Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he was sending gold golf clubs given to him by the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) after being criticized for failing to report gifts he and his family received from foreign governments. The Hill reported on the 11th (local time).
Former President Trump said on his social media platform, “I am happy to inform you that after a search I was able to find a golden (painted!) screwdriver.” “I was in the locker room at Trump International Golf Club with the others.”
He also said about the gold golf club he received as a gift from former Prime Minister Abe, “It has never been used.”
Former President Trump said, “This club was given to me before taking office and they say there is no reporting requirement, but it is nonetheless delivered to NARA. Our company buys thousands of clubs a year!”
House Democrats released a report last month criticizing the former president and his family for not disclosing more than 100 gifts totaling valued at $300,000 from foreign governments while in the White House.
According to NARA, it is the property of the American people to give gifts to foreign leaders. The President may retain some gifts from foreign civilians valued at less than $415, and possession of gifts exceeding that amount must be reported to the President’s taxes.
President Trump’s transfer of the club to NARA came as the US Justice Department-appointed Special Prosecutor Jack Smith investigated the handling of classified material.
The FBI’s search and seizure of former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, found classified materials stored during his tenure. The Presidential Records Act stipulates that after leaving the White House after leaving office, the President’s materials are handed over to NARA for storage.
The former president, who is battling other legal issues in Manhattan, pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records earlier this month. He is the first US president to be charged with a crime.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.