{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=E91B7A67-06D9-42FB-8818-A818A6BC32D1", "Carper, Warren Question GSA on President-elect Trumps Conflicts of Interest", "2016-12-01", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Thomas Carper", "C000174", "www.carper.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), Denise Turner Roth, seeking information on GSA\u2019s efforts to protect taxpayer dollars and address conflicts of interest in its business relationship with President-elect Donald Trump and his family. Specifically, the Senators requested information on GSA\u2019s terms of lease with affiliates of the Trump Organization to redevelop and manage the Old Post Office building in Washington, DC.\r\n\u201cIn 2013, GSA negotiated a lease agreement with Trump Old Post Office, LLC\u2014a private company owned by President-elect Trump and his adult children,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cIn a material term of the contract, GSA requires that no elected officials play a role in the agreement \u2026 However, once President-elect Trump assumes office, he will oversee GSA and have the authority to appoint a new GSA Administrator, which will effectively make President-elect Trump landlord and tenant at the same time.\u201d\r\nThe Senators continue, stating that GSA\u2019s relationship with President-Elect Trump is also complicated by two provisions in the Constitution prohibiting the President from receiving additional \u2018emoluments,\u2019 writing, \u201cThe lease agreement between GSA and President-elect Trump states that the \u2018Landlord [to whom the Trump Old Post Office LLC, pays rent] shall mean the United States of America.\u2019 If the current lease agreement remains, President-elect Trump will receive compensation from the federal government separate from his annual salary, which is prohibited by the Constitution. Foreign governments are also reportedly paying for their official representatives to stay at Trump International Hotel because the property is affiliated with the incoming President\u2014the Kingdom of Bahrain, for example, recently booked space at the Trump Hotel for a reception.\u201d\r\nThe Senators recommend that, \u201cAccordingly, GSA should immediately take steps to identify and mitigate any potential conflicts of interest relating to its lease agreement with President-elect Trump, including removing itself from the agreement to avoid any violations of law.\u201d \u00a0\r\nThe full text of the letter to GSA Administrator Denise Turner Roth can be found below and here.\r\nDear Administrator Roth,\r\nWe write today to request information on how the General Services Administration (GSA) intends to protect taxpayer dollars and address conflicts of interest in its business relationship with President-elect Donald Trump and his family. Under the terms of a lease agreement GSA executed with affiliates of the Trump Organization to redevelop and manage the Old Post Office building in Washington, DC,\u00a0it is likely impermissible for this relationship to remain in effect while President-elect Trump is President. Accordingly, GSA should immediately take steps to identify and mitigate any potential conflicts of interest relating to its lease agreement with President-elect Trump, including removing itself from the agreement to avoid any violations of law. \u00a0\r\nIn 2013, GSA negotiated a lease agreement with Trump Old Post Office, LLC\u2014a private company owned by President-elect Trump and his adult children. Under the terms of this agreement, President-elect Trump committed $200 million to transform the Old Post Office Building in Washington, D.C., into a luxury hotel, and in return received the exclusive rights to run the hotel and retain all profits for a period of at least 60 years.\u00a0 The Trump International Hotel held a grand opening ceremony on October 26, 2016.\r\nThe terms of GSA\u2019s lease agreement will become problematic once President-elect Trump takes office. In a material term of the contract, GSA requires that no elected officials play a role in the agreement. GSA\u2019s contract with the Trump Old Post Office, LLC plainly states:\r\n\u201cNo\u2026elected official of the Government of the United States\u2026shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom\u2026\u201d\r\nFederal procurement officials include this clause in lease agreements to avoid the appearance of favoritism or preferential treatment toward federal officials. GSA officials managing the agreement are required to balance their duties to execute the terms of the contract entered into with the building\u2019s tenant while also protecting the interests of the building\u2019s landlord.\r\nHowever, once President-elect Trump assumes office, he will oversee GSA and have the authority to appoint a new GSA Administrator, which will effectively make President-elect Trump landlord and tenant at the same time. Terms of the agreement also require annual disclosures of sensitive financial information and for GSA to renegotiate rent adjustments and other payments to the Trump Organization. Such a scenario will present unmanageable conflicts of interest for career GSA officials and President-elect Trump and result in a breach of plain language of the lease agreement.\r\nGSA\u2019s relationship with President-Elect Trump is also complicated by two provisions in the Constitution prohibiting the President from receiving additional \u201cemoluments\u201d\u2014salaries, fees, or profits\u2014from either the U.S. or foreign governments. Article II, Section 1, Clause 7 of the Constitution, states:\u00a0\r\n\u201cThe President shall\u2026receive for his Services, a Compensation\u2026and he shall not receive within that Period any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them.\u201d\r\nArticle I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the Constitution\u2014often referred to as the \u201cEmoluments Clause\u201d\u2014states:\r\n\u201cAnd no Person holding any Office\u2026shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument...of any kind whatever, from any...foreign State.\u201d\r\nThe lease agreement between GSA and President-elect Trump states that the \"Landlord [to whom the Trump Old Post Office LLC, pays rent] shall mean the United States of America.\" If the current lease agreement remains, President-elect Trump will receive compensation from the federal government separate from his annual salary, which is prohibited by the Constitution. Foreign governments are also reportedly paying for their official representatives to stay at Trump International Hotel because the property is affiliated with the incoming President\u2014the Kingdom of Bahrain, for example, recently booked space at the Trump Hotel for a reception. Once he takes office, payments from these foreign governments to entities owned by President-elect Trump\u2019s would likely result in a violation of the Emoluments Clause prohibition of payments from foreign governments.\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Immediately following his election, President-elect Trump stated he was \u201cnot interested in [his] company anymore\u201d and vowed to disentangle himself from his financial assets by setting up a \u201cblind trust\u2014but indicated that he intends to transfer control of his company to his three oldest children, which does not meet the definition of a qualified blind trust. President-elect Trump has recently announced that he will soon leave his \u201cbusiness in total\u201d and provide additional information on December 15, 2016. While the details of this announcement remain unclear, any financial arrangement that places President-elect Trump or his children in charge of the Trump International Hotel will still result in a conflict of interest for GSA as it manages a lease agreement that financially benefits the President.\r\nDespite the execution of the lease agreement nearly three years ago and the announcement of President-elect Trump\u2019s candidacy in June 2015, we are not aware that GSA has engaged in advanced planning to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest involving the Old Post Office Building lease agreement. GSA has only recently stated that \u201c[p]rior to Mr. Trump taking the oath of office, GSA plans to coordinate with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and the President-elect\u2019s transition team to allow a plan to be put in place to identify and address and potential conflicts of interest relating to the Old Post Office building.\u201d However, GSA needs to provide assurances to the American people that your agency will take whatever steps are necessary to protect taxpayer dollars and avoid any conflicts of interests.\r\nTo better understand the specific steps that the GSA is taking to address these issues, please provide the following information by December 9, 2016:\r\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What guidance has the OGE provided to GSA officials on how to minimize conflicts of interest surrounding the lease agreement?\r\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Has GSA received any advice from entities other than the OGE or developed internal guidance?\u00a0 If so, what actions does this advice or guidance dictate?\r\n3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What steps, since President-elect Trump announced his candidacy for president in August 2015, has the GSA taken to investigate potential conflicts of interest with the Trump Hotel Lease?\r\n4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Legal experts from both Democratic and Republican Administrations argue that Mr. Trump, as President, must divest his hotel-related assets, or place them in a qualified blind trust, to avoid conflicts of interest related to this hotel.\u00a0 Should President-elect Trump refuse to do so, refuse to follow the advice of OGE, or place his company under the control of his children, what actions will the GSA take to address potential conflicts of interest from its lease with Trump Old Post Office, LLC?\r\nIn addition to a prompt response to these questions, please provide our staffs with a briefing on this topic during the week of December 12, 2017. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter.\r\nWith best personal regards, we are\r\nSincerely yours,\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Elizabeth Warren\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tom Carper\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 United States Senator\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ranking Member\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Committee on Homeland Security\r\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 and Governmental Affairs\r\n\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.carper.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=E91B7A67-06D9-42FB-8818-A818A6BC32D1"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.786352764815092, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}