It appears that Donald Trump may have attempted his own "pay for play" scheme back in 2006, but this one is very different from the false allegations thrown at Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.
What type of play does this one involve? Something very decidedly non-presidential. Prostitution. To be exact, Trump allegedly offered Drake $10,000 to spend the night with him. And something tells me this night wasn't going to involve playing board games and watching movies on the sofa. Oh, and he was married at this time. To Melania. Who he flat out called a liar just the other night at the Al Smith dinner.
The Hill reports that Drake accused Trump of two things: kissing her without permission a decade ago as well as offering to pay her for a night of company. Kissing without permission we have heard but actually soliciting for sex is a new one. Yikes.
Drake held a fiery press conference with her attorney, Gloria Allred, during which she explained that these events happened at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe in 2006. Here is what she says happened:
"Ten years ago, I was working for Wicked Pictures, an adult film company, at a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe. I was at Wicked's booth when I met Donald Trump in the celebrity gift room early in the morning before he teed off. He flirted with me and invited me to walk along the golf course with him, which I did. During that time, he asked me for my phone number, which I gave to him. Later that evening, he invited me to his room. I said I didn't feel right going alone, so two other women came with me."
"In the penthouse suite, I met Donald again. When we entered the room, he grabbed each of us tightly in a hug and kissed each one of us without asking permission. He was wearing pajamas. A bodyguard was also present. He asked me about details on my job as an adult film star — about shooting porn, and he also asked us about our personal relationships and whether we were married or single. We answered his questions. It felt like an interview. About 30 or 45 minutes later, we left his room."
Drake says she returned to her room and received a phone call from an unnamed man on Trump's behalf.
"He said Donald wanted me to come back upstairs to Donald's suite. I indicated I did not wish to return. Then Donald called. He asked me to return to his suite and have dinner with him. He also invited me to a party; I declined. Donald then asked me, 'What do you want? How much?' I told him that I couldn't because I had to return to L.A. for work. I said that as an excuse because I didn't want him to continue asking me, and I didn't want to be with him. After that, I received another call from either Donald, or a male calling on his behalf, offering me $10,000. I declined again and once more gave, as an excuse, that I had to return to Los Angeles for work. I was then told Mr. Trump would allow me to use his private jet only if I accepted his private invitation."
"I did relay my experiences immediately afterwards to some friends. Out of respect to the other parties involved and their families, I will not share their names, I am choosing to share my personal exchange in light of the recently released tapes in order to lend my voice, my strength and my support to the other women who are coming forward. Collectively, his words and his actions are a huge testament to his character, that of uncontrollable entitlement, misogyny and a sexual assault apologist. This is not acceptable behavior for anyone, much less a presidential candidate. I realize that in the situation I may be but a tiny grain of sand, but clearly this is an enormous speech. I am not looking for monetary compensation. I do not need additional fame or the type of attention that this is sure to bring. I understand that I may be called a liar or an opportunist, but I will risk that in order to stand in solidarity with women who share similar accounts that span many, many years."
Trump's campaign denied Drake's allegations on Saturday, calling her story totally false and ridiculous, calling it "just another attempt by the Clinton campaign to defame a candidate who just today is number one in three different polls."
Earlier Saturday, Trump vowed to sue every single one of his accusers: "All of these liars will be sued after the election is over."
Drake's attorney, Gloria Allred warned that Drake has "warned" Trump that if he chooses to follow through in his threat from earlier today to sue his accusers, they will gladly sue him back. This will allow all of his victims to depose him, which is not something Trump would want to subject himself to. Anything he admits to under oath would be disastrous and the line of women that have come forward already will surely get longer.
