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Trump White House staffers on a trip to Saudi Arabia reportedly had rooms and meals covered by their hosts.
Most were unaware this was a violation of federal law, according to former White House aide Stephanie Grisham.
Grisham wrote that she heard Jared Kushner and his staff got "Rolex watches" and "ornamental swords."
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White House staffers may have violated federal law during President Donald Trump's 2017 trip to Saudi Arabia by illegally accepting and not declaring gifts from their hosts, former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham writes in her forthcoming memoir, an early copy of which was obtained by Insider.
"The rooms were paid for by the Saudi government," Grisham wrote, "and we were told we could order anything we wanted on the room service menu."
This would appear to run afoul of the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, but as Grisham recalls, much of the staff on hand for the former president's first foreign trip were unaware of the basic protocol.
"It was the first and only time that happened, because we came to find out that it was against the rules," Grisham continued. "I don't know if the state department ended up paying for staff rooms, but I imagine they did."
Normally, US personnel are trained to remain vigilant about foreign gifts, and must report anything worth more than $415.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.businessinsider.com/trump-white-house-room-service-paid-for-by-saudi-arabia-2021-10%3famp
Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)orangecrush
(19,645 posts)jimfields33
(16,015 posts)I bet she did exactly the same. Im not sure why shes called a press Secretary. She never held press conference. She made the easiest paycheck ever.
Response to jimfields33 (Reply #6)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,670 posts)What a fucking joke the Chamber of Commerce has become. A Republican owned business front.
Turbineguy
(37,374 posts)"OK, it was a fake Rolex!"
"You can tell by looking at the second sweep!"
"See? The gold case turns my wrist green!"
rsdsharp
(9,214 posts)Oyster Quartz Rolex had for about 15 minutes in the 70s early 80s. But I doubt it.
Eric would have been mesmerized by the tick, tick, tick.
aggiesal
(8,937 posts)Turbineguy
(37,374 posts)"Orneqa" watches as well.
James48
(4,443 posts)Thats incorrect. Regulations government wide are that anything over $20 FROM ANYONE must be refused, and acceptance of anything from a foreign source at all must be refused, unless approved by Congress.
former9thward
(32,097 posts)Foreign Gifts
Minimal Value for Foreign Gifts: $415.00
Every three years, the GSA is required to revise this minimal value.
Specifically, 5 U.S.C. 7432 requires the Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to redefine every three years the definition for minimal value for a foreign gift, based on the changes in the consumer price index for the immediately preceding three years. The implementing regulation is 41 CFR 102-42, Utilization, Donation, and Disposal of Foreign Gifts and Decorations. The current minimal value of $415 was defined in Federal Management Regulation (FMR) Bulletin B-50 [PDF - 268 KB] Foreign Gift and Decoration Minimal Value, dated March 10, 2020.
https://www.gsa.gov/policy-regulations/policy/personal-property-management-policy/foreign-gifts
barbtries
(28,813 posts)they're corrupt as fuck. laws schmaws.
aggiesal
(8,937 posts)In retrospect, if nothing happens to these grifters then the cost
of a Rolex is cheap compare to what was gifted to the Saudi's.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Response to lagomorph777 (Reply #10)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)NullTuples
(6,017 posts)aggiesal
(8,937 posts)When I was working for a DOD Contractor, we couldn't offer a cup of coffee to our
visitors from any person on the federal governments dime, including the services.
Anyone who took a cup of coffee, would drop money into a money cup by the coffee machine.
Almost always 50 cents.
The grifters are getting Rolex watches and room service?
Wow!
Unfortunately, I don't think anything will happen.
meadowlander
(4,408 posts)That adds up pretty fast.
Government jobs I've worked in the past the upper limit before you had to declare was more like $40-50 bucks and if you had to declare you might as well save your time filling in the paperwork because it was never going to get approved. Our team once had to declare a Christmas gift basket of crackers and cookies that couldn't have been more than $60-70 because it came from a contractor. HR rejected the request three days later but we'd already eaten it all by then. Well... there was no way to return it and it would have gone stale otherwise
The only way they "didn't know" is if they slept through induction and that's not a reasonable excuse for breaking the law.
former9thward
(32,097 posts)appleannie1
(5,072 posts)Smackdown2019
(1,191 posts)Common layman person would understand room service is someone cater to your room for meals or oddities for the room. Rolex watches or items that are not available at the local Walmart store are not room service items.
If such oddities were picked up, they must be returned back to the US Government. That's the law.
SergeStorms
(19,204 posts)and my highest elected office was Student Council president in high school. Yeah, they didn't know. They were just letting everyone know the grift was on, and you could buy just about anything you wanted from the Trump maladministration.
Snackshack
(2,541 posts)Looted everything they could from day 1 even the inauguration funds and nothing was or will ever be done about it.
There was a case that got to the Supreme Court about emoluments violations in 2020
but the Supreme Court dismissed it Jan 25 of this yr I believe. Their reason
trump was no longer president so it was a moot point
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/01/25/politics/emoluments-supreme-court-donald-trump-case/index.html