Trump tapped a man accused of pocketing money for victims of East Palestine train derailment to help plan inauguration

Patrick Lee , the deputy director public liaison for the inaugural committee, was on the board of a charity accused by the Ohio attorney general of pocketing money it claimed to be collecting for victims of the train derailment in East Palestine , Ohio .

The Ohio Clean Water Fund managed to raise over $141,000 in less than five weeks , according to a preliminary injunction and the terms of a June 2023 settlement with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost .

A lawyer representing Lee said the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing by Lee or the charity.

Patrick Lee has worked in national and state politics for years , including with the Republican National Committee .

Lee 's duties as deputy director of public liaison for Trump ’s inaugural committee were not clear.

Lee was not the only political operative involved with the alleged “sham charity” Ohio Clean Water Fund founder Mike Peppel worked for U.S. Rep. Mike Rulli .