phone calls over the course of several weeks," she continued. "I hope it’s all worth it for you, Omarosa, because some things you just can’t put a price on."

The former White House adviser and reality TV star has released several controversial tapes while promoting the release of her new book, including one in which John Kelly can be heard firing her reportedly inside of the situation room. She later released a tape from a phone call with the president in which he appears to be entirely in the dark about her firing.

Trump claims he doesn't know about Omarosa's firing in leaked audio of purported phone call between President and former WH comms director

It remains unclear whether Ms Manigault Newman intends to release other secretly recorded tapes, though she has said she has several more in her arsenal. The former Trump aide also told multiple news outlets this week that she has spoken to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, which is investigating Russia’s impact on the 2016 election.

In the latest recording, Ms Trump explains to Ms Manigault Newman how the campaign earns all of its money for salaries through donations. Federal election laws require all campaign finances to be made public.

"All the money that we raise and that pays salaries is directly from donors, small-dollar donors for the most part. So, I know you, you were making 179 at the White House. And I think we can work something out where we keep you right along those lines," she says. "Specifically, let me see, I haven't even added up the numbers. But we were talking about, like, 15K a month. Let me see what that adds up to. Times 12. Yeah."

"So that's $180,000. Does that sound like a fair deal for you?" Ms apprently Trump asks.

The White House and Mr Trump’s 2020 campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

On Thursday, the president tweeted a video collage of moments showing Ms Manigault Newman praising the president, along with the caption, "Thank you for the kinds words Omarosa!"

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