Trump Organization sends $151,470 in foreign profits to Treasury
The Trump Organization has transferred $151,470 in profits earned from foreign governments to the U.S. Treasury, a company executive said on Friday.
George Sorial, the Trump Organization’s executive vice president and chief compliance counsel, said the donation made good on the company’s promise to return any profits earned from foreign governments during President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Although not a legal requirement, this voluntary donation fulfills our pledge to donate profits from foreign government patronage at our hotels and similar business during President Trump’s term in office,” Sorial said in a written statement.
He called the transfer an “annual” donation to taxpayers. The money represents profits from foreign governments patronizing Trump Organization hotels and businesses between Jan. 20, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2017, Sorial wrote.
The Trump International Hotel in Washington, just a few blocks from the White House, has been a frequent host to foreign guests. Lobbying records show the hotel took in about $270,000 in payments tied to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2016 and 2017. In February 2017, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the U.S. booked the hotel for a gala to celebrate the anniversary of his country’s independence from British rule.
Congressional Democrats and watchdog groups have sued Trump, claiming violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which was designed to prevent corruption by foreign influence. Lawyers for the plaintiffs in Blumenthal v. Trump, a case brought by 196 House and Senate members, said the money transfer doesn’t change anything.
“Even if the Trump Organization donated every cent it received from foreign governments, and there’s abundant reason to question whether it has, it wouldn’t solve the constitutional violation,” said Brianne Gorod, a lawyer with the Constitutional Accountability Center, which is representing lawmakers in the case. “The Foreign Emoluments Clause broadly prohibits the president from accepting any benefits from foreign governments without first obtaining congressional consent. Here as in so many areas, President Trump may want to create his own rules, but he can’t.”
Trump handed over management of his company’s day-to-day operations to his sons Donald Jr. and Eric before taking office last year.