Evening Report — House Democrats detail foreign money to Trump businesses – The Hill
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Thursday, January 4
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Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee say in a new report that former President Trump‘s businesses took in at least $7.8 million from foreign entities while Trump was president, alleging a potential constitutional violation.
From the report: “By pocketing foreign states’ payments, President Trump repeatedly placed his personal financial interest and the interests of foreign wealth and power above the public interest, resulting in precisely the split loyalty between foreign power and the American people that the Framers sought to avoid.”
The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch reported that the state-affiliated Industrial and Commercial Bank of China paid $5.4 million for a lease at Trump Tower over nearly three years.
The report comes as the House GOP is investigating President Biden‘s family’s foreign business dealings, including those of Hunter Biden while his father served as vice president.
Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said, “Former President Trump has legitimate businesses but the Bidens do not. The Bidens and their associates made over $24 million by cashing in on the Biden name in China, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Romania. No goods or services were provided other than access to Joe Biden and the Biden network.”
The president has denied wrongdoing. Read more here.
Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Amee LaTour, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.
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One student was killed and multiple others were injured in a shooting at a high school in Perry, Iowa, Thursday morning, authorities said. The shooter was also found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police.
ISIS claimed responsibility for a bombing that left more than 80 people dead in the southeastern Iranian city of Kerman.
“ISIS, an anti-Shia and anti-Iranian faction, has fought against Iran for years across the Middle East, and though largely defeated, it maintains a presence in the region,” The Hill’s Brad Dress wrote.
Meanwhile, Iraqi officials said the U.S. was responsible for an airstrike that killed Mushtaq Taleb al-Saidi, leader of an Iranian-backed militia group, and at least one other Iraqi official.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads out Thursday night for a trip to Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and the West Bank.
The trip will focus on the Israel-Hamas war, including issues of protecting civilians, increasing humanitarian delivery to Gaza and efforts to secure the return of hostages held by Hamas.
The Hill’s Laura Kelly explained, “Countries such as Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are playing different roles in working as mediators with Hamas or exercising influence with other players, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, or Iran and Iranian-backed proxies, such as the Houthis in Yemen, who have engaged in back-and-forth strikes with Israel and the U.S. but have not escalated by engaging in a full-fledged war.”
Read Kelly’s report here.
© Photo Illustration: Courtney Jones, Greg Nash and Adobe Stock.
The Hill’s Niall Stanage looks at President Biden‘s emphasis on preserving democracy as a 2024 campaign message, including in his upcoming remarks in Pennsylvania ahead of the Jan. 6, 2021, anniversary:
“Biden campaign aides have made clear that they see the Valley Forge address, in particular, as part of a new push to underline the existential threat they believe Trump poses,” Stanage reported. Read his piece here.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, along with its chair, Sen. Steve Daines (Mont.), filed a brief with the Supreme Court supporting former President Trump‘s appeal of a Colorado court ruling disqualifying him from the state’s ballot.
The brief argues the 14th Amendment provision barring certain people who’ve engaged in insurrection from holding office doesn’t bar those people from appearing on the ballot, reading “even if the Colorado Supreme Court were correct that President Trump cannot take office on Inauguration Day, that court has no basis to hold that he cannot run for office on Election Day[.]”
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11 days until the Iowa GOP caucuses.
The three-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is Saturday.
Congress returns from the holiday break next week to resume work on several priorities, including government funding bills ahead of Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 deadlines.
You’re all caught up! Stay with TheHill.com for the latest and recommend this newsletter to others: TheHill.com/Evening. See you tomorrow!
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