Remember Donald Trump’s announcement of his presidential campaign? Yes, the speech with the comments about Mexicans. At the time, Trump was dogged by reports that he had hired paid extras to serve as the crowd in the Trump Tower lobby at the event. where he remarked that “There’s never been a crowd like this,” even with just a few hundred people there. It picked up quickly, with reporters spotting career actors posing “in character” on social media and The Hollywood Reporter getting the casting notice sent out by Extra Mile, an agency that provides extras. The Trump campaign vociferously denied that any of this was true. On Friday, a few hours before the inauguration, more proof serviced in an amazing bit of timing.

The Hollywood Reporter has obtained documents from an FEC action where Gotham Government Relations, which was retained by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., admitted to hiring Extra Mile. Also on Friday, Rachel Maddow noted on her MSNBC show (embedded above) that Gotham claimed it retained Extra Mile for administrative services. That’s…not what they do. From their “How We Work” page:

Extra Mile is an ideal resource for casting directors and producers looking to book background actors in feature films, television, commercials, music videos, industrials, promotional videos and print jobs. Our talent consists of professional union and non-union actors, ranging in age and ethnicity to fulfill any and all casting requests. We keep our talent’s schedules at our fingertips in a comprehensive database that allows us to tell you exactly who is available on the day you need to book. At your request, we can send you a daily list of our available talent. Our database also includes detailed lists of the props and wardrobe that each talent possesses. This system, supported by a professional and experienced staff, is ideal for expediting the casting process while maintaining control of the quality of the actors.

In other words, yes, we can be pretty certain that the crowd at the new president’s campaign announcement was paid to be there.

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