Chinese Financing Around the Trump-Branded Indonesia Project

2018-05-25

Chinese Financing Around the Trump-Branded Indonesia Project

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: 2018-05-25The Senate Foreign Relations Committee sought records concerning an announced Chinese government guarantee associated with MNC Lido City, which included Trump-branded development.Open cited record · 1 source2019-11-01Reporting treated the Indonesia work as continuation of a preexisting deal and did not establish a direct state payment to Trump.Open cited record · 2 sources
Who gained: MNC Lido City development
Trump Indonesia licensing business
MNC Lido City development
Who paid: Chinese government-linked financing source
Audit finding: unresolved
The financing announcement created a documented foreign-state/conflict exposure around an existing Trump-branded project, but the cited sources do not establish that funds were paid to Trump, that Trump arranged the financing or that it caused U.S. policy.
Causal strength: not established

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
action2018-05-25documented
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee sought records concerning an announced Chinese government guarantee associated with MNC Lido City, which included Trump-branded development.
- U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Menendez Requests Answers on Chinese Government Financing for MNC Lido City2018-05-25 · Letter requesting records about the announced Chinese guarantee for the Indonesia project
Open underlying ledger entry
outcome2019-11-01reported
Reporting treated the Indonesia work as continuation of a preexisting deal and did not establish a direct state payment to Trump.
- ProPublica and USA Today: Trump's 10 Troubling Deals with Foreign Power-Players2017-01-19 · Philippines, Indonesia, Panama and other project records with corporate documents
- The Washington Post: The Trump brothers' claims that they no longer profit from foreign deals2019-11-01 · Scotland, Dominican Republic and Indonesia project analysis; existing-deal response
Open underlying ledger entry
limitation2019-11-01reported
The candidate does not equate financing for the broader development with Trump Organization revenue or a policy exchange.
- The Washington Post: The Trump brothers' claims that they no longer profit from foreign deals2019-11-01 · Scotland, Dominican Republic and Indonesia project analysis; existing-deal response
Open underlying ledger entry

Responses, legal status, contrary evidence, and limitations

limitation
The candidate does not equate financing for the broader development with Trump Organization revenue or a policy exchange.