API's Trump-Hotel Event and White House Meeting

2018-03-22

API's Trump-Hotel Event and White House Meeting

unresolved

Promised: 2017-01-11At Trump's January 2017 press conference, counsel for the Trump Organization said the arrangement would isolate him from the business, bar new foreign deals and donate foreign-government hotel profits to the Treasury.Open cited record · 2 sources
The record: 2018-03-22API held an event at the Trump hotel, and API leaders then attended a White House meeting concerning trade policy.Open cited record · 1 source2018-06-07The watchdog record identified the sequence but did not claim proof that the hotel stay produced access or policy action.Open cited record · 1 source
Who gained: American Petroleum Institute
Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.
Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.
Who paid: United States energy consumers and public
American Petroleum Institute
Audit finding: unresolved
The patronage and official access occurred in sequence, but the record does not establish that one caused the other or that a specific policy result followed from the hotel spending.
Causal strength: temporal association

Evidence chronology

promise2017-01-11documented
At Trump's January 2017 press conference, counsel for the Trump Organization said the arrangement would isolate him from the business, bar new foreign deals and donate foreign-government hotel profits to the Treasury.
- Time: Read a Transcript of Donald Trump's Press Conference on Conflicts of Interest2017-01-11 · Sheri Dillon remarks: no new foreign deals, limited information rights, compliance counsel, and donation of foreign-government hotel profits
- U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: Oversight Committee Requests Documents on Trump Organization's Treatment of Foreign Government Payments2017-04-21 · Bipartisan committee letter describing the January pledge and requesting implementation records
Open underlying ledger entry
action2018-03-22reported
API held an event at the Trump hotel, and API leaders then attended a White House meeting concerning trade policy.
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: Special interests patronizing Trump properties also seek White House influence2018-06-07 · API hotel event and White House meeting chronology; no-causation limitation
Open underlying ledger entry
outcome2018-06-07reported
The watchdog record identified the sequence but did not claim proof that the hotel stay produced access or policy action.
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: Special interests patronizing Trump properties also seek White House influence2018-06-07 · API hotel event and White House meeting chronology; no-causation limitation
Open underlying ledger entry
limitation2020-04-03documented
API also had ordinary institutional access as a major trade association; no causal link to the hotel event is established.
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington: Special interests patronizing Trump properties also seek White House influence2018-06-07 · API hotel event and White House meeting chronology; no-causation limitation
- Trump White House Archives: Remarks by President Trump in Meeting with Energy Sector CEOs2020-04-03 · Participant remarks identifying the American Petroleum Institute
Open underlying ledger entry

Responses, legal status, contrary evidence, and limitations

limitation
API also had ordinary institutional access as a major trade association; no causal link to the hotel event is established.