It couldn’t happen to a nicer crime couple: CNN reports that FBI counterintelligence is investigating an Ivanka-led deal relating to the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Vancouver, concentrating on “negotiating and financing”. Sources are “a US official and a former US official” who are familiar with the matter.
The story notes, in that dry, journalistic way:
The scrutiny could be a hurdle for the first daughter as she tries to obtain a full security clearance in her role as adviser to President Donald Trump.
The hotel opened in February 2017, shortly after the inauguration. According to a Trump family spokesperson, the family’s organization is only involved in licensing the Trump name (though how it has any value still is beyond me) and management. The owner is the scion of one of the wealthiest families in Malaysia, whose father has a shady business past including “securities laws violations and false statements to the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange.”
Last year the Vancouver Sun reported that one condo unit owner has connections with the Chinese government.
It’s interesting that the FBI department doing this investigation is counterintel. That points to something more than a purely financial crime, more like suspected kompromat or other foreign monkey business that somehow compromises national security.
You can bet that mobbed-up Chinese interests don’t want the Russians to get all the available financial and political goodies from the world’s most arrogant and stupid family. Recall that China was one of the nations caught contemplating how they might manipulate babe-in-the-woods Jared.
Just as a reminder, while Jared crashes and burns publicly, special counsel Robert Mueller has been looking into his foreign financial deals to see if there’s anything shady that can make him vulnerable to blackmail. That affects Ivanka, of course. The CNN story states:
Because Ivanka Trump and Kushner are married, concerns that arise during one partner's security clearance investigation could stall or block both of them from receiving a full clearance, according to a US official.
So far Mueller has left Ivanka alone, apparently not interviewing her yet, as have the congressional committees doing investigations. Why?
"Beats me," said Michael Zeldin, a CNN legal analyst and former prosecutor who previously worked for Mueller at the Justice Department.
"Either he's just biding his time," Zeldin said, "or he has obtained this evidence elsewhere and he doesn't need her, or he appreciates the possibility of a major eruption were he to do that."
I can buy #2 and #3, both, though Trump appears to be conflicted about his profligate daughter and son-in-law, sometimes seeming to want them to stay on and sometimes wanting them turfed out of the White House.
Anyway, shove over, Jared, and welcome, Ivanka, to the barrel. A space is being saved for your dad.
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