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>>> THERE’S BREAKING NEWS FROM
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" TONIGHT.
ACCORDING TO AN ANALYSIS OF
DONALD TRUMP’S TAX RECORDS,
WHICH WERE OBTAINED BY "THE NEW
YORK TIMES," THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES HAS A SECRET
BANK ACCOUNT IN CHINA THAT HE
HAS NEVER REVEALED IN HIS
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE FORMS.
"THE TIMES" REPORTS THE FOREIGN
ACCOUNTS DO NOT SHOW UP ON
TRUMP’S PUBLIC FINANCIAL
DISCLOSURES WHERE HE MUST LIST
PERSONAL ASSETS BECAUSE THEY ARE
HELD UNDER CORPORATE NAMES.
THE IDENTITIES OF THE FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS ARE NOT CLEAR.
DONALD TRUMP HAS LONG SOUGHT ALL
SORTS OF BUSINESS DEALS IN
CHINA.
HIS EFFORTS GO AT LEAST AS FAR
BACK AS 2006 WHEN HE FILED A
TRADEMARK APPLICATION IN HONG
KONG AND MAINLAND CHINA.
MANY CHINESE GOVERNMENT
APPROVALS CAME AFTER HE BECAME
PRESIDENT.
THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER IVANKA
TRUMP ALSO WON CHINESE TRADEMARK
APPROVALS FOR HER PERSONAL
BUSINESS AFTER -- ONLY AFTER HER
FATHER BECAME PRESIDENT AND SHE
PERSONALLY JOINED THE WHITE
HOUSE STAFF AND BECAME A FEDERAL
EMPLOYEE.
ACCORDING TO "THE NEW YORK
TIMES," TRUMP’S PLANS IN CHINA
HAVE BEEN LARGELY DRIVEN BY
TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTELS
MANAGEMENT, THE ONE WITH A
CHINESE BANK ACCOUNT.
IN 2017, THE FIRST YEAR OF THE
TRUMP PRESIDENCY, THE COMPANY
REPORTED AN UNUSUALLY LARGE
SPIKE IN REVENUE, SOME $17.5
MILLION, MORE THAN THE PREVIOUS
FIVE YEARS COMBINED.
IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A $15.1
MILLION WITHDRAWAL BY TRUMP FROM
THE COMPANY’S CAPITAL ACCOUNT.
JOINING OUR DISCUSSION NOW, TIM
O’BRIEN, SENIOR COLUMNIST FOR
BLOOMBERG OPINION.
HE IS THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK
"TRUMP NATION."
AND, TIM, I ALWAYS WONDER ON
THESE NIGHTS WHAT DID TIM KNOW
AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?
SINCE YOU’RE ONE OF THE VERY FEW
PEOPLE WHO EVER GOT A CHANCE TO
LOOK AT TRUMP TAX RETURNS WHEN
HE WAS SUING YOU FOR LIBEL AND,
OF COURSE, YOU WON THE CASE AND
IN THE PROCESS GOT A CHANCE TO
LOOK THROUGH DISCOVERY AT THOSE
TAX RETURNS.
WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO WHAT --
WHAT I’M LEARNING IN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES" TONIGHT AND YOU
MIGHT HAVE ALREADY HAD SOME HINT
OF?
>> WELL, EVEN WITHOUT LOOKING AT
DONALD TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS,
LAWRENCE, NOBODY SHOULD BE
SURPRISED THAT HE HAS A BANK
ACCOUNT IN CHINA.
HE HAD BEEN -- HE TRIED FOR OVER
A DECADE TO GET BUSINESS DONE
THERE.
YOU’VE ALREADY OUTLINED IVANKA’S
EFFORTS.
JARED KUSHNER PRIOR TO TRUMP
WINNING THE ELECTION WAS
COURTING CHINESE INVESTORS TO
BAIL THE KUSHNER FAMILY OUT OF
666 FIFTH AVENUE.
THE INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL
BANK OF CHINA, THE BIGGEST BANK
IN CHINA AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST
BANKS IN THE WORLD, WAS A TENANT
AT TRUMP TOWER.
AND TRUMP HAS BANK ACCOUNTS ALL
OVER THE WORLD.
MOST OF THEM HAVE NO MONEY IN
THEM.
HE DOES NOT LET CASH SIT AROUND
VERY LONG.
BUT REGARDLESS -- AND, YOU KNOW,
"THE TIMES" STORY IS
SPECULATIVE.
THEY’RE TRYING TO CONNECT DOTS.
THEY’RE LEAVING A LOT OF BREAD
CRUMBS HERE FOR PEOPLE LIKE CY
VANCE AT THE MANHATTAN DISTRICT
ATTORNEY’S OFFICE TO FOLLOW.
BUT EVEN IF THERE’S NOTHING
ULTIMATELY UNTOWARD ABOUT WHAT
MOVED THROUGH THAT CHINESE BANK
ACCOUNT, YOU CAN REST ASSURED
THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WAS
WATCHING IT THE ENTIRE TIME.
ELITE MEMBERS IN THE CHINESE
BUSINESS COMMUNITY KNEW WHAT WAS
GOING IN AND OUT OF THAT
ACCOUNT.
AND IF THERE WAS ANYTHING
UNTOWARD, THAT THEN BECOMES
LEVERAGE THAT THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT AND CHINESE BUSINESS
INTERESTS CAN EXERCISE OVER THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THIS IS EMBLEMATIC OF WHAT’S
HAUNTED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
FROM DAY ONE.
IS TRUMP IS FINANCIALLY
CONFLICTED.
HE BREAKS THE LAW OR BENDS THE
LAW WILLY-NILLY.