Trump Organization makes a big omission in announcing its donation of profits from foreign governments
- The Trump Organization said Monday it donated profits from foreign government officials patronizing its hotels to the Treasury Department.
- It did not say how much money was donated, however.
- Trump pledged to make the donations prior to taking office.
The Trump Organization said Monday that the company, as President Donald Trump previously pledged, donated profits from foreign government officials patronizing its hotels to the Treasury Department, The Associated Press reported.
But the president's namesake business made a glaring omission from its declaration: It did not say how much money was donated.
George Sorial, the executive vice president and chief compliance counsel for the Trump Organization, said in a statement that the company made the donation Thursday. That donation, he said, included profits from January 20 through December 31, 2017. Sorial did not provide a sum or breakdown of the donation.
Prior to Trump taking office, he announced through attorney Sheri Dillon that he would "voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his hotel to the United States Treasury."
It was not clear, however, whether "his hotel" meant all of his properties or just a specific one, such as his Washington, DC, location.
Receiving such profits from foreign government officials has alarmed ethics experts. They have warned that such payments could violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits a president from accepting gifts or cash from foreign governments.
On Twitter, users were quick to respond to the lack of disclosure.