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1.83 MB
Extraction Summary
7
People
7
Organizations
7
Locations
2
Events
2
Relationships
4
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
News article / web printout (the real deal)
File Size:
1.83 MB
Summary
This document is page 4 of a 10-page printout from a 'The Real Deal' article dated June 26, 2019. It details allegations against developer Robert Matthews regarding the Palm House EB-5 visa fraud scheme. The text highlights how Matthews used his wife's acting career and his access to Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago charity events to impress Chinese immigration agents and investors. It also discusses the demographics of Palm Beach and the specific unemployment designations used to qualify for EB-5 funding.
People (7)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Robert Matthews | Developer |
Developer of Palm House project accused of misleading investors; touted connections to Trump and his wife's acting ca...
|
| Mia Matthews | Actress/Singer |
Wife of Robert Matthews; star of 'Every Witch Way' and 'South Beach'; used in investment pitches.
|
| Donald Trump | Former President / Property Owner |
Met EB-5 immigration agents from China at a Mar-a-Lago charity event arranged by Matthews.
|
| Michael Gibson | Expert/Commentator |
Quoted regarding the EB-5 industry, comparing it to toxic industries like tobacco or opioids. Affiliated with USADVIS...
|
| Litowitz | Commentator/Source |
Quoted regarding the deception of investors in China.
|
| Tony Bennett | Mentioned in Header |
Name appears in document header keywords.
|
| Clintons | Mentioned in Header |
Name appears in document header keywords.
|
Organizations (7)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| South Florida Real Estate News |
Publication source.
|
|
| USADVISORS.ORG |
Organization associated with Michael Gibson.
|
|
| Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity |
State agency that approved the Palm House project designation in 2012.
|
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| Palm House |
Real estate development project subject to the article.
|
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| Nickelodeon |
Network airing Mia Matthews' show.
|
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| CW |
Network airing Mia Matthews' show.
|
|
| Palm Beach County Court |
Venue where complaint was filed by EB-5 investors.
|
Timeline (2 events)
2012
Unspecified (Pre-2019)
Mar-a-Lago charity event
Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach
Locations (7)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Location of the Palm House project and Mar-a-Lago.
|
|
|
Club where Matthews took Chinese agents to meet Trump.
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Origin country of the EB-5 investors/agents.
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New York development mentioned for comparison regarding EB-5 usage.
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Location of Hudson Yards.
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|
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Location of Matthews' past dealings.
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Location of Matthews' past dealings.
|
Relationships (2)
Matthews touted his wife Mia Matthews’ success
Matthews took agents to Mar-a-Lago explicitly to meet Trump to show off connections.
Key Quotes (4)
"This is not unlike any other industry that can produce a toxic product like the opioid industry or the tobacco industry. There is a powerful interest involved."Source
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Quote #1
"The whole thing has to do with corralling desperate people in China, who believe that Americans wouldn’t lie to them out right"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029523.jpg
Quote #2
"Matthews touted his wife Mia Matthews’ success as an actress"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029523.jpg
Quote #3
"he would take EB-5 immigration agents from China to a Mar-a-Lago charity event to meet Trump and take picture with him"Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029523.jpg
Quote #4
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,094 characters)
Palm House Robert Matthews EB-5 Clintons Trump Tony Bennett https://therealdeal.com/miami/issues_articles/lost-paradise-at-th...
SOUTH FLORIDA REAL ESTATE NEWS
SUBSCRIBE MY ACCOUNT
investors generally function as individual lenders on those projects, but they rarely have a way to collect money if the project fails.
“This is not unlike any other industry that can produce a toxic product like the opioid industry or the tobacco industry. There is a powerful interest involved.”
MICHAEL GIBSON, USADVISORS.ORG
MICHAEL GIBSON, USADVISORS.ORG
“The whole thing has to do with corralling desperate people in China, who believe that Americans wouldn’t lie to them out right,” Litowitz said.
And while the program was designed to create jobs in rural and distressed regions known as “targeted employment areas,” communities like Palm Beach — a top destination for wealthy retirees with a median household income of more than $110,000 — somehow met the same criteria.
Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity approved the Palm House project for such a designation in 2012 because Palm Beach had an unemployment rate of 18.5 percent, above “the qualifying rate of 13.4 percent for that time period,” according to the state agency. Other EB-5 projects, including Hudson Yards in New York, the largest private real estate development in the country, were also able to take advantage of similar demographics.
Without mentioning his past dealings in Connecticut or in Nantucket, Matthews touted his wife Mia Matthews’ success as an actress, singer and star of the Nickelodeon show “Every Witch Way” and CW’s “South Beach,” which lasted all of one season. To further show off his connections and status in Palm Beach, he would take EB-5 immigration agents from China to a Mar-a-Lago charity event to meet Trump and take picture with him, according to a complaint filed by EB-5 investors in Palm Beach County Court.
The developer’s investment pitch also failed to mention that it was actually his second time acquiring the Palm House. And there was no mention of the fact that
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6/26/19, 11:57 AM
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029523
6/26/19, 11:57 AM
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029523
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