Donald Trump's refusal to sever ties with his hotels, golf courses and condos has raised fresh conflict of interest and corruption concerns, as his properties generated at least $886m in revenue during his first two full years as president, according to his annual financial disclosures.
The Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami emerged as a leading revenue source, yielding close to $151m. The club has hosted lobbyists, donors and foreign delegations, including annual meetings for a payday lenders' group that benefited from regulatory rollbacks under the Trump administration. Congressman Elijah Cummings, chairman of the House oversight committee, said: "Whether accepting money from political candidates, lobbyists or foreign governments, the president's businesses seem all too willing to promote the message that the presidency is for sale."
Other top-earning properties include Trump's "summer White House" in Bedminster, New Jersey ($30.8m), Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach ($48m), and the Turnberry golf resort in Scotland ($43.8m). Robert Maguire of the ethics watchdog Crew described the web of influence peddling as "unprecedented conflicts of interest".
Crew data also found that Trump has made at least 345 visits to his properties while in office and mentioned or referred to his company at least 143 times. The financial ties have prompted scrutiny from the House oversight committee and a lawsuit by more than 200 Democrats alleging constitutional violations.
