Rep. Eric Swalwell said Tuesday that President Trump needs to divest himself from his businesses after new reports show China contributed $500 million to a project linked to his family business.
“The best thing the president can do now, two years into his presidency, is completely divest. Too many issues have been raised over these two years. Show us that the presidency is more important than your businesses,” Mr. Swalwell, California Democrat, said on CNN.
His comments come after Mr. Trump tweeted on Sunday that he wanted federal officials to help get the Chinese phone company ZTE back into business after U.S. penalties threatened to shut the business down, according to The Hill. The Huffington Post reported that it was only 72 hours later that a Chinese company offered a $500 million loan to an Indonesia construction project associated with Mr. Trump’s company.
“In Congress, we have oversight capabilities to make sure that no president is cashing in on his office and benefitting his family business,” Mr. Swalwell said.
He added that he hoped Republicans on the Oversight Committee would look into this situation and make sure no ethical boundaries are being crossed.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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