Dems request probe into spa owner suspected of trying to sell access to Trump

Congressional Democrats are asking federal officials to investigate allegations that a Florida businesswoman who owned massage parlors may have tried to sell access to President Trump.

In a letter dated Friday, the top Democrats on the Intelligence and Judiciary committees in both chambers wrote to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Secret Service Director Randolph Alles requesting that they “conduct criminal and counterintelligence investigations into credible allegations of potential human trafficking, as well as unlawful foreign lobbying, campaign finance and other activities by Ms. [Li] Yang.”

{mosads}The letter noted that recent news reports have raised questions about whether Yang created a business “that may be selling access to the President and members of his family to clients from China.”

The letter was signed by Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner (D-Va.), Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.).

Yang founded the spa where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was arrested on charges of soliciting prostitution. The businesswoman also attracted attention when the Miami Herald revealed that she had taken a photo with Trump during a Super Bowl party at his West Palm Beach country club earlier this year.

Mother Jones reported earlier this month that Yang and her husband, Zubin Gong, also founded a company called GY US Investments, whose website told potential clients about setting up opportunities to “interact with the president, the [American] Minister of Commerce and other political figures.”

The same website identified her as holding a position with the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, which The Washington Post reports is linked to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence-spreading operations.

The letter from lawmakers calls for both criminal and counterintelligence investigations of Yang and requests more information on whether the agencies knew of Yang’s connection to Trump before recent reports.

The letter also asks if state or federal authorities have previously investigated Yang or her business for human trafficking or prostitution, and whether any other people have used Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort to “offer foreigners access to the President, those close to him, or other senior officials in exchange for money.”

The lawmakers also want to know whether the FBI, Secret Service or other intelligence agencies are able to vet foreign nationals attending events at Mar-a-Lago, more information on who attended Trump’s Super Bowl party with Yang and whether she or her clients violated lobbying laws.

Updated: March 20 at 6:24 p.m.