Here's What To Know About A Florida Businesswoman Who Reportedly Sold Access To Donald Trump
Oh, is the drama in full swing. On Saturday, March 9, it was reported the founder of Orchids of Asia Day Spa was also running GY US Investments LLC, a business that reportedly offered its clients access to President Donald Trump and his administration. Elite Daily reached out to the White House for comment on the report, but did not hear back by the time of publication. Elite Daily also reached out to GY US Investments LLC for comment, but did not hear back at the time of publication. With that, you might be wondering: Who is Cindy Yang?
Li "Cindy" Yang, who goes by Cindy, is a businesswoman and founder of a string of Florida spas, including Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida, where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with allegedly soliciting prostitution back in February 2019, per the Miami Herald. Kraft pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the New England Patriots' representation did not previously respond to Elite Daily's request for comment on the matter. While Orchids of Asia was at the center of a FBI bust of alleged sex trafficking, per Business Insider, Yang previously sold the chain of spas years before the bust and has also denied any involvement in the scandal. Saturday's reporting revealed she also had a purported side hustle working for GY US Investments LLC, which describes itself on its now-defunct website as an “international business consulting firm that provides public relations services to assist businesses in America to establish and expand their brand image in the modern Chinese marketplace," per Mother Jones. This is where the reported Trump connection comes in.
The business also reportedly offered its clients access to Trump and his family at Mar-a-Lago. Services they offered, according to a web page that reportedly featured an image of the resort, included “the opportunity to interact with the president, the [American] Minister of Commerce and other political figures.” The company also reportedly boasted that it has “arranged taking photos with the President” and suggested that it could arrange a “White House and Capitol Hill Dinner.” Moreover, the site reportedly featured photos of Yang with Trump family members and listed upcoming events that clients could presumably attend. GY US Investments LLC did not immediately respond to Elite Daily's request for comment on the reports.
Yang has reportedly popped up at Republican political events, per photos from her apparent Facebook page, which feature her with the likes of Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Yang also made headlines a day earlier on March 8, when a photo emerged of her (a selfie of her with the president, no less) apparently celebrating the Super Bowl with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Feb. 3, according to the Miami Herald. The White House did not immediately respond to Elite Daily's request for comment on the photo. According to Mother Jones, the day the Miami Herald report released, Yang's GY US Investments LLC website stopped functioning. However, you can still see an archived version of the website here. GY US Investments LLC did not immediately respond to Elite Daily's request for comment on the website being taken down.
Not only was Yang's Facebook filled with photos of the two together, but Mother Jones reports that Yang had a photo on the website of her and Trump that featured his signature. In September 2018, she also reportedly received a personalized note from Trump that read, per the Miami Herald:
Thank you for your friendship and dedication to our cause. Leaders like you in Florida are the key to fulfilling our bold agenda to Make America Great Again!
However, Yang told the Herald that she only volunteers for campaign events and doesn't know the president all that well. "I just come to some events. There’s nothing special," Yang explained. The publication also reported that Yang apparently claimed online she was a member of Mar-a-Lago, but told the paper that she was in fact not a member.
While the prospect of selling access to the sitting POTUS might seem extra unsavory due to Yang's old day spa's recent entanglement with an FBI bust of alleged sex trafficking, the question of how much access Yang has to the president is of far more concern. Daniel Schulman, senior editor at the Washington D.C. bureau of Mother Jones, pointed to a ProPublica article from March 6, claiming that Mar-a-Lago members reportedly have a the president's ear. The report claimed that Albert Hazzouri, a Pennsylvania dentist, sent President Trump a letter with suggestions to cut spending and a request for a meeting that was reportedly fast-tracked to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for consideration, seemingly thanks to his connection to Trump and Mar-a-Lago. Elite Daily reached out to the White House for comment on the letter, whether it was sent to the VA, and whether the suggested meeting took place, but did not hear back at the time of publication.
Since it appears Yang also has a reportedly higher than normal level of access to Trump and his administration, I'd keep your eyes peeled for any future events these two might hang out at.
