They’ve done it. Finally, the Trump administration has reached its logical conclusion. The presidency that began with Alex Jones and birtherism has finally brought a brave truth teller into the deep state fold.

If you haven’t heard, Donald Trump has appointed George Mentz to the Commission on Presidential Scholars. Yes, the(Dr.jur.) George Mentz, JD, MBA, CWM ®, Counselor of Law, Licensed Attorney – USA – Academy GAFM ®.

That’s actually his bio. He’s very scholarly.

I know what you might be thinking: it’s unfair to take a weirdly beefed-up bio he used once and point to it as a sign that a man is unfit to serve on a presidential commission. I hear you. Except he uses a form of this bio everywhere: Twitter, LinkedIn, and his Amazon author page.

We’ll come back to that Amazon author page in a minute. But first let’s talk about what the Commission on Presidential Scholars actually does:

The Commission on Presidential Scholars is a group of eminent private citizens appointed by the President to select and honor the Presidential Scholars. Commissioners are selected from across the country, representing the fields of education, medicine, law, social services, business, and other professions. The Commissioners make the final selection of the 161 Presidential Scholars. The Scholars demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in academics, the arts, career and technical education and an outstanding commitment to public service.

In short, it’s a commission that awards resumé boosters. And if Mentz’s extensive bio tells us anything, he really cares about resumés. So maybe that’s why President Trump selected Mentz—he’s a subject-matter expert.

Or not. Because Mentz is also a Trump super-fan, donor, and cheerleader at Newsmax.com. We’ve gotten to this stage of the Trump presidency where the spoils spoon is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

Funnily enough, though, Trump’s selection of Mentz as a “global education pioneer” has a thin veneer of truth to it, as the Denver Post reports:

Mentz owns the Global Academy of Finance and Management, which is registered in Colorado Springs. He was previously the CEO of a similar Colorado Springs company, the American Academy of Financial Management. Both companies award certifications, allowing applicants to add an alphabet soup of titles after their names. For a fee, you can become an accredited life coach, a certified political scientist, a master Islamic financial specialist or more than a hundred other titles. Having such a certification “makes you one of the next generation of global leaders,” according to a message from Mentz on the GAFM website.

Is a Master Islamic Financial Specialist an expert on Sharia? I’d like to know, but I’m not sure I want to pay $378 to become one and find out. According to Mentz’s website, there are only two of these exalted experts in the world, and only one in the United States, so it’s an exclusive group.

(If you’re looking for a rabbit hole to go down, start Googling the folks who did pay Mentz, because it. is. wild.)

What makes Mentz interesting isn’t that he’s been accused of awarding “certifications,” but rather, his body of printed and digital work. It’s Norman Vincent Peale meets InfoWars. It’s Chicken Soup for the Conspiratorial Soul. Grab your tinfoil and let’s go for a ride through some of his greatest hits.

My favorite title is: Success Magic—The Prosperity Secret to Win with Magical Spiritual Power but its description is even better.

Want to be a BADASS with Spiritual Magic. This is your chance to learn the Secrets of the MASTERS. This book is LOADED with Secret Nuggets of Power. Read this book and you can Harness the Mindful Warrior Power needed to find purpose, happiness, relationships, and financial success. If you want to learn the basic truths to become a Spiritual and Metaphysical warrior, then you have found the secret manuscript that will get you on the path to success and power. Many of the secrets herein were found in a book by the Magus written over 100 years ago. These secrets are now available in this book of secrets. Whether you believe that magic is real or not, why not stack the cosmic cards of destiny in your favor and read this short book. You have nothing to lose. Please download today and begin your journey to empowerment.

That sounds an awful lot like Gob Bluth. If you, like the Alliance of Magicians, demand to be taken seriously, you can start right now, for $2.99.

But enough with the magic and the illusions, let’s get to the illuminati. Professor Mentz loves this stuff.

Let’s start with The Illuminati Handbook—The Path of Illumination and Ascension. He co-authored this tome with “Magus Incognito” and it has a sizzling hook:

Before the Skull and Bones. Before the Da Vinci Code. Before Dan Brown. Hundreds of years ago, the Illuminati and Secret Lodges of Europe and the Ancient world had developed secret techniques to master the mind, body and spiritual development. This book gives the real history and delivers the REAL secrets of the Illuminati and Lodges of the old world. This manuscript is a codification of the great teachings that were used by the lodges of central Europe, the Templar Based Lodges, the Lodges of Perfection, and the Ancient French/Germanic and Scottish Scottish Lodges. Keep in mind that this book goes back to deliver summaries of Greco-Egyptian Hermetic teachings, Rosicrucian Teachings, and even techniques and virtues of the more recent Freemasons. Look at the table of contents. Buy the book. When you read the book, YOU will see there is NOTHING else out there that delivers the history, techniques, and exercises like this book provides. All the best in your journey, Kindest Regards, MI

Who is “Magus Incognito”? Probably just a pen name used to protect the safety of Mentz’s co-author. Spilling Illuminati secrets is a dangerous business.

If you think about it, it’s amazing Mentz has survived their wrath. Because he’s written a lot about the Illuminati.

Then, there’s The Illuminati Secret Laws of Money—The Wealth Mindset Manifesto: The Life Changing Magic and Habits of Spiritual Mastery which is also co-authored with Magus Incognito.

Then there’s The Law of Attraction & Prosperity Bible – The Illuminati Wealth Manifesto & Codex: The Secret Principles to Manifest Prosperity Abundance Wealth Health and Success in which Incognito/Mentz tell readers:

…this book is the VIP Codex of the Law of Attraction Prosperity and Abundance. This book is the groundbreaking summary of the secrets of wealth and success. After you have read the other beginner books, buy this and read it a few times. Your life will improve quickly if you learn and utilize these timeless strategies.

These secret laws are so powerful that you might even want to read them more than once. But that won’t be a chore; the book is only 38 pages long.

Mentz’s biggest title is called The Secret Power of the Freemasons & Templar Illuminati. It’s the culmination of 20 years of Mentz’s research, and, amazingly, is also only $2.99.

Mentz explained to the Denver Post that there’s really nothing weird about the books:

“Just because I use the word Illuminati, don’t let that get you too excited,” Mentz said with a laugh during an interview. “If you look the word up, it means ‘illumination.’ How to be more aware, conscious, a better person.” References to the “Illuminati” are part of the books’ marketing, he said.

But maybe even that view is just marketing, too? Because Mentz’s Twitter account certainly seems to think the Illuminati are more than just a buzzword.

Illuminati satanists giving out cursed rosaries… https://t.co/F3iL8abawj pic.twitter.com/gjeQKVmyLT — George Mentz JD MBA (@GeorgeMentz) September 5, 2017

FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER CLAIMS 'ILLUMINATI' REAL; RUNNING WORLD… https://t.co/P67lBx5RQZ pic.twitter.com/srrbtjzZHg — George Mentz JD MBA (@GeorgeMentz) February 12, 2018

If you think about it, it’s kind of crazy that the president of the United States is appointing a guy like George Mentz to anything, let alone a “Commission on Presidential Scholars.”

But then, it’s no crazier than a guy like Donald Trump being elected president of the United States.

This is just the world we live in now.

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Correction, November 25, 2019, 8:33 p.m.: The article originally stated that Mentz has “been accused of running what amounts to a diploma mill.” The article has been changed to reflect that Mentz’s company awards certifications, not diplomas.