Li ‘Cindy’ Yang has drawn scrutiny for a business that offered access to President Trump at Trump properties and her activities with a pro-China group.
Mar-a-Lago is seen before President-elect Donald Trump walks out to his motorcade in Palm Beach, Fla., on Nov. 27, 2016.
Yang has not been accused of any wrongdoing. She was not named in connection with the sting last month at the Orchids of Asia day spa in Jupiter, Fla., which her attorney said she sold six years ago. It is not clear whether she successfully arranged for any visitors to attend events with the president or if she charged for the service.
“At this time, the evidence indicates that our client has been falsely accused in a manner that she may never recover from,” he said. “Her name, her reputation and her honor have been destroyed. Cindy Yang seems to be another casualty, as a supporter of our president.” Yang has been a fixture at black-tie galas at Mar-a-Lago, at Trump’s golf course in Jupiter, Fla., and at other GOP events in the state since Trump took office in 2017, local GOP activists said. That year, federal records show, Yang made her first political donation: $37,000 to Trump Victory, the committee that raises money for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee.
Michael Barnett, chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party, said that Yang’s business of trying to sell access to Trump is hard to figure out, because anyone can buy a ticket to any of the fundraisers at Mar-a-Lago without having to know someone with connections. Kraft was charged in connection with the sprawling anti-trafficking investigation involving a string of day spas. Kraft has denied the charges, and Yang has not been implicated.Some experts on Chinese influence noted Yang’s apparent roles in two Florida-based organizations they say are linked to China’s ruling Communist Party’s efforts to promote its interests abroad and quash dissident views.
A representative for the council’s office in China could not confirm whether it has any contacts or an office in Florida. There is relatively light screening of guests at Mar-a-Lago, according to two former senior administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss security matters. Though it is private and available primarily to dues-paying members, it is also a social hub in Palm Beach and frequently a venue for GOP events.
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