Mike Blake/Reuters
A charity auction for a coffee date with Ivanka Trump has been quietly removed from the Internet, apparently canceled amid mounting criticism. Bidding had reached nearly $70,000 when the event disappeared on Friday. The auction’s prize was advertised as a 35-40 minute coffee date with a starting price tag of $8,000 on CharityBuzz.com. Yet, after the New York Times quoted ethics lawyers questioning whether the event would be a conflict of interest given Ivanka’s participation in the transition process, the event was wiped from the website. The Times report revealed some problematic bidders, including one investment manager who wanted information on Trump's plans for countries where he invests. Eric Trump, whose foundation said it would donate the funds from the auction to terminally ill kids at the St. Jude Research Hospital, said Thursday he was considering canceling the event. Yet both he and Trump’s team have yet to comment on the auction’s disappearance, and no explanation has been provided on CharityBuzz.com.