At least seven foreign governments were allowed by the U.S. State Department to rent luxury condominiums at Trump World Tower in 2017 without congressional approval — which could violate the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause.
Foreign governments sent 13 notes to the State Department asking permission to rent or renew leases in the New York residential tower, and Capitol Hill staffers said the requests were never submitted to Congress, reported Reuters.
The governments of Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Thailand and the European Union were granted approval to rent a total of eight units in the first eight months after President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The emoluments clause prohibits U.S. officials from accepting gifts or payments from foreign governments without congressional approval, which Trump does not have.