Trump's gifts from foreign leaders under scrutiny from House Oversight committee - The Washington Post

The eclectic database ranges from play clubs fixed to Trump by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to a 2018 World Cup shot shot talented by Russian President Vladimir Putin, a gold-plated collar of Horus, the falcon-headed past Egyptian god, fixed by Egypt’s president, a ample coating of Trump from the president of El Salvador, and a $6,400 collar of King Abdulaziz al Saud, a ceremonial grant from Saudi Arabia, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the matter, who spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon an ongoing investigation.

The dozens of gifts are worthy successful sum an estimated $50,000 oregon more, according to radical acquainted with the request. The committee has asked the archives to cheque whether the gifts are among the items transferred determination from the White House astatine the extremity of Trump’s presidency arsenic required by law, according to those acquainted with the request. The committee is besides seeking records from Trump’s squad astir its grounds keeping, a Trump advisor said.

It’s not wide wherefore the Oversight Committee made the petition for these circumstantial items; a spokesperson for the committee declined to remark but to accidental the probe is ongoing. The Archives besides declined to comment, and it’s unclear wherever the bureau is successful the process of trying to find these items and which gifts, if any, connected the database were decently accounted for.

A Trump spokesperson did not respond to a petition for comment, nor did officials who handled gifts successful the Trump administration.

This summer, the Oversight committee launched its ain probe astatine the behest of its chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), into whether Trump decently followed the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, a 1966 instrumentality that prohibits presidents and different authorities officials from personally keeping gifts from foreigners worthy much than $415 unless they wage for them.

Under the law, determination is nary circumstantial transgression punishment for idiosyncratic who improperly retains the gifts. But morals experts said that transgression enactment mightiness beryllium warranted depending connected the circumstances.

“If you person a precise invaluable point that you are obligated by instrumentality to crook implicit to the national authorities and you neglect to bash that, I don’t cognize that would preclude a transgression enactment — we’ve conscionable ne'er seen it done,” said Virginia Canter, the main morals counsel astatine CREW, an morals watchdog organization.

The Oversight committee’s petition to the Archives includes items that were received by Trump’s household members but whitethorn not person been decently reported to the State Department; items that were documented arsenic perchance successful the Trumps’ enforcement residence successful the White House, the West Wing, oregon different locations — for example, Trump Tower oregon Mar-a-Lago — adjacent the extremity of the administration; and items apt talented successful 2020, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the matter.

The New York Times archetypal reported that the State Department could not afloat relationship for gifts Trump and different White House officials received during their last twelvemonth successful bureau due to the fact that the White House failed to supply the bureau with a database of what officials received from overseas governments earlier leaving office. The bureau was successful “total disarray,” according to grounds taken by the committee.

Now, Maloney’s committee is seeking to relationship for circumstantial gifts. The sprawling petition sent to the Archives besides includes an antique framed signed photograph of Queen Elizabeth II; a marble slab commemorating the opening of the U.S. Embassy successful Jerusalem; dresses from Oman; a bust of Mahatma Gandhi; an Afghan rug; a crystal ball; and assorted pieces of jewelry including diamond and golden earrings, according to the idiosyncratic acquainted with the request.

Typically, the White House Gifts Unit records each home and overseas gifts received by the president and archetypal family, on with the valuation of the gift, according to a 2012 legislature probe report. If an authoritative wishes to clasp a gift, they person the enactment of paying afloat value.

Otherwise, the acquisition is transferred to the Archives wherever it is stored for statesmanlike libraries. Gifts meant for the White House residence are referred to the Department of the Interior’s parkland service, and gifts that are not sent to the Archives oregon not retained by the president are sent to the General Services Administration.

Separately, the Office of Protocol successful the State Department publishes an yearly database of each gifts from a overseas authorities to a national employee. According to accusation provided by the State Department, Trump “failed to comply with the instrumentality governing overseas acquisition reporting” during his last twelvemonth successful office, Maloney wrote successful June successful a missive requesting a reappraisal of Trump’s gifts to acting archivist Debra Steidel Wall.

“The Department of State noted that during the Trump Administration, the Office of the Chief of Protocol failed to petition a listing of overseas gifts received successful 2020 from the White House. The Department is nary longer capable to get the required records,” Maloney wrote to the Archives.

In that letter, Maloney requested each documents and accusation pertaining to gifts received by Trump oregon his household members from the past twelvemonth of the Trump medication — including the determination and worth of the gifts, the individuality of the donor, and immoderate reporting of gifts — on with each communications betwixt the Archives and Trump, his household members and White House unit related to overseas gifts.

The nonaccomplishment to relationship for gifts is portion of a signifier of the Trump administration’s grounds keeping practices.

Numerous items identified arsenic “gifts” were seized by the FBI during their hunt of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club and residence successful August. It’s unclear whether the seized gifts were fixed to Trump by overseas governments during his clip successful bureau and improperly transferred to Mar-a-Lago.

The Washington Post has antecedently reported that White House officials successful the waning days of the Trump presidency raised concerns that immoderate of the gifts Trump had received arsenic president inactive remained successful the White House alternatively than being decently turned implicit to the National Archives.

Trump took a fig of items with him erstwhile helium near the White House, including a exemplary of the Air Force One redesign helium had projected and a mini exemplary of 1 of the achromatic border-wall slats that featured an engraved plaque connected top, The Post has antecedently reported. When the National Archives retrieved 15 boxes of materials from Mar-a-Lago successful January, they recovered correspondence with North Korean person Kim Jong Un that Trump had erstwhile described arsenic “love letters.”

“This president was precise overmuch into holding onto things,” said a erstwhile Trump White House staffer who was progressive with grounds absorption and spoke connected the information of anonymity to sermon backstage conversations. “Mementos and gifts are a large happening with him. Throughout his full beingness helium has created mementos.”

Former White House main of unit John Kelly said that erstwhile helium worked for Trump, the president ever wanted to support gifts from overseas leaders. Kelly said that portion helium instructed unit to travel the process of signaling gifts from overseas leaders, erstwhile Trump was fixed the accidental to bargain the gifts, helium was adamantly against paying for them.

“He said, ‘They gave maine these, these are my gifts,’ ” said Kelly, recounting his speech with Trump. “But I’d say, ‘No sir, they gave these to the president of the United States. You person to look astatine that arsenic an authoritative acquisition from a country.’ He would beryllium wholly against that. He was adamant that they were his gifts and helium couldn’t understood wherefore helium couldn’t support these gifts.”

“I ne'er retrieve him buying anything,” Kelly added.