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It\\u2019s not uncommon for commentary about former president Trump\\u2019s spending habits to be met with raised eyebrows and stifled chuckles; soundbites about golf resorts and hotel empires induce a special kind of side-eye when they pop in and out of the news. But beyond anecdotes, most Americans probably don\\u2019t know the colossal extent of Trump\\u2019s spending. How bad was it?

Bad, argued Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Cay Johnston. According to Johnston, Trump\\u2019s self-beneficial money machine started churning less than 40 minutes after taking the oath of office and didn\\u2019t slow down during his four years of presidency. Johnston\\u2019s new book, The Big Cheat, layed out the flow of money in and out of hundreds of Trump\\u2019s enterprises. He chronicled the conflicts of interest, the favors, and the entanglement of actions that benefited only the Trump family \\u2014 but came at a great cost to the American people and jeopardized our national security.

David Cay Johnston\\xa0is a journalist, author, and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting. He has been called \\u201cOne of America\\u2019s most important journalists\\u201d by\\xa0The Washington Monthly,\\xa0and he has acted as an uncredited source of documents and insight for major campaign reports by\\xa0The Washington Post,\\xa0The New York Times,\\xa0Bloomberg, and network television. He has chronicled Donald Trump\\u2019s conduct in two other books:\\xa0Temples of Chance\\xa0and the\\xa0New York Times\\xa0bestseller\\xa0The Making of Donald Trump.

Sarah Reyneveld\\xa0is an attorney, community advocate, union member, and parent. Sarah currently serves as a Managing Assistant Attorney General (AAG) in the Washington Attorney\\xa0General\\u2019s\\xa0Office\\u2019s (AGO) Environmental Protection Division and previously served as an AAG representing the Department of Labor and Industries for nine years. Sarah is a proud 15-year state employee who feels blessed to have worked at the AGO, Washington State Governor\\u2019s Office, Washington State Senate, and the University of Washington. She received a BA from Smith College, MPA from UW Evans School, and law degree from UW Law School. In 2016, she received the inaugural Evans School Young Alumni Award for her distinguished public service.

Buy the Book: The Big Cheat: How Donald Trump Fleeced America and Enriched Himself and His Family (Hardcover)\\xa0from Third Place Books

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