Experts have warned a recent tweet by President Donald Trump clearly shows he ties his hotel business with political office, which could spell trouble in upcoming legal challenges.
At the weekend Trump retweeted a promotional post by The Trump Organization official account about his Scottish Golf Resort with the comment: "Very proud of perhaps the greatest golf course anywhere in the world. Also, furthers U.K. relationship!"
The tweet has been seized upon as a blatant misuse of office.
"This is the tone from the top that leads his appointees to violate ethics rules. This is shameless, corrupt and repugnant presidential profiteering. This is an invitation to graft," said former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub.
Ethics group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) said it completely blurs the lines between diplomacy and business.
The President is ‘using an official statement as an ad for his business and making sure everyone knows he ties his business to U.S. relationships with foreign countries,’ CREW said.
The Trump golf course was recently ordered to pay legal fees stemming from a court battle over a wind power farm near the golf resort.
Susan Simpson, a lawyer at Volkov Law Group, essentially called the tweet a thinly-veiled threat with Trump implying ‘if the UK takes a position that is adverse to my golf course, US foreign policy will take a position that is adverse to the UK.’
The President is facing an emoluments lawsuit alleging he is illegally profiting off the presidency.
