Trump adviser cancels veterans’ ball, citing ‘security reasons’ — but money was an issue, too

Organizers of a glitzy inaugural ball for military veterans canceled the event late Wednesday, citing “security reasons and events beyond our control,” according to its website. But what led to the unraveling of the Veterans Making America Great Again gala, which was slated for Friday night, is a bit murkier.

The soiree was being put together by Florida businessman Luis Quinonez, a member of President-elect Donald Trump’s Hispanic Advisory Council. Quinonez’s name had been mentioned as a top candidate for the post of veterans affairs secretary, though he ultimately withdrew his name, citing health problems. (According to the Military Times, Quinonez had also been in a legal dispute over child-support payments that could have clouded his confirmation process.)

A source with knowledge of how the ball fell apart says financial issues were its downfall.

Via email, Quinonez admitted that paying for the ball became a last-minute issue, but he maintained that a problem with an unspecified “security requirement” was the real reason the event was canceled.

Quinonez said that his group, the Hispanic Veterans of America, had given a deposit to the Marriott Marquis, where the event was to take place. The hotel, he wrote, then “demanded cashier check in half an hour.” He wrote that the group put the transaction on hold but had “arranged for a wire transfer when we were told security requirements weren’t met.”

It’s unclear who told the group that and what “security requirements” they meant. Pressed for details, Quinonez declined to elaborate.

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