House

Dem rep goes after Trump for fundraiser at his DC hotel

by Rebecca Savransky - 06/29/17 7:48 AM ET

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) late Wednesday criticized President Trump for holding a reelection fundraiser at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

During an interview on CNN, Connolly said he has “insisted” that Trump’s “whole relationship with the Trump hotel becomes a massive conflict of interest the day he was sworn in.”

Connolly called it a “terrible perception problem.”

{mosads}”I think it really taints the process,” Connolly added.

“I think it’s most unwise, and I think, frankly, it’s just plain wrong for the American president to be engaged like that.”

Trump’s D.C. hotel has been a source of controversy for the president in the past, particularly over whether foreign officials and dignitaries could patronize the hotel to curry favor in Trump’s White House.

The former top White House ethics lawyer from President Obama’s administration on Wednesday accused Trump of holding an “illegal” fundraiser at the hotel.

Former special ethics counsel Norm Eisen argued in a series of tweets that the reelection fundraiser — Trump’s first since taking office — violated the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the Constitution because it was held at one of the hotels owned by a Trump company.

During the fundraiser Wednesday evening, which was closed to the press, Trump reportedly went after the media, specifically targeting CNN.

Tags Gerry Connolly