AN AMERICAN TALE
The Trump Aide Bankrupted by a Single Illness
How Dan Scavino, who rose from Trump golf course caddy to White House social-media guru, and his wife were forced to declare bankruptcy over her chronic disease.
BRANDY ZADROZNY
ERIN GLORIA RYAN
06.23.17 2:15 AM ET
Before he was Donald Trump’s White House social-media coordinator, Dan Scavino lived with his wife, Jennifer, in a 2,900-square-foot colonial-style home on a winding residential street in Hopewell Junction, New York. The couple’s half-million-dollar dream home had four bedrooms, central air, and a yard plenty big for two sons and two Portuguese water dogs to play in. A Mercedes Benz GL550 and a leased Toyota Avalon sat in their three-car driveway.
The Scavinos were an aspirational archetype of American success. Dan had risen from a lowly caddy at one of Trump’s golf courses to an executive in Trump’s golfing empire, all before he hit 40. He had his own business, Scavino & Associates, that operated from their home. But, despite their good fortune, like many American families the Scavinos were one illness away from economic catastrophe. Their 2015 bankruptcy filing, retrieved by The Daily Beast, tells another quintessentially American story.
Jennifer Scavino has suffered from chronic Lyme disease for over a decade (Dan has tweeted frequently about his wife’s condition, and, for the last two years, been a vocal advocate for Lyme disease awareness and research). In 2014 and 2015, Dan quit working to care for her, and the only income the family was earning was from Jennifer’s disability benefits, plus Social Security payments for the children. They racked up tens of thousands of dollars in credit-card debt and medical bills. Even with a $48,000 loan from her parents, the financial stress of the house, cars, and raising their sons was too much. On July 31, 2015, the Scavinos filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-trump-aide-bankrupted-by-a-single-illness?via=newsletter&source=Weekend
DO SOMETHING!
| 