President Donald Trump's company said Friday it is exploring the sale of its marquee Washington hotel, which has been at the center of nearly three years of ethics complaints and lawsuits accusing him of trying to profit off the presidency.
The Trump Organization says it will consider offers to buy it out of a 100-year lease of the building, partly to avoid criticism over conflicts of interest. The Trump International Hotel, which opened in late 2016 just before Trump was elected, has been a magnet for lobbyists and diplomats looking to curry favor with the administration.
"People are objecting to us making so much money on the hotel and therefore we may be willing to sell," said Eric Trump, who is executive vice president of the Trump Organization. He added, "Since we opened our doors, we have received tremendous interest in this hotel and as real-estate developers, we are always willing to explore our options."
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said it's important for the city that the property is successful. She said she thought selling it would be a good move.
"I think with all the questions raised about emoluments and if the president and his company are benefiting from the hotel, [this] would certainly clear up one potential conflict," she said.
The opulent hotel housed in the Old Post Office building down the street from the White House has hosted parties thrown by diplomats from the Philippines, Kuwait and other countries, and has been among the biggest money makers in Trump's real estate empire.
It is at the center of two lawsuits accusing the president of violating the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bans presidents from receiving gifts or payments from foreign governments.
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According to Trump's most recent financial disclosure, the 263-room hotel took in $41 million in revenue last year, up less than half a million dollars from the previous year.
In his statement, Eric Trump addressed concerns about conflicts of interest by noting the company cuts a check to the U.S. Treasury each year for what it calculates as "profit" from foreign government business at its hotels and other properties. That amounted to $191,538 last year, up from $151,470 the previous year.
The Trump Organization said it has hired real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle to consider offers.
