Business Insider: Experts Say a Letter From the Trump Organization's Lawyers to Panama's President is Trump's 'Not So Subtle Attempt' to Use the Presidency for 'Personal Gain'
Ethics experts say a controversial letter sent from a law firm representing the Trump Organization to Panama's president regarding a dispute is evidence that President Donald Trump is seeking to use his position for private gain.
On Monday, The Associated Press reported on the letter, noting that lawyers at Britton & Iglesias appealed directly to Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela for help in a dispute over a luxury Panama City hotel.
The firm, representing the Trump Organization, asked Varela to intervene in the legal dispute, arguing that the courts denied the Trump Organization due process and violated a bilateral treaty. The AP reported that the letter also warned of consequences for Panama if he didn't.
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"So, his company asking the president of Panama ... to intervene in a business dispute that is in the Panamanian courts, citing a foreign treaty and implying that Panama would be seen as at fault if his business suffered damages, appears to be a not so subtle attempt to use the weight of Trump's presidency for personal gain," Larry Noble, the senior director and general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, told Business Insider.
Noble added that this move is "a step beyond" past instances of conflicts involving Trump and his business.