Federal prosecutors scrutinizing hefty donation to Trump's inaugural committee

Real estate mogul Franklin Haney contributed $1 million to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee and all he's got to show for the money is the glare of a federal investigation. The contribution from Haney came as he was seeking regulatory approval and financial support from the government for his long-shot bid to acquire the mothballed Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in Alabama.

The donation is being scrutinized by federal prosecutors in New York investigating the inaugural committee's finances. His tale is a familiar one in Washington, where lobbyists and wealthy donors use their chequebooks to try to sway politicians. It's a world that Haney is familiar with and one that Trump came into office pledging to upend. Yet Trump has left in place many familiar ways to wield influence.