While Obamas, Clintons Use Tax Breaks, Trump Org. Just Donated 6 Figures to the US Gov't
The Trump Organization wrote a $151,470 check to the U.S. Treasury last month, according to an executive at the company.
Executive George Sorial said the donation was a fulfillment of the company’s promise to give away the profits from “foreign government patronage” at its hotels during President Donald Trump’s time in office, The Hill reported.
“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 statement.
The U.S. Treasury has confirmed receipt of the check, according to Fox Business.
The profits include money from high level foreign leaders who did business with the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, or the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.
According to Fox Business, Trump has been met with lawsuits regarding his business ties and the possible conflict of interest those pose to his position as president.
“The suits allege that foreign governments’ use of Trump’s hotels and other properties violates the emoluments clause.”
Shortly before his presidential inauguration, Trump announced that he was giving control of the Trump Organization to his sons, Don Jr. and Eric Trump, in order to avoid any conflicts of interests with foreign governments, Independent explained.
This donation to the U.S. Treasury appears to be an additional step to fulfill that promise.
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“Our donation to the Treasury was voluntary and one that I am very proud of,” Eric Trump told the Daily Mail.
“Although we are not legally obligated to do this, we have pledged to account for all profits from foreign government business at our hotels and clubs and have donated that money back to the United States of America.”
While the Trump Organization is putting money back into the U.S. government, others have done the opposite.
A 2016 Politico report found that former President Bill Clinton used “a decades-old federal government program, originally created to keep former presidents out of the poorhouse, to subsidize his family’s foundation and an associated business, and to support his wife’s private email server.”
According to the Politico report, Clinton used the Former President’s Act to draw out more cash than any other president in history.
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