Trump is “definitely still involved” in Trump Organization, hotel manager says

Despite handing over control of his family real estate and golf course business to his sons after ascending to the presidency in January, President Trump is still involved in the business, if you believe an email sent by a revenue manager at one of his hotels.

“DJT is supposed to be out of the business and passed on to his sons, but he’s definitely still involved,” wrote Jeng Chi Hung, revenue manager for the Trump Organization’s Washington, D.C., hotel, where business boomed during the president’s first year in office. “I had a brief meeting with him a few weeks ago, Hung continues in the email obtained by the Daily Beast, “and he was asking about banquet revenues and demographics.”

If what Hung wrote is true, it would mean Trump is doing what he said he would not do: staying involved with any of his businesses, which he announced in January he would hand over to his sons Eric and Donald Jr. while in office.

When contacted for comment, the managing director of the hotel, Mickael Damelincourt, told the Daily Beast that Hung confessed to have “made these comments up in an effort to enhance his sense of importance.” Hung himself declined to comment to the publication.

Since taking office, Trump has faced lawsuits regarding how his businesses are profiting while he is in office, in particular in the form of payments from foreign governments whose officials have stayed at the company’s Washington hotel, which some legal experts argue constitutes a violation of the Emoluments Clause of the constitution. Last month, a federal judge ruled that two Washington attorneys suing the president over alleged emoluments could move forward with subpoenas for documents. A separate lawsuit on the emoluments clause was tossed by a federal judge earlier this month.

The Trump Organization has said it will donate profits made from foreign governments at its properties. [Daily Beast] — Will Parker