House Democrats Uncover Unreported Foreign Gifts to Trump Family Worth $300K
House Democrats have released a report detailing the Trump family’s failure to disclose more than 100 gifts worth nearly $300,000 that they received from foreign governments during the former president’s presidency.[0] The report, a result of a year-long investigation by the House Oversight Committee, reveals that 16 gifts from Saudi Arabia worth over $48,000, 17 gifts from India worth over $17,000 and at least five gifts from China were not disclosed while in office.[1]
The Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, which prohibits federal officials from retaining any gift from foreign governments more than the “minimal value” of $415, requires that information about foreign gifts be publicly disclosed.[2] However, the report notes that the Trump White House failed to provide a list of foreign gifts given to the president and his family for the 2020 report, and “internal White House records obtained by the Committee indicate that the listings provided by the White House to the Office of the Chief of Protocol failed to include all the foreign gifts received by former President Trump and the First Family not only in 2020, but throughout the Trump Administration.”[3]
Notably, the report also raised issues involving a domestic gift.[3] It cited an email exchange in which the Trump White House’s top ethics lawyer expressed concerns that a Mac Pro computer from Cook, which was valued at $5,999, had been intended as a gift to the U.S. government, not Trump.[3] Trump later listed the computer among the gifts he kept after leaving office, as well as a $6,400 gold-pendant necklace he received on a trip to Saudi Arabia.[4]
Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) suggested that the presents given to President Trump might be a breach of the Constitution's emoluments clause which prevents the president from receiving payments from foreign governments. Nevertheless, there was no proof that the gifts had any influence on Trump's foreign policy decisions.[5]
The report additionally expresses worries as to whether gifts that went unrecorded might have been exploited by foreign governments to sway U.S. policy stances towards those nations.[1] On Friday, Raskin sent a letter to the State Department asking for documents and communications related to foreign gifts to Trump and his family, as well as “any references to effects on U.S. foreign policy.[1]”[1]
0. “Trump, family failed to disclose more than 100 foreign gifts, congressional report says” msnNOW, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-family-failed-to-disclose-more-than-100-foreign-gifts-congressional-report-says/ar-AA18Lxmu
1. “Two gifts to Trump family from foreign nations are missing, report says” The Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/17/donald-trump-foreign-gift/
2. “Trump and his family failed to report nearly $300,000-worth of gifts from foreign governments, House Democrats allege …” kuna noticias y kuna radio, 17 Mar. 2023, https://kesq.com/news/national-politics/cnn-us-politics/2023/03/17/trump-and-his-family-failed-to-report-nearly-300000-worth-of-gifts-from-foreign-governments-house-democrats-allege-in-new-report/
3. “Trump Failed to Follow Law on Foreign Gifts, House Democrats Say” Yahoo News, 17 Mar. 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/trump-failed-law-foreign-gifts-172327940.html
4. “Trump And Family Didn’t Report More Than $250,000 In Gifts From Foreign Governments, House Report Says” Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/03/17/trump-and-family-didnt-report-more-than-250000-in-gifts-from-foreign-governments-house-report-says/
5. “Trump never disclosed ‘larger-than-life-sized painting' of him given by foreign government” msnNOW, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-never-disclosed-larger-than-life-sized-painting-of-him-given-by-foreign-government/ar-AA18L8mT?li=BBnb7Kz
