Former US President Donald Trump faced an investigation when Washington officials found out that some expensive foreign gifts were not being properly traced.
Democratic lawmakers have launched an investigation into whether the Trump administration has properly tracked gifts from foreign governments, following reports that Trump-era gift records are incomplete and at least two expensive. Foreign gifts do not count.
In a letter released Tuesday, House Oversight Chair Caroline Maloney called on the National Records and Archives Administration to change any communication regarding foreign gifts for Donald Trump's presidency since last year.
The letter said the State Department informed the committee that "the Trump administration has not given priority to this commitment and has failed to comply with the law on reporting foreign gifts during President Trump's last year."
"As a result, the financial value of foreign sources and gifts to President Trump remains unknown," she said.
According to the New York Times, Maloney noted that the State Department never received a list of gifts to Trump's White House in 2020, even though foreign countries such as India and Switzerland had given him presents this year.
Maloney said the investigation could also help lawmakers see whether strong record-keeping laws are needed.
Observers noted that despite repeated requests, the former prime minister failed to provide details of gifts received from foreign dignitaries.
For example, during President Trump's visit to India in February 2020, he found a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, a marble replica of Gandhi's 'Three Monkeys' statue, and a wheelbarrow, among other gifts.
Traditionally, the president receives gifts on a foreign trip, and gifts to the Secretary of State are eventually sent to the State Department so that the gifts can be stored in the gift vault before leaving for the G.I.A. if their value exceeds $415.
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