At first, I thought he was a Sopranos kind of guy: standing up against anti-Italian discrimination. He told the Financial Times that he'd floated to Donald Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino that Iran (which qualified) should be replaced by Italy (which did not qualify) at this summer’s World Cup. “I’m an Italian native and it would be a dream,” the man said.
Then I learned that Trump had named him in December 2020 to the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees—and that he serves as the White House's "Special Representative for Global Partnerships" (a role that definitely entails lobbying for one’s country of birth).
But digging into it more, I found some horrifying things: According to the New York Times, he asked ICE to detain and deport his ex-girlfriend (she was indeed ultimately deported) and maintained business connections with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
He’s the epitome of the grifters and abusers ever-present in Trump’s orbit, a man as opportunistic as they come. Here’s the story of Paolo Zampolli.
—Alex Nguyen
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