Democrats Say Donald Trump Must Divest from DC Hotel That Lost $1.1 Million
Hotel & Resort Patrick Clarke January 24, 2017
In a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) Monday, a group of House Democrats allege that President Donald Trump is officially in violation of his lease agreement with the Federal Government regarding his ties to the recently opened Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C.
"President-elect Trump announced during his nationally televised press conference on January 11 that he refuses to divest his ownership interests in his companies, and he took the oath of office on January 20 to be sworn in as President," wrote Rep. Elijah E. Cummings in the letter to GSA acting administrator Timothy Horne via ABC News. "As a result, President Trump is in apparent breach of the lease with the Federal Government for his hotel in Washington, DC."
What's more, according to the letter signed by Cummings, Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Gerald Connolly of Virginia and Andre Carson of Indiana, Trump's new luxury hotel inside the historic Old Post Office Pavilion lost more than $1.1 million during its first two months of operation.
"It is possible that subsequent months drew more business and higher income levels," the letter stated. "The possibility that President Trump will profit from large increases in hotel revenues because he was elected President highlights the grave concerns we have raised for months."
The hotel, which cost more than $200 million, opened in October prior to Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton.
In the aforementioned Jan. 11 news conference, Trump's lawyer Sheri Dillon said that profits from foreign government officials staying at the hotel would be donated to the U.S. Treasury.
"He is going to voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments made to his hotels to the United States Treasury," Dillon said. "This way, it is the American people who will profit."
READ MORE: Views of Donald Trump's Hotels Enough to Annoy Some Guests
While the same group of Democrats have been speaking out about Trump's potential conflict of interest pertaining to the hotel going back to last year, the difference now is that Trump has taken office.
The hotel's lease with the Federal Government, which is overseen by the GSA, states that "no member or delegate to Congress, or elected official of the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia, shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom," per ABC News.
Monday's letter points out that Trump has yet to address the lease concerns and that a failure to do so could cost taxpayers down the road. In the meantime, the ball appears to be in the GSA's court.
Last month, the administration said that "no determination regarding the Old Post Office can be completed until the full circumstances surrounding the President-elect’s business arrangements have been finalized and he has assumed office."
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