NEW YORK — A Chicago banker accused of plying Trump fixer Paul Manafort with $16 million in loan offers in hope of getting a high-level government job couldn’t even get “The Mooch” to mooch a dinner from him.
Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci — a Trump aide who lasted 11 days as White House Communications Director — testified Tuesday at the Manhattan Federal Court bribery trial of Chicago banker Stephen Calk, 54, that he didn’t take Calk seriously as a job candidate.
Scaramucci — who after the 2016 election worked on Trump’s transition team — blew off Calk’s phone calls.
“Any chance I can take you to dinner?” Calk asked Scaramucci on Jan. 9, 2017, after flying into New York from Chicago for a meeting with the Tiger Team on Jan 10. 2017. The Tiger Team vetted candidates for jobs in Trump’s cabinet during the transition.
Calk had a wish list of Trump administration jobs — including Secretary of the Treasury and Secretary of the Army.
But Scaramucci, who was then working for the transition team, said he never took Calk seriously as a job candidate — even after Calk set his sights on a job as Under Secretary of the Army.
Scaramucci helped set up the interview for the Army job, which Calk never got. Scaramucci said he had no knowledge about the loans for for Manafort.
Once during their back-and-forth over a possible job, on Jan. 8, 2017, Calk suggested over text he was on future-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ shortlist for the under secretary of the army job.
“Did you meet with Mattis?” Scaramucci responded.
“No, I have not,” Calk said. “Is it his decision?”
Scaramucci told prosecutors in Manhattan Federal Court that the exchange was less than genuine on his part.
“I was being a little bit passive aggressive,” said Scaramucci. “A little sarcastic. I sort of knew the answer would be no, that he hadn’t met with Jim Mattis.”
Calk is charged with one count of financial institution bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit financial institution bribery.
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