To the editor: Investigative journalist David Cay Johnston’s op-ed article, “Following Trump’s money exposes the awful truth: Our president is a ‘financial vampire,’” nicely brought together the disparate fraudulent business practices of our president. The common theme is he’s crooked, of course. As an attorney, I dealt with people who just couldn’t do something honestly even if it was in their best interest to do so. Fraud is just what they do.

I’m likely more conservative than Johnston. As a former Republican voter turned independent, I think I understand Trump voters well and why many don’t care about the president’s glaring faults and obvious unsuitability for the office. Liberals have ignored much of middle-class white America. Trump panders to these people, and to pander to people, you have to at least pay attention to them.

Trump’s voters feel they have a choice between politicians who ignore or even resent them, or a pandering crook who pays attention to them. At least he’s our crook, they might say, so they vote for Trump — and yes, they would still do so if he shot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue.

If Trump’s opponents want to use the president’s fraud to remove him from office, they should at the same time indicate concern for his voters and the issues they care about.


Kurt Osenbaugh, Pasadena

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To the editor: Investigative journalists may best serve the public by following not only Trump’s money, but what appears to be the truth within the Trump con.

The president brings a certain genius to his position, evidenced by his ability to channel public resources to those who already have plenty. The recent tax cut may be the most glaring example.


Trump routinely diverts the public’s attention to marginal job increases and a relatively booming stock market and away from the corporate stock buy-backs inflating this market. He also ignores the national debt and the government’s inability to help finance our way out of the next recession.

The revelations about the Trump family’s finances reveal where and how he likely acquired this skill. It wasn’t at Wharton.

Gary Bock, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Here we have a case where an apple does not fall far from the tree.

In this case, a rotten apple (Donald Trump) fell not fair from the rotten tree (Fred Trump, who gave his son much of his wealth), and the rotten apple hatched more rotten apples (the people in his administration and other appointees).

No wonder our precious country and democracy are teetering on the brink. I am worried for our children and future generations.

Apparently, the Republican Party does not give enough thought to the future. As Trump would say, “Sad!”


Adam Mekler, Pasadena

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To the editor: The recent revelation about the origins of Trump’s wealth and the various unseemly tax schemes he used to grow and protect his money prove that the president was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.

Mike Reardon, Fallbrook


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To the editor: Johnston concludes with credible documented information that Trump’s finances have been considered corrupt for decades. Do tax and other financial laws not apply to Trump, or was he simply so successful and obfuscating the truth?

No matter how Trump got away with this, why isn’t there an investigation of the president’s tax dodging that captures the public’s attentions as much as Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation battle?

Bunny Landis, Oceanside


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