Trump's company exploring sale of landmark Washington hotel

https://wtop.com/local/2019/10/trumps-company-exploring-sale-of-marquee-washington-hotel/

Trump’s company exploring sale of landmark Washington hotel

October 25, 2019

The Associated Press

October 25, 2019, 7:05 PM

President Donald Trump’s company said Friday it is exploring the sale of its landmark Washington hotel after nearly three years of ethics complaints and lawsuits accusing him of trying to profit off the presidency.

The Trump Organization says it will consider offers to buy out the 60-year lease on the Trump International Hotel, which since opening in late 2016 has become a magnet for lobbyists and diplomats looking to gain favor with the administration.
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The opulent, 263-room hotel built in the Old Post Office down the street from the White House has hosted parties thrown by diplomats from the Philippines, Kuwait and other countries, and has been among Trump’s biggest money makers. It is at the center of two lawsuits accusing the president of violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars presidents from receiving gifts or payments from foreign governments.

According to Trump’s most recent financial disclosure, the hotel took in $41 million in revenue last year, up less than half a million dollars from the previous year.
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But Kathleen Clark, a government ethics expert and Trump critic, said the idea that the hotel has made sacrifices to avoid conflicts is “nonsense” and the Trump Organization may be selling now because it fears the profits will fall if the president is not re-elected.
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Other government watchdogs saw danger with the sale itself: Will the buyer pay more than the hotel is worth in attempt to get in good with the administration? And what if the buyer is from overseas?
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