Judiciary Democrats Open Investigation into Trump’s Qatari Plane Deal, Seek Answers from Trump DOJ and White House Counsel
Committee Democrats Request Trump Admin Provide Memos Defending Blatantly Unconstitutional Attempt to Accept Qatari “Flying Palace” Without Congressional Consent
WASHINGTON — Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, member of the House Judiciary Committee, led Committee Democrats in a letter demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) and White House Counsel’s Office provide legal memoranda that reportedly bless Donald Trump’s efforts to flout the clear text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause and accept a luxury private jet—described as a “flying palace”—from the State of Qatar without seeking the consent of Congress.
“President Trump is reportedly relying on memos that you authored, at his request, to accept a $400 million airplane from the State of Qatar—described in media reports as a ‘flying palace’ and ‘the most luxurious private jet in the world’—without obtaining, or even seeking, Congress’s consent. Any legal memo purporting to make such a claim would obviously fly in the face of the text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which explicitly prohibits the President from accepting any ‘present [or] Emolument . . . of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State’ unless he has ‘the Consent of Congress.’ Accordingly, we are writing to request that you provide the Committee on the Judiciary with these memos immediately as their analysis and conclusions are apparently the basis for the President’s decision to disregard the plain text of the Constitution,” wrote the Members.
On May 11, an ABC News report revealed that President Trump plans to accept a $400 million private jet from the Qatari Royal Family to use as Air Force One—a lavish and unconstitutional gift which he intends to transfer to his personal presidential library foundation at the conclusion of his term.
Reports indicate that the DOJ and White House Counsel’s Office are aiding Trump’s efforts to paper over this clear Constitutional violation and reportedly drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding that it is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to Trump’s presidential library.
The Constitution is clear that Congress—not the Attorney General or the White House Counsel—has the exclusive authority to approve or reject a gift “of any kind whatever” given to the President by a foreign government.
Attorney General Pam Bondi’s involvement in this matter is particularly egregious since she should have recused herself given her conflict of interest. Bondi was previously a registered foreign agent of the Qatari government, earning $115,000 per month to lobby on its behalf prior to entering the Administration.
Trump’s acceptance of this unprecedented and unconstitutional gift has sparked bipartisan criticism and outrage, with even Republican Members of Congress and conservative media raising concerns about national security risks and the appearance of corruption. Additionally, this supposedly “free plane” may cost the taxpayer billions of dollars to overhaul to meet “all the survivability, security and communications requirements of Air Force One.”
Judiciary Democrats requested Attorney General Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington provide all documents and communications related to or purporting to justify or provide legal analysis regarding the constitutionality of the President’s acceptance of the Qatari plane; all documents and communications related to an agreement between the State of Qatar and the United States regarding the transfer of the plane; and all documents related to whether Attorney General Bondi should recuse herself in matters related to emoluments from Qatar.
The letter comes after Judiciary Democrats filed a Resolution demanding Trump comply with the Constitutional rules on foreign gifts by seeking the consent of Congress before accepting the Qatari plane.
Click here to read the letter.
Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security, Government Reform & Ethics