Getty Bruce Moskowitz, Ike Perlmutter and Marc Sherman have never served in government positions before, yet have been shaping the new VA initiative for Trump through their Mar-a-Lago affiliations.
Bruce Moskowitz, Ike Perlmutter and Marc Sherman are three men who have never served in the U.S. government and have reportedly been shaping the new health initiative for the VA.
Via a report by ProRepublica, these men have slowly formed an “informal council that is exerting sweeping influence on the VA,” and they’ve gained this power by frequenting Trump’s private club, Mar-a-Lago, and spending time with the President while he has visited.
Here’s what you need to know about the “Mar-a-lago crowd.”
1. Bruce Moskowitz Sent Peter O’Rourke an Email With Input on the VA Initiative
Per ProRepublica’s report, 70-year-old Moskowitz, whose true profession is as a Palm Beach doctor that helps “wealthy people obtain high-service ‘concierge’ medical care,” emailed the chief of staff for the Department of Veteran Affairs, Peter O’Rourke, with “input” on the initiative.
In response, O’Rourke reportedly emailed back, “Received…I will begin a project plan and develop a timeline for action.”
Though Moskowitz (along with Perlmutter and Sherman) has denied any wrongdoing via a PR consultant, ProRepublica maintains via “hundreds of documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and interviews with former administration officials” that Moskowitz, Perlmutter and Sherman had daily contact with VA officials.
2. Perlmutter & Trump Regularly ‘Talk on the Phone’ & Dine Together at Mar-a-Lago
Ike Perlmutter, the 75-year-old chairman and former CEO of Marvel Entertainment, is reportedly one of Trump’s closest confidantes, especially regarding the VA initiative. One former official told ProRepublica, “On any veterans issue, the first person the president calls is Ike.”
Perlmutter is allegedly the ringleader of the trifecta of men, having enlisted the assistance of Moskowitz and Sherman after Trump tapped him for help as an “outside advisor.”
3. Perlmutter Tapped Moskowitz for His Medical Connections & Sherman for His Legal Know-How
Pro-Republica reported that Perlmutter tapped Moskowitz to be an advisor for the VA initiative because of his medical background. Moskowitz’s career is founded upon his specialized ability to find the world’s top doctor for any ailment and set up an appointment with a client. He also allegedly has connection at the country’s top medical centers.
As for Sherman, he has no medical, healthcare, or veteran-related background whatsoever. But ProRepublica reported that he does have experience in eight industries, as well as an extensive legal background related to financial fraud and damages disputes.
According to ProRepublica, the Mar-a-Lago crowd “bombarded VA officials with demands”, and even acted like “board members pounding a CEO to turn around a struggling company.” Officials often flew to Mar-a-Lago to reportedly meet with them. One former official told ProRepublica, “Everyone has to go down [to Mar-a-Lago] and kiss the ring.”
4. Marc Sherman’s Involvement Is Less Known, Though He Contributed to a Joint Statement With Perlmutter & Moskowitz
.@Marvel Entertainment chief Ike Perlmutter revealed as secret Veteran Affairs advisor (report) t.co/27LbT1A6rU
It’s less clear how involved Sherman was, beyond helping Perlmutter establish a “board” to determine policies and execution for the VA initiative. However, he did partake in a joint statement with Perlmutter and Moskowitz that insisted their work was that of “volunteers.” The statement read,
At all times, we offered our help and advice on a voluntary basis, seeking nothing at all in return. While we were always willing to share our thoughts, we did not make or implement any type of policy, possess any authority over agency decisions, or direct government officials to take any actions… To the extent anyone thought our role was anything other than that, we don’t believe it was the result of anything we said or did.”
The statement continued, “These were the types of stories of agency dysfunction and individual suffering that drove us to offer our volunteer experience in the first place — veterans who had been left behind by their government. These individual cases helped raise broader issues for government officials in a position to make changes, sometimes leading to assistance for one veteran, sometimes to broader reforms within the system.”
5. The White House Has Made No Comments on the Pro-Republica Reports of the ‘Mar-a-Lago Crowd’
Stmt from @SenatorHassan: “I urge Secretary Wilkie to disregard the input of the ‘Mar-a-Lago Crowd…”
As of August 8, Trump has yet to comment directly, on the report by Pro-Republica. However, there have been indirect responses. For example, VA spokesman Curt Cashour told ProRepublica, a “broad range of input from individuals both inside and outside VA has helped us immensely over the last year and a half.”
Similarly, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said, “[Perlmutter, Sherman and Moskowitz] have no direct influence over the Department of Veterans Affairs.”