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- On Wednesday, the Internet stumbled upon what looked like the White House selling decorative coins commemorating the US' coronavirus response for the price of $100 each, promising to "donate" the proceeds.
- Almost immediately, thousands of angry tweeters accused the White House of profiting off the deadly coronavirus crisis, including Sen. Bernie Sanders.
- But the supposed "White House Gift Shop" coins aren't made by the White House at all, but by a private, for-profit company that has no connection at all to the federal government.
- Talking Points Memo found in 2018 that the White House Gift Shop was initially created in 1946 and run by the Secret Service Uniformed Division Benefit Fund.
- When the fund shut down in 2013, it transferred ownership of the shop to Gianni Strategic Enterprises, a private company incorporated in Pennsylvania and not affiliated with the White House.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
On Wednesday, much of the Internet stumbled upon what looked like the White House selling decorative coins commemorating the US' coronavirus response for the price of $100 each.
A website called whitehousegiftshop.com is currently selling two commemorative coins celebrating "everyday heroes" on the White House coronavirus task force and promising to donate the proceeds to "five major COVID-19 research hospitals."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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See Also:
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- Officials in Wisconsin found that least 36 people who tested positive for COVID-19 voted in-person during the April 7 election
- Michael Bloomberg offered to pay former campaign staffers' health insurance, after he was accused of breaking a promise to keep them employed through November
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