'Swift backlash': Trump faces potential probe from his own admin over gift from Qatar
Donald Trump's own administration is being pushed to investigate reports that the president will be accepting a $400 million jet from the country of Qatar, according to reports.
Qatar over the weekend was forced to push back on the reports, suggesting the plan is tentative and not finalized. Even Trump allies and fellow Republicans rebelled against the reports.
Now, Axios is reporting on a push for an investigation.
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In an article entitled "Scoop: Dem seeks probe into reports Qatar plans to gift plane to Trump," the outlet's Andrew Solender reports, "A House Democrat is seeking an investigation into reports that the Trump administration plans to accept a jet worth roughly $400 million from Qatar to serve as Air Force One — and President Trump's personal plane after he leaves office."
Answering "why it matters," Solender added that, "The swift backlash signals that congressional Democrats may latch onto the issue when they return to session next week."
The Democrat with the plan is Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), who reportedly "wrote to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the acting Department of Defense inspector general and the Office of Government Ethics requesting a probe into the matter."
"With an estimated value of $400 million, the aerial palace would constitute the most valuable gift ever conferred on a President by a foreign government," he wrote in a letter first obtained by Axios.
Torres further "asked for an 'immediate' ethics review of the reported gift and an advisory opinion on whether it violates federal ethics rules or the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution," according to the report.