CfA Again Calls on DOJ to Investigate Donald Trump After New Revelations about His Financial Disclosures

Details uncovered by Newsweek reveal the extent to which Donald Trump appears to have evaded federal requirements for disclosing his business dealings

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the non-partisan watchdog group Campaign for Accountability (CfA), sent a second letter to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting an investigation of Donald Trump for failing to accurately disclose his finances in connection with his presidential campaign. CfA’s new letter follows Newsweek’s revelations that Trump failed to disclose receiving millions of dollars from his extensive contractual relationships with overseas businesses. In August, CfA called on DOJ to investigate Trump for apparently vastly overstating the value of his golf course empire on his financial disclosure forms.

Read the letter here.

CfA Executive Director Anne Weismann stated, “Donald Trump’s disregard for the financial disclosure requirements imposed on all candidates for federal office is unfortunate. The laws are designed to uncover exactly the sorts of conflicts revealed here: a vast network of overseas business relationships that would call into question virtually every foreign policy decision Trump would make if elected president.”

On September 14, 2016, Newsweek published a detailed exposé describing how Trump and his family have made millions of dollars from his overseas interests. Significantly, the article notes, “[n]one of Trump’s overseas contractual business relationships examined by Newsweek were revealed in his campaign’s financial filings with the Federal Election Commission, nor was the amount paid to him by his foreign partners.”

Presidential candidates are required to file financial disclosures to ensure the public can adequately guard against possible conflicts of interest. According to Newsweek, Trump’s business ties ensure that, “almost every foreign policy decision he makes will raise serious conflicts of interest.”

Knowingly filing inaccurate financial disclosure forms may be a violation of the False Statements Act and is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.

Campaign for Accountability is a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog organization that uses research, litigation, and aggressive communications to expose misconduct and malfeasance in public life and hold those who act at the expense of the public good accountable for their actions.