The Government Lease Beneath the Trump D.C. Hotel

2017-03-23

The Government Lease Beneath the Trump D.C. Hotel

contradicted

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: 2017-03-23GSA issued an estoppel certificate allowing the lease to continue under a revised operating arrangement after Trump took office.Open cited record · 1 source2019-01-16GSA's inspector general found that the agency improperly ignored constitutional issues in its lease analysis.Open cited record · 2 sources
Who gained: Trump Old Post Office LLC
Trump Old Post Office LLC
Who paid: General Services Administration
General Services Administration
Audit finding: contradicted
The lease remained in place while Trump retained a beneficial interest, and the GSA inspector general found the agency's review improperly ignored constitutional questions; the report did not decide whether an Emoluments Clause violation occurred.
Causal strength: documented mechanism

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
action2017-03-23documented
GSA issued an estoppel certificate allowing the lease to continue under a revised operating arrangement after Trump took office.
- General Services Administration Office of Inspector General: Evaluation of GSA's Management and Administration of the Old Post Office Building Lease2019-01-16 · Executive summary and findings on GSA's post-election constitutional review
Open underlying ledger entry
outcome2019-01-16documented
GSA's inspector general found that the agency improperly ignored constitutional issues in its lease analysis.
- CBS News: Federal agency ignored constitutional concerns in Trump hotel lease, report finds2019-01-16 · OIG findings and scope limitation
- General Services Administration Office of Inspector General: Evaluation of GSA's Management and Administration of the Old Post Office Building Lease2019-01-16 · Executive summary and findings on GSA's post-election constitutional review
Open underlying ledger entry
limitation2019-01-16documented
The OIG expressly did not determine whether Trump violated the Constitution or whether any violation breached the lease.
- General Services Administration Office of Inspector General: Evaluation of GSA's Management and Administration of the Old Post Office Building Lease2019-01-16 · Executive summary and findings on GSA's post-election constitutional review
Open underlying ledger entry

Responses, legal status, contrary evidence, and limitations

limitation
The OIG expressly did not determine whether Trump violated the Constitution or whether any violation breached the lease.