Carper, Warren Demand Transparency, Resolution on Violated Lease Agreement for Old Post Office Building

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.), senior member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to the Acting Administrator of the General Services Administration (GSA), Timothy Horne, seeking information on how GSA is acting to resolve the violation of its lease agreement with Trump Old Post Office--LLC, affiliate of the Trump Organization.

"As you know, the lease agreement GSA executed with affiliates of the Trump Organization to redevelop and manage the Old Post Office building in Washington, D.C. plainly states: "No...elected official of the Government of the United States...shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom...' Federal procurement officials include this clause in lease agreements to avoid the appearance of favoritism or preferential treatment toward federal officials."

Because President Trump has refused to fully divest from his conflicts of interests related to the Trump Organization, on Friday, January 20, he effectively became both landlord and tenant of the Old Post Office building. This scenario, the senators wrote, "is a breach of the plain language of the lease agreement and presents unmanageable conflicts of interest for career GSA officials and President Trump."

In addition to the steps that GSA will take to address the violated lease, the senators have requested all communications related to this issue between GSA and the Trump Transition team, as well as the Trump Administration.

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