Earth Science News
DEMOCRACY
Foreign govts paid Trump firms millions while president: report
Foreign govts paid Trump firms millions while president: report
by AFP Staff Writers
New York (AFP) Jan 5, 2024

Former US president Donald Trump's businesses received at least $7.8 million from foreign governments including China during his time in the White House, a congressional report claimed Thursday.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, India, Turkey and Democratic Republic of Congo were among some 20 countries' representatives who paid money to Trump's hotel and real estate businesses during his presidency, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee wrote in their report.

The authors said that such revenues from overseas governments violated a constitutional ban on "foreign emoluments."

"As President, Donald Trump accepted more than $7.8 million in payments from foreign states and their leaders, including some of the world's most unsavory regimes," said the report titled "White House for Sale."

"We know about only some of the payments that passed into former President Trump's hands during just two years of his presidency from just 20 of the more than 190 nations in the world through just four of his more than 500 businesses."

- 'Prohibited emoluments' -

Regarding China, the report alleged that Beijing as well as businesses including ICBC bank and Hainan Airlines spent $5.5 million at Trump-owned properties.

"Former President Trump violated the Constitution when the businesses he owned accepted these emoluments paid by (Beijing) without the consent of Congress," the report said.

The authors say that the full amount could be higher as the $5.5 million figure is based only on limited disclosures from Trump's accountants Mazars and filings with the American financial regulator, the SEC.

In one expenditure dated August 27, 2017, a Chinese embassy delegation spent $19,391 at the Trump International Hotel in Washington.

The report also claims that "Saudi Arabia paid at least $615,422 in prohibited emoluments to former President Trump's businesses over the course of his term in office from just (the Trump World Tower) and the March 2018 stay at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC."

"Former President Trump has also boasted about the continued willingness of the Saudis to do business on terms highly favorable to him," the report stated.

Trump's Washington hotel was sold in 2022 to a private investor group and rebranded under the luxury Waldorf Astoria line.

The frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Trump separately faces a civil fraud trial in New York over claims that his real estate businesses fraudulently inflated the value of their assets.

He is to go on trial in Washington in March for conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and in Florida in May on charges of mishandling top secret government documents.

The twice-impeached former president also faces racketeering charges in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to upend the election results in the southern state after his 2020 defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

Asked about the report at a regular press conference, China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: "I don't have any information on that.

"I advise relevant US politicians not to attack China at every turn."

burs-je/dhw

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DEMOCRACY
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty to national security crimes
Hong Kong (AFP) Jan 2, 2024
Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty Tuesday to "sedition" and "collusion" charges in a high-profile national security trial that could see him jailed for life. The charges against Lai - founder of the now-shuttered popular Chinese-language tabloid Apple Daily - revolve around the newspaper's publications, which supported pro-democracy protests and criticised Beijing's leadership. The 76-year-old is accused of two counts of colluding with foreign forces by calling for i ... read more

DEMOCRACY
Israeli arts school battles for normality in wartime

'Helpless': Japan earthquake shatters New Year calm

Hundreds cut off after Japan quake that killed 78

Race against time after deadly Japan quake

DEMOCRACY
GESTRA space radar successfully enters final test phase

Mighty MURI brings the heat to test new longwave infrared radiometer

ESA Partners with GMV for Advanced Greek Space Debris Tracking Radar

Polar bear fur-inspired fibers offer exceptional thermal insulation, tested in a sweater

DEMOCRACY
Groundwater is vital to the health of our planet: A call for greater protection

Bottled water contains hundreds of thousands of plastic bits: study

Breakthrough in hydrate-based desalination technique unveiled

In coastal communities, sea level rise may leave some isolated

DEMOCRACY
As the Arctic warms, its waters are emitting carbon

Antarctic octopus DNA reveals ice sheet collapse closer than thought

Third Pole's expanding glacial lakes pose greater flood risks, research reveals

Russia's isolation takes toll on Arctic climate science

DEMOCRACY
High-nutritional crops needed in Africa as population increases

Jordan's mission to save its ancient olive trees

Beef farming that keeps cattle on lifelong grass diets may have higher carbon footprint

Deep Sand Technology and GEODNET Foundation Collaborate to Enhance Precision Agriculture in Rural North America

DEMOCRACY
Rescuers evacuate five from flooded Slovenian cave

Japan sharply revises down quake missing; 6.7 quake rocks southern Philippines

Japan quake death toll jumps to 161, 103 missing: authorities

Still standing: unique houses survive quake in Japan village

DEMOCRACY
Tuareg separatists reject 'inter-Malian' peace dialogue

Niger regime admits 'civilian victims' after air assault

DR Congo's Tshisekedi wins second term in landslide victory

Chad military leaders appoint former opponent PM

DEMOCRACY
Study reveals dietary adaptation of large herbivores to human impact in Anthropocene

North America's first people may have arrived by sea ice highway

To counter effect of facial biases in legal system, researchers suggest new training

Smoking shrinks brain, says study linking cigarettes to Alzheimer's, dementia

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.