The family business · First term · № 23

Family business

The Chinese Embassy paid a $19,391 deposit for a delegation stay at Trump's Washington hotel

Date
, Mazars USA accounting records cited in the House Oversight Democrats' report "White House for Sale"
Subject
China
Benefit
Gifts and payments
Government
China Freedom House: Not Free (2017)
Beneficiary
Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. (Trump Organization)
Amount
$19,391 (advance deposit)
Topic
Ethics & conflicts
Era
First term

What happened

A document produced to the House Oversight Committee by Mazars USA shows an "Embassy of China Delegation" made an advance deposit of $19,391 to the Trump International Hotel in Washington for an arrival date of August 27, 2017, according to the committee Democrats' January 4, 2024 report. The ledger does not record the length of the stay or the total spent, and the report says the committee could not obtain more because Chairman James Comer released Mazars from further production. Together with ICBC's Trump Tower rent and Hainan Airlines' Las Vegas stay, the report counted at least $5,572,548 in payments from China's government and state-owned entities to Trump businesses during his term, the largest of any country identified. Trump traveled to Beijing on November 8 to 10, 2017, where he said he did not blame China for the trade imbalance. Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told CNN that China does not comment on U.S. domestic politics and requires Chinese companies overseas to follow local law. The Trump Organization said it donated more than $450,000 in estimated foreign government profits to the Treasury during the term. Freedom House rated China Not Free in its 2017 report.

Sources

  1. White House for Sale: How Princes, Prime Ministers, and Premiers Paid Off President Trump House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Democratic staff, Jan 4, 2024
  2. China spent over $5.5 million at Trump properties while he was in office, documents show CNN, Jan 4, 2024
  3. Oversight Democrats Release Report Proving Trump Pocketed Millions From At Least 20 Foreign Governments As President House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, Democrats, Jan 4, 2024
  4. China: Freedom in the World 2017 Country Report Freedom House, 2017