Trump Turnberry payments at centre of US Congress inquiry
● Influential House foreign affairs committee cites Scotsman investigations
The chairman of one of the most powerful committees in the US Congress has seized on an investigation by The Scotsman into US federal government spending at Donald Trump’s flagship Scottish property to demand the full disclosure of “questionable” payments amid concerns they fall foul of the law.
Eliot Engel, who helms the House foreign affairs committee, suggested the tens of thousands of pounds spent by the US State Department at the Trump Turnberry hotel and golf resort may simply be supporting the US president’s lossmaking business, rather than facilitating official business by his administration.
The high-ranking Democrat warned that by “personally enriching” Mr Trump, the payments appeared to violate the domestic emoluments clause of the US constitution, which prohibits the president from profiting from his own government.
Mr Engel cited a report by The Scotsman from earlier this month, which revealed the State Department has spent more than £11,000 on rooms at the South Ayrshire resort this summer.
The veteran politician said he was “concerned” by the story and had asked officials at the department for a breakdown of its expenditure at Turnberry, ranging from rooms and meals to minibar expenses and room service charges.
As revealed by The Scotsman, the payment worth $13,835 (£11,097), was made on 3 July for “hotel accommodation” at Turnberry throughout the course of the month.
It marked the fourth such payment made by the department to Mr Trump’s resort since he took office, with the total spend to date exceeding £75,000. All the payments were approved via the US Embassy in London.
The payments were then routed via the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, the body charged with implementing US foreign policy and promoting US interests in Europe.
In a letter to Brian Bulatao, undersecretary of state for management at the State Department, Mr Engel wrote: “The most recent payment was reportedly an advance for hotel rooms to be used during July.
“While the specific purpose for securing these rooms is unclear, reporting indicates that President Trump’s son, Eric, is a regular at the resort, raising questions about whether any of the questionable payments may, in fact, be supporting the president’s family business, as opposed to official administration travel.”
Despite fielding numerous enquiries from The Scotsman regarding the tranche of payments made to SLC Turnberry Limited – the resort’s parent firm overseen by Mr Trump’s adult sons, Eric and Donald Jr – the State Department and the White House have not disclosed further details about the visiting parties or the nature of their visits.
The Trump Organisation has said US government custom at its properties is billed “at cost” and that it does not profit from any such payments.