NEW REPORT: Trump passes 2,300 conflicts of interest
CONTACT: Jordan Libowitz
202-408-5565 | [email protected]
Since taking office two and a half years ago, President Trump has tallied more than 2,300 conflicts of interest resulting from his decision to retain his business interests, according to a report released today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).
During his run for president, Trump promised that he would “drain the swamp” in Washington by rooting out corruption. Instead, he has pushed it into uncharted territory, innovating new forms of corruption. Here are some of the most startling numbers from the report:
- The president has visited his properties 362 times at taxpayer expense during his administration, sometimes visiting multiple properties in a single day. The number of days he’s spent time at a Trump-branded property account for almost a third of the days he’s been president.
- One-hundred eleven officials from 65 foreign governments have visited a Trump property.
- CREW has recorded 630 visits to Trump properties from at least 250 Trump administration officials. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are the most frequent executive branch officials to visit Trump properties, other than the president himself. Jared has made 28 known visits, while Ivanka has made 23.
- Members of Congress have flocked to President Trump’s properties: 90 members of Congress have made 188 visits to a Trump property.
- President Trump has used the presidency to provide free publicity for his properties, which he still profits from as president. As president, Trump has tweeted about or mentioned one of his properties on 159 occasions, and White House officials have mentioned a Trump property 65 times, sometimes in the course of their official duties.
- Political groups have spent $5.9 million at Trump properties since President Trump took office. In more than a decade prior to his run for president, Trump’s businesses never received more than $100,000 from political groups in a single year.
- Foreign governments and foreign government-linked organizations have hosted 12 events at Trump properties since the president took office. These events have been attended by at least 19 administration officials.
The relentless promotion of Trump businesses by the president and members of his administration has sent a message to those seeking political influence that patronizing his businesses is a way to appeal to the president.
The corrupt relationship between the Trump Organization and the White House calls into question President Trump’s decision-making as president. When his personal financial interests diverge from America’s national ones, which does he prioritize? That’s not a question we should have to ask.