Former US President Donald Trump. SCOTT MORGAN / REUTERS
“Former President Trump violated the Constitution when his companies accepted these emoluments without the consent of Congress,” denounced Democratic parliamentarians.
Former Republican President Donald Trump’s assets benefited from $7.8 million from 20 countries, including China and Saudi Arabia, when he was in the White House, in violation of the US Constitution, denounced Thursday, January 4, Democratic parliamentarians.
The Democratic Party lost control of the House of Representatives in Congress a year ago, even though a parliamentary commission was investigating possible breaches of a constitutional clause prohibiting any civil servant, minister or president from receiving “foreign emoluments” – gifts or money – from other governments without the agreement of Congress.
According to a report entitled “White House for sale”, endorsed by the only Democratic minority of this commission and revealed by the Washington Postofficials from 20 countries – China, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Democratic Republic of Congo – paid rent and bills to four properties in 2017 and 2018 among the 500 entities and companies of Donald Trump and his group Trump Organization family. “As president, Donald Trump accepted more than $7.8 million in payments from foreign states and their leaders, including some of the most disgusting regimes on the planet”castigates the report, accusing the former tenant of the White House (2017-2021) of having seen “to pass between (his) hands” part of this money.
Beijing and Riyadh among Trump’s clients
The four properties targeted are the offices and apartments of Trump Tower, an iconic skyscraper on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and hotel or residential properties in New York, Washington and Las Vegas. Chinese state-owned bank ICBC, for example, rented office space at Trump Tower and Beijing’s total spending on the former head of state’s real estate assets was $5.5 million, according to the report.
“Former President Trump violated the Constitution when his companies accepted these emoluments without the consent of Congress”, denounced the Democrats of President Joe Biden, who will probably face his Republican rival again in November. And “Saudi Arabia paid at least $615,422 in prohibited emoluments to former President Trump’s companies while he was in office”.
The 77-year-old businessman is according to polls the favorite for the Republican primaries for the American presidential election, which start on January 15. But the billionaire, criminally charged four times, faces several trials this year. He and his sons Donald Jr and Eric are currently on civil trial in New York on charges of financial fraud by the Trump Organization.