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Friday 15 January 2021

Washington DC Attorney General wants to interview Don Jr. as part of lawsuit alleging 2017 inaugural committee misused donor money including covering $49,000 hotel bill for rooms booked by his assistant

 Donald Trump Jr is wanted for questioning by the attorney general of Washington DC as part of his investigation into the misuse of funds intended for his father's 2017 inauguration.

Karl Racine, the attorney general, notified Trump Jr that it would like to interview him, a spokesperson with the office told CNN.

On Thursday night Racine told CNN that Trump Jr appeared to have given hotel rooms to his friend, and left the non-profit organization behind the presidential inauguration to pay for it. 

'The evidence is clear,' he said. 'The Trump business and the Trump family used the not-for-profit to profit themselves.

'That's why the Presidential Inauguration Commission paid so much money for rooms and event space that were far above market rate during the inauguration commission, and that's why we just amended our complaint to include that Donald Trump Jr.'s good friend essentially had a free set of rooms for a period of time during the inauguration for no good not-for-profit purpose.'

Trump Jr, pictured on January 6 whipping up the crowd before they stormed the Capitol, is sought for questioning by the attorney general of Washington DC over the 2017 inauguration

Trump Jr, pictured on January 6 whipping up the crowd before they stormed the Capitol, is sought for questioning by the attorney general of Washington DC over the 2017 inauguration

Karl Racine, the attorney general of Washington DC, sued the Trump Organization and non-profit Presidential Inaugural Committee alleging they misused more than $1 million

Karl Racine, the attorney general of Washington DC, sued the Trump Organization and non-profit Presidential Inaugural Committee alleging they misused more than $1 million

Ivanka Trump confirmed in December that she had been questioned by Racine's team

Ivanka Trump confirmed in December that she had been questioned by Racine's team

Trump Jr's sister Ivanka was interviewed before Christmas, and described the investigation as 'another politically motivated demonstration of vindictiveness & waste of taxpayer dollars'.

Tom Barrack, chairman of the inaugural committee, was deposed on November 17, according to the court filing. Rick Gates, another official with the campaign, has also been deposed.


The interview request comes after new information about Trump Jr's role was revealed in court filings earlier this week.

In January 2020, the DC attorney general's office sued the Trump Organization and Presidential Inaugural Committee alleging they misused more than $1 million raised by the nonprofit by 'grossly overpaying' for use of event space at the Trump Hotel in Washington for the 2017 inauguration.

Trump's inauguration, in January 2017, was the most expensive in history

Trump's inauguration, in January 2017, was the most expensive in history

Trump Jr's college friend Gentry Beach, pictured with his wife, booked $49,000 in hotel rooms

Trump Jr's college friend Gentry Beach, pictured with his wife, booked $49,000 in hotel rooms

Earlier this week, the attorney general's office said in a court filing that it found new evidence through the course of its investigation that the President Inaugural Committee 'improperly wasted its fund when it paid almost $50,000 to the Loews Madison' for a block of hotel rooms reserved by the Trump Organization.

The reservation was made by Trump Jr's college friend Gentry Beach.

The Trump Inaugural Committee, a tax-exempt nonprofit, paid the $49,000 hotel bill that should have gone to the Trump Organization, Racine's case states.

'This reservation was arranged by the personal assistant to Donald Trump, Jr. at the Trump Organization,' the court documents state.

'The contract was executed on behalf of the Trump Organization by a close personal friend of Donald Trump, Jr. named Gentry Beach.'

The President's Inaugural Committee was not part of the contract, the attorney general's office alleges, but after the Trump Organization failed to pay the invoice, a collection agency contacted Rick Gates, a top official on the committee, seeking payment. 

Gates, according to court filings, forwarded the invoice to people working on the inaugural's finances.

The Trump family is pictured on stage at the inauguration in January 2017

The Trump family is pictured on stage at the inauguration in January 2017

The inaugural committee paid $3.6 million to the Trump Hotel in Washington DC, and $3.9 million to design and print tickets

The inaugural committee paid $3.6 million to the Trump Hotel in Washington DC, and $3.9 million to design and print tickets

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