Common Dreams - Critics of President Donald Trump raised alarm on Friday regarding the profits he's made off the presidency, particularly at his hotel in Washington, D.C.—with lawmakers saying such profits bolster their case that Trump has violated the Constitution's Emoluments Clause.
Government documents detailing the profits of the Trump International Hotel disappeared from the General Services Administration's website Friday, after reports showing that the hotel has made nearly $2 million in profits since Trump's inauguration.
The profit appears even more unexpected because of the hotel's low occupancy rate; the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump International has a "44.4 percent occupancy rate compared with 69.5 percent for comparative hotels."
The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington noted that a select group of influential guests are likely paying top dollar to stay in a hotel owned by the president.
Rooms at the hotel are priced from $625 to nearly $900 per night, with suites costing thousands of dollars per night—significantly higher than its projection last year that it would price rooms at an average of $416.
"The Trump hotel seems to be able to profit off a much smaller group" that wants to "buy influence with the president and his staff," said Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for CREW. Earlier this year, Trump International made $270,000 when Saudi lobbyists stayed in the hotel while Saudi Arabia was trying to overturn an anti-terrorism bill.
Rep. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. John Conyers (D-Mich.) announced their support of a lawsuit mounted by CREW, alleging that Trump's involvement in his businesses while in office is a clear violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause.
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