Foreign officials linked to purchase of condo in Trump building: report

The daughter of the Republic of Congo’s president funded the purchase of a condo at the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Manhattan using money taken from the Congolese government, according to a new report. 

The apartment was purchased for $7.1 million in cash by a company called Ecree LLC, according to the nonprofit group Global Witness.  

{mosads}People who own apartments in the Trump property annually pay tens of thousands of dollars in condo fees to the Trump Organization, according to The New York Times. 

Trump Organization spokeswoman Kimberly Benza told the Times that the unit in question was purchased from a person or entity unrelated to the organization. She added that the fees were to maintain the building “and are not fees paid to Trump for profit.” The Hill has reached out to the company for additional comment. 

There is no apparent evidence that the Trump Organization broke any laws with regard to the purchase. 

Denis Sassou-Nguesso, the president of the Republic of Congo, has faced several corruption probes during his 22 years in office. A company that belongs to his daughter, Claudia Sassou-Nguesso, who is a member of the country’s parliament, provided the money for the apartment’s purchase, according to the Global Witness investigation.