All of these corporations share the same “organizer,” Andrew Pierce, whose company serves as the registered agent and as the gatekeeper for more details about the business Trump is promoting in the final weeks of his third White House bid.
A representative at Pierce’s office in Sheridan, Wyoming, told CNN he spends most of his time at the company’s headquarters in Puerto Rico. Carol Mendelsohn, chief marketing officer for Pierce’s company, confirmed in an email that they are the registered agents for the Trump-related companies. But she said they have formed over 100,000 businesses around the world and had no direct involvement in their operations.
“To be absolutely clear, registered agents do not bear any responsibility for the actions of their clients and we will not respond to any further communication via email or phone about these companies,” she wrote.
Pierce’s father and business partner, attorney Mark Pierce, said in a telephone interview he was unaware that two of their clients were in business with the former president until contacted by CNN .
While the elder Pierce defended the rights of his clients, including the makers of Trump watches and sneakers, to keep their details private, he said the former president’s track record as a businessman should lead to caution for those interested in purchasing a product he sells.
“Before spending $100,000 on a watch, they should know who they’re buying it from,” he said.
Neither Trump’s campaign nor the Trump Organization responded to a detailed list of questions from CNN about his partnership with TheBestWatchesOnEarth, including who is behind the company, how the deal came to pass and whether he vetted the people behind his new business venture.
Attempts to reach TheBestWatchesOnEarth through its website generated an automatic reply: “Please note that we may have received a large number of requests and, may take additional time to provide you with a response.”
