Is An Upcoming Conference At Trump's DC Hotel A Huge 'Pay-To-Play' Event?

WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump's refusal to divest himself from his sprawling empire has raised major ethics concerns, and nowhere are those concerns more acute than at his newly opened Trump International Hotel right down the street from the White House. And an event scheduled this spring is setting off alarm bells for ethics watchdogs.

The hotel will be the host of the 36th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkey Relations on May 21-23. The conference is sponsored by the Turkey-U.S. Business Council (TAIK) and the American Turkish Council.

Of course, it's not unusual for hotels to host conferences, but here's where it gets murky: The TAIK is chaired by a Turkish-American businessman, Ekim Alptekin, who is tied to the Turkish government and founded a company that paid disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn for lobbying work, as WAMU first reported.

WAMU quotes an American Turkish Council spokesperson who said that the dates for the conference weren't available at the Ritz-Carlton, so they settled on Trump's hotel, but it certainly creates an appearance of impropriety in the eyes of Trump's opponents. It's also likely to result in new accusations that Trump is violating the U.S. Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which prohibits presidents from receiving benefits from foreign powers.

And this is not a small event; many high-level officials will be on hand who would love to influence the president.

"This year, the 36th Annual Conference on U.S.-Turkey Relations will again convene hundreds of stakeholders and thought leaders to address key bilateral commercial and diplomatic topics," according to the event description. "Participants include leaders and visionaries in the private sector, government, and the non-profit space.

"CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors, key Members of the U.S. Congress and the Turkish Parliament, as well as Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries assemble to discuss noteworthy macro and sector-specific topics to identify and act on ways to further promote ties," the description adds. "The Conference offers up-to-the-minute business briefings, cultural events, workshops, and opportunities for American and Turkish businesspeople to develop their network, learn from experts across sectors, and exchange information on strategic and practical opportunities."

Image via Gage Skidmore