Yesterday Paul Manafort, the former campaign head for President Trump, was indicted for tax laundering, among many other things. The court document detailed a bunch of illegal actions Manafort has allegedly taken over the last few years.
One such tidbit included information about an apartment he owns in Manhattan. Though Manafort claimed to banks that it was owner occupied, the indictment alleges that he permanently rented it out on platforms like Airbnb.
The anti-Airbnb coalition Share Better, which advocates for stricter enforcement of illegal hotels, saw a clear opening to broadcast its message. Since the Manafort revelations went live, Share Better has flooded its social streams with posts about Manafort. Here are some examples:
#Manafort yet another example of wealthy @Airbnb commercial operators breaking laws, stripping cities of housing. https://t.co/t9u64tXeao
— Share Better (@Share_Better) October 30, 2017
.@Airbnb – time to come clean! What’d they know about #PaulManafort illegal listing; when did they know it? https://t.co/t9u64tXeao
— Share Better (@Share_Better) October 30, 2017
Share Better has reportedly been promoting these posts too.
an anti-airbnb lobby is using the manafort story in promoted tweets. Its like a russian nesting doll of irony https://t.co/NIxoIqOZty
— Greg Ferenstein (@ferenstein) October 31, 2017
The group has also sent press releases to reporters.
Everyone’s got an angle. From anti-Airbnb group Share Better. pic.twitter.com/5axY0laM0s
— Erin Durkin (@erinmdurkin) October 30, 2017
I suppose it’s a rare opportunity when a talking point can be so clearly illustrated, so Share Better struck while the iron was hot. The question remains: Will Airbnb respond?
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