Trump and Family Failed to Disclose Over $300K in Gifts from Foreign Governments, Report Finds
Former President Donald Trump and his family received over 100 undisclosed gifts from foreign governments during his presidency, valued at nearly $300,000, according to a report released on Friday by House Oversight and Accountability Committee Democrats.
The report, based on White House records requested from the National Archives, identified 117 foreign gifts that were not publicly disclosed by the former president, Melania Trump, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump. The report also revealed that some of the undisclosed gifts were given to Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, and the Kushner children.
Federal law requires the president and his family to accept gifts from foreign governments on behalf of the United States and prohibits them from keeping gifts valued at over $415. The gifts must be publicly disclosed and turned over to the National Archives.
The report noted that the failure to disclose the gifts raises concerns about "potential undue influence" and highlights that the Trump family did not report gifts totaling $45,000 from Saudi Arabia, $47,000 from India, and $3,400 from China. Moreover, after Trump left office, the State Department reported that it was missing items of significant value, which it attributed to a lack of accurate record-keeping and appropriate physical security controls.
"In total, the unreported foreign gifts received by former President Trump had an estimated value of more than $150,000,"the report says. "The Committee identified 13 additional unreported foreign gifts addressed to both former President Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump, totaling more than $22,000 in estimated value. Former First Lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump received 18 foreign gifts, totaling more than $33,000 in estimated value. Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and their children, together, received 33 unreported gifts, totaling nearly $82,000. In total, records indicate that former President Trump and the First Family received 117 unreported foreign gifts, valued at roughly $291,000."
According to CNN, Representative Jamie Raskin, the leading Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, commented that the failure to report these gifts and the current absence of some of them "indicate significant violations of the foreign Emoluments Clause."
“That part of the Constitution is America’s original anti-bribery law,” Raskin said, noting lawmakers could make criminal referrals if there is evidence to warrant doing so.
