Middle East Investment and Golf Tournament... Trump Faces Conflict of Interest Controversy Even Before Inauguration

NYT "Unprecedented Potential Conflict of Interest"

Concerns about conflicts of interest have been raised regarding President-elect Donald Trump and his family even before his inauguration.

On the 7th (local time), Trump held a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, introducing Hussein Sajwani, CEO of DAMAC, a Middle Eastern businessman, and announced that he plans to invest $20 billion (approximately 29 trillion won) soon to build a data center in the United States.

Donald Trump, President-elect of the United States. Photo by Getty Images, Yonhap News

CEO Sajwani operates DAMAC, a real estate company based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and about 10 years ago, he established the first Trump-branded golf resort in the Middle East, forging a connection with President-elect Trump.

On the same day, LIV Golf, supported by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, announced that it will hold a tournament in April at Trump’s golf resort, Trump National Doral, located in Miami, Florida.

The New York Times (NYT) pointed out that in this situation, with Trump entering the White House and serving as president, Saudi government funds will flow to the Trump family. This is because they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on hosting the event at the venue. Additionally, thousands of ticket buyers are attracted to the resort, which also enhances the resort’s brand power.

Another major Middle Eastern business partner of the Trump Organization, Dar Al Arkan, issued a statement on the same day announcing plans to invest in major U.S. cities. Eric Trump, the second son of President-elect Trump and vice president of the Trump Organization, revealed last month plans to build Trump Tower in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, in partnership with this company.

President-elect Trump’s eldest son-in-law, Jared Kushner, recently secured an additional $1.5 billion in investments from the Middle East. Kushner left the White House in 2020 and started a private equity firm; according to the NYT, a significant portion of the $4.5 billion he raised came from the Middle East.

The NYT commented on these cases, stating, "The overlapping scope of the Trump family’s business interests and the Trump administration was all revealed on the same day," adding, "This shows how unprecedented both the second Trump administration and the potential for conflicts of interest will be."

Adav Noti, Secretary General of the nonprofit organization Campaign Legal Center, said, "During Trump’s first term, there were some concerns about the possibility of Trump’s business and the administration being intertwined, but with the new administration, those concerns no longer exist. It feels like the reins have been loosened."

The Trump family plans to announce an ethics plan, including hiring external legal counsel to avoid receiving special treatment from companies that need favor from the U.S. government. They also intend not to enter into new deals directly with foreign governments during Trump’s term.

However, the NYT pointed out that in the months leading up to Trump’s inauguration, transactions between the Trump family and overseas companies have rapidly increased.

Caroline Libby, a spokesperson for President-elect Trump, denied these criticisms. She stated, "The Trump family played an essential role in President-elect Trump’s campaign and first administration, making many personal sacrifices to help their father make America great again."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.