Gulf Governments Brace For Democratic Probes Into Trump Dealings, The Washington Post Reports
Officials say Democrats have warned Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar that congressional inquiries are coming, while the governments are unlikely to hand over private communications
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Gulf governments are preparing for a wave of congressional inquiries into alleged corruption involving President Donald Trump, his administration and his family after Democrats won both the House and the Senate in the November 3 midterms, The Washington Post reported, citing officials in Washington and diplomats in the Gulf who spoke anonymously.
Democrats have warned the governments of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar of the coming investigations, and have said that failing to comply could jeopardize their relations with Washington, according to the report. The three countries’ embassies declined to comment.
The inquiries are expected to focus on real estate deals, financial investments and other transactions, including the $400 million luxury jet that Qatar gave the United States.
The report said the most intensive scrutiny is expected on the UAE, where an entity connected to a senior member of the ruling family bought a $500 million stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto company founded by Trump’s sons and the son of envoy Steve Witkoff, months before the UAE was granted access to advanced US microchips.
In Saudi Arabia, lawmakers are expected to look at the sovereign wealth fund’s $2 billion investment in Affinity Partners, the private equity firm founded by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, in 2021, the Trump family’s expanding real estate projects in Jeddah and Riyadh, and the July agreement allowing the kingdom to build nuclear power plants with US technology.
Gulf governments have defended their dealings as legitimate and rejected claims that they sought to curry favor.
The Gulf governments are not expected to provide the private communications that lawmakers want, according to two diplomats cited in the report, who said disclosure would be embarrassing and could invite punitive congressional action.
Congressional subpoena power does not extend to foreign governments, but Congress could respond through arms sales and security assistance, two Democratic aides said.
Sen. Chris Murphy, who visited the Gulf in October, said he raised corruption concerns with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince and Qatar’s emir, and said “our foreign policy has been corrupted.”
The prospect of strained ties comes as the Iran war enters its ninth month and the Pentagon reconsiders its footprint in the region.
The White House has denied any conflicts, and the Justice Department has said the jet gift was legal.