House Democrats have alleged that former President Donald Trump received over $7.8 million from foreign governments, including the Chinese government and state-owned entities, during his tenure in the White House. This claim is based on a detailed 156-page report by the majority staff of the House Oversight Committee. The report accuses Trump of violating the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts or money from foreign states without Congressional approval.
According to Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the committee, Trump, despite his promises, continued to operate his business empire while in office, which led to his businesses receiving significant payments from various foreign governments. The report particularly highlights over $5.5 million received from the Chinese government and Chinese state-owned enterprises, among other payments from 19 different foreign governments including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia.
The Oversight Committee Democrats also presented more than 400 pages of documents, some redacted, from Mazars USA LLC, Trump’s former accounting firm. The documents suggest that Trump’s businesses, particularly hotels in Las Vegas, New York, Washington, D.C., and Trump Tower in Manhattan, benefited financially from these foreign payments. The report notes that these payments included both short-term expenses like hotel room and dining fees, as well as longer-term financial arrangements.
For instance, the report claims that the Saudi government paid over $615,000 for leasing the 45th floor of Trump Tower and for stays at the Trump International Hotel in D.C. The Indian government is also reported to have spent at least $282,764 on Trump properties.
The Trump Organization responded, pointing out that some contracts, such as the lease with the Beijing-backed bank ICBC, were signed long before Trump’s presidency. They also stated that profits from foreign patronage at their properties during Trump’s presidency were donated to the U.S. Treasury. The spokesperson for the Trump Organization criticized the Democrats for allegedly trying to deflect attention from Hunter Biden, contrasting the situations of the Trump and Biden families.
The report acknowledges that it only represents a fraction of Trump’s accounting records, with Raskin blaming Republicans for blocking access to further evidence. Chairman James Comer of the Oversight Committee, a Republican, dismissed the allegations as an obsession with Trump, while highlighting his own concerns about the Biden family’s foreign business dealings.
In addition to the figures mentioned above, the Democrats also accused Trump of receiving substantial amounts from Qatar, Kuwait, and Malaysia for Trump Tower and the Trump D.C. hotel. This report comes as Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer leads an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, focusing on the Biden family’s alleged foreign business dealings.