President Trump’s New York World Tower housed diplomats from at least seven foreign countries in 2017, according to a new report.
Documents obtained by Reuters show that the State Department allowed several foreign governments to lease condominiums in Trump Tower without first seeking congressional approval.
The finding raises the potential for more legal action and congressional investigation into Trump’s business dealings.
Some legal experts say that Trump needs to get permission from Congress for such deals to make sure he is not running afoul of the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which bans any elected official from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval.
“This new information raises serious questions about the President and his businesses’ potential receipt of payments from foreign governments,” Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said in a statement to Reuters. “The American public deserves full transparency.”
Cummings added that his committee had been “stonewalled” in his efforts to obtain similar information on Trump’s businesses.
On Tuesday, a judge ruled that a lawsuit on the emoluments clause against Trump can proceed after finding his definition of the clause “unpersuasive and inconsistent.”
The State Department referred the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment to the Department of Justice, which has not responded to the inquiry.
