Trump Ally Who Introduced President To Melania Denies Calling Ice To Deport An Ex

Paolo Zampolli, nan man who has agelong been credited arsenic introducing then-New York City nightlife fixture Donald Trump to future first woman Melania, routinely touts his connections to nan president connected social media.

So erstwhile nan erstwhile modeling agent-turned-government charismatic learned his Brazilian ex-girlfriend had been arrested successful Miami past year, he allegedly called a apical charismatic astatine Immigration and Customs Enforcement to guarantee she would beryllium placed successful national custody.

According to The New York Times, Zampolli reached retired to David Venturella, a erstwhile seasoned of backstage situation patient Geo Group who is now a high-ranking ICE charismatic overseeing migration detention centers, arsenic good arsenic Corey Lewandowski, a adjacent Trump state moving arsenic a top advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Zampolli, who was reportedly engaged successful a ineligible conflict pinch Amanda Ungaro complete nan custody of their teenage son, has denied asking ICE to detain her aliases for immoderate different favors from nan administration. A spokesperson for Homeland Security said “any proposal that she was arrested and removed for governmental reasons aliases favors is FALSE.”

It remains unclear whether his efforts worked, though Zampolli’s ex was moved into ICE custody and deported soon aft his alleged telephone to Venturella, according to The Times.

But nan alleged relationship — citing records and group acquainted pinch nan petition — appears to show really Trump’s well-connected friends tin effort to usage his management for score-settling and governmental favors.

The Independent has requested remark from nan White House.

A spokesperson for Melania Trump told The Independent she “has nary knowledge of, nor engagement in, nan individual affairs of Mr. Zampoli and Ms. Ungaro.”

“Furthermore, Mrs. Trump has had nary interaction aliases engagement pinch U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” nan spokesperson said.

Zampolli and Trump person some shared nan communicative astir nan president’s preamble to Melania astatine a Manhattan nightclub 1998, erstwhile she was a exemplary recruited by Zampolli from her location state Slovenia. He sponsored her migration though an H-1B visa astatine nan time.

His connections to New York’s modeling segment person besides put him successful adjacent relationship pinch Jeffrey Epstein, and Zampolli’s sanction appears respective times successful nan monolithic tranche of documents released by nan Department of Justice successful relationship pinch criminal investigations into nan precocious activity offender.

“Be careful, Zampoli is trouble. Lots,” Epstein wrote successful a 2011 email, according to nan files. “He sells stories to nan press.”

In an question and reply pinch The Times, Zampolli denied having a important narration pinch Epstein, noting that his sanction appears acold less times than different high-profile figures whose names person been scrutinized successful nan aftermath of nan Epstein files’ release.

“At slightest I was included, because if you’re not connected nan list, you’re a loser, right?” he told nan newspaper.

Zampolli, a longtime friend of nan president, has been rewarded pinch governmental appointments successful some his administrations.

Last year, Trump appointed Zampolli arsenic a “United States Special Representative for Global Partnerships,” and Zampolli was named to nan Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees successful 2020.

In his latest role, Zampolli has defended Russia’s reentry into world sports competitions, and he brought a miniature type of Arturo Di Modica’s Wall Street Charging Bull sculpture to nan World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland, successful January.

The White House likewise came nether scrutiny past twelvemonth pursuing the apprehension of Bruna Ferreira, nan mother of property caput Karoline Leavitt’s nephew.

That incident, which placed nan family of a cardinal charismatic successful nan Trump management wrong nan president’s wide deportation efforts, besides raised questions astir whether group pinch adjacent connections to nan White House turned to ICE to get progressive pinch a family matter.

Ferreira, who has besides been engaged successful a custody conflict pinch her son’s father, was arrested successful November and remained successful ICE detention for astir a month.