Melania Trump has pilloried “dream killers” in the media for creating a false narrative about her initiatives aimed at helping children.
“Despite my actions, the press continues to publish inaccurate, misleading, and outright incorrect articles about my work. The media has created a narrative whereby I am trying to act in an illegal or unethical manner,” the former First Lady said in a statement on Friday.
Tickets to a “Tulips and Topiaries” high tea fundraising event, slated for April in Naples, are being sold by Melania Trump, with profits ostensibly to be channelled into the “Fostering the Future” initiative – part of her "Be Best" public-awareness campaign, The New York Times reported on 12 February.
“Be Best”, promoted by the wife of the ex-President, focuses on well-being for youth and advocating against cyber-bullying. The “Fostering the Future” initiative is intended to provide computer-science scholarships to young people ageing out pf the foster care system.
The outlet claimed that V.I.P. packages to the April event cost $50,000, adding that the ex-FLOTUS sought to “monetise” her ties to Donald Trump.
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While questioning how much of the profits Melania Trump intended to “pocket”, the outlet stated that Florida requires any charity raising contributions in the state to register. As no charity with the name “Fostering the Future” or “Be Best” was registered in Florida, added the publication, state officials were cited as saying that the Consumer Services Division was conducting a probe into the fundraiser to see if it involved “an entity operating in violation of Chapter 496, Florida Statutes.”
After The Times report, the ex-FLOTUS tweeted that “everything has been done lawfully, & all documents are in the works.”
“That portrayal is simply untrue and adversely affects the children I hope to support. Those who attack my initiatives and create the appearance of impropriety are quite literally dream killers. They have cancelled the hopes and dreams of children by trying to cancel me,” fumed Melania Trump on Friday.
The statement went on to say that Gen Justice, an award-winning, charitable organisation "fighting to mend the broken child protection system through nonpartisan policy changes and a pro bono Children’s Law Clinic" was the recipient of the funds, and was "compliant with Florida State registration requirements for 501(c)(3) entities."
Furthermore, Melania Trump deplored the fact that her mission "to support children" was being impeded by politics. Thus, as a glaring example, she cited a recent “politically motivated decision” taken by an Oklahoma computer science school that was supposed to receive scholarships from her Fostering the Future initiative.
“I had signed the Designated Fund Agreement and was waiting for the countersignature when the school informed me it would no longer participate. They would not accept scholarship dollars for deserving students—even as an anonymous gift. It was made clear to me that the school’s Board of Directors organized a politically motivated decision,” she added.
Melania Trump emphasised that supporting children “is not, and should never be, part of a political agenda."
Earlier in the week, a person from the Office Of Melania Trump was cited by the daily Caller as saying the story in The New York Times about the high tea fundraising event was “inaccurate”.
“Mrs. Trump is still an honorary guest at the ‘Tulips and Topiaries’ high tea event… Mrs. Trump does not have a Be Best foundation or a Fostering the Future foundation. Donations will go to a 501c3 that already exists, which helps foster care children. The NYT story is inaccurate. Mrs. Trump is not under an investigation.”