,
6 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
After a two-year wait, I recently got some exciting U.S. State Department documents under the Freedom of Information Act: Foreign government requests for permission to rent/buy/sell units in Trump World Tower. Full story: reut.rs/2GRKLVr (1/6)
The records showed that in the eight months following Trump’s inauguration, foreign governments sent 13 notes to the State Department seeking permission to rent or renew leases in Trump World Tower -- more than in the previous two years combined. (2/6) 
The State Department wouldn’t say if they permitted them, but I confirmed, through documents and people familiar with each lease, that the department had approved the requests of at least seven governments after Trump became president. (3/6)
The governments of Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Thailand and the European Union got the green light to rent a combined eight units in Trump World Tower and followed through with leases. The luxury building is located next to the UN headquarters in NYC. (4/6)
That's a potential violation of a constitutional clause that bans U.S. officials from accepting payments from foreign governments without congressional consent. Legal experts say the “emoluments” clause helps prevent backdoor influence -- and the appearance of it. (5/6)
Many questions remain. DOJ, the White House, and the Trump Organization didn’t comment. When shown my findings, House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings said, "The American public deserves full transparency." (6/6)
