Title: House Oversight Committee Report Documents $7.8 Million in Foreign Payments to Trump-Owned Businesses During Presidential Term

In a groundbreaking report released by Democrats on the House Oversight committee, it has been revealed that former President Donald Trump's businesses received over $7.8 million in payments from at least 20 foreign governments during his two years in office. The report, which highlights potential violations of the U.S. Constitution, includes payments from countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

Under Article I of the U.S. Constitution, presidents are prohibited from accepting money from foreign governments without congressional approval. The Democrats' evidence, obtained from the former president's accounting firm Mazars USA after a lengthy legal battle decided by the Supreme Court, consists of thousands of records.

Notably, the report emphasizes that Trump did not divest from his businesses before taking office, despite warnings from government ethics officials. Instead, he handed over day-to-day decision-making to his two eldest sons and promised no new foreign deals while in office. However, the evidence gathered suggests that payments from foreign governments continued regardless.

The largest documented payment came from China's state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank, which paid $5.4 million in rent for space in Trump Tower during Trump's first two years as president. The lease agreement had been initiated in 2008, well before his 2015 presidential campaign announcement.

Other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, India, and Malaysia, also made payments exceeding $200,000 to Trump hotels and properties, as disclosed in the report.

In response to the findings, a spokesperson for the Trump Organization, Kimberly Benza, stated that profits from hotel stays were donated in full to the United States Treasury while Trump was in office. The organization also implemented a program voluntarily to track foreign government patronage, according to Benza.

However, the report notes that paying back profits does not absolve Trump under the Constitution, and the Democrats argue that more financial documents are needed to verify the former president's accounting.

The report further highlights the possibility that the total amount of foreign government spending could be significantly higher. It should be noted that the report covers only two years of Trump's presidency, as the Republicans, who gained control of Congress in 2023, ceased enforcing document requests.

The release of this report comes shortly after Republicans launched an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, alleging his involvement in his son's foreign business dealings without direct evidence. The Democrats behind the report deny any connection between the timing of its release and the ongoing investigation into Biden.

Representative Jamie Raskin, the lead author of the report and the top Democrat on the House Oversight committee, noted that the investigation began years ago and covers the entire duration of Trump's term in office.