Donald Trump has blasted Hillary Clinton for accepting money from Saudi Arabia through The Clinton Foundation, but a Daily News investigation reveals that Trump has padded his bank account with cash from the same country. EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump made millions from Saudi Arabia, but trashes Hillary Clinton for Saudi donations to Clinton Foundation:
Trump sold the 45th floor of Trump World Tower to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for $4.5 million in June 2001, according to a city Finance Department spokeswoman. In 2008, the apartments became part of the Saudi Mission to the United Nations, records show.
The five apartments included 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms at the time of the sale, and had yearly common charges of $85,585 for building amenities, documents obtained by The News show. [See below.] If those common charges remain the same, Trump was paid at least $5.7 million by the Saudi government since 2001.
Meanwhile, blowhard Trump and his cronies have hammered Clinton on the campaign trail, saying she should return money Saudi Arabia gave to the Clinton Foundation because the Arab state has a poor human rights record.
Rebecca Ocampo, who alleged in court papers she helped broker the deal between Trump and the Saudis, said the apartments were about more than money — they were also about “access” to a new, potentially lucrative market in the Middle East.
Ocampo, 67, and her company, Housing International, which specialized in housing for diplomats, sued Trump in 2001, seeking a broker’s fee for the deal. She said she abandoned the suit without it being resolved.
Another stiffed contractor!
Records obtained by The News indicate Trump’s connection to influential Saudis predate the Trump World Tower deal.
In 1985, Osama Bin Laden’s half-brother Shafiq Bin Laden paid an $8,500 security deposit for an apartment in Trump Tower. Records indicate Shafiq — often described as the Westernized, polar opposite of Osama Bin Laden — lived there for four months in 1986.
A Trump spokeswoman declined to comment to The News. A Clinton spokesman also declined to comment.
“Would you take money from the Saudis?” Fox News’ Sean Hannity asked recently.
“No,” Trump replied.
He told a different story last year.
“Saudi Arabia — and I get along great with all of them. They buy apartments from me,” Trump said in Mobile, Ala.
“They spend $40 million, $50 million. Am I supposed to dislike them? I like them very much.”
The Saudi Mission did not respond to requests for comment.
“This underscores the need for him to release more financial information,” said Chris Talbot, a Democratic consultant not working with the Clinton campaign. “We just don’t know very much about his dealings, and that’s concerning from a voter’s perspective.”
Documents obtained by The Daily News:
You are comparing apples to oranges, AzBM. Contributions to the Clinton Fund appear to have bought access to Hillary’s political power, while money to Trump added to his personal fortune…no political access involved. There is a BIG difference.
I had the same thought, Steve.
I was taught as a young lawyer that if you have two good arguments and three bad ones, only make the two good arguments, but if all five of your arguments are bad, make ’em all.
There are so many powerful arguments being made against Trump. Why Clinton’s supporters want to throw in specious arguments is beyond me.
I often find myself defending Trump here and that is VERY uncomfortable considering what I think about him. But, like you, I feel there are so-o-o many GOOD arguments against him, why waste time on things that either aren’t true or don’t matter. I think doing so tends to dilute the true and important things that work against Trump.