House Democrats said Wednesday that the General Services Administration told them Donald Trump would breach his Washington D.C. hotel lease "the moment he takes office" unless he fully divests his interests in it.
Trump's luxury hotel in the Old Post Office building officially opened earlier this year. A provision of the lease with the GSA states that "No ... elected official of the Government of the United States ... shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom."
Democratic Reps. Elijah Cummings, Peter DeFazio, Gerald Connolly and Andre Carson said in a statement that their offices received a briefing from the GSA's deputy commissioner after requesting more information from the agency on Trump's hotel.
"The deputy commissioner made clear that Mr. Trump must divest himself not only of managerial control, but of all ownership interest, as well," they said, adding that the GSA told them that the Trump Organization has not been in contact about the hotel.
The hotel is just one among many potential conflicts posed by Trump's global business holdings when he takes office. A government ethics agency has called on Trump to divest from his business and establish a qualified blind trust, though the president-elect has rightfully noted that he is exempt from a criminal conflict of interest statute.
Trump's current plan to have two of his children run his businesses along with executives does not qualify as a blind trust, experts have said.
The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether he plans to divest from the hotel.
— NBC News contributed to this report
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