Two Democratic senators on Friday called on President Donald Trump to release the membership list and other information from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida in order to assure the public that the club won’t serve as “a private refuge for pay-to-play politics.”
Trump travelled to Mar-a-Lago for the first time as President on Friday.
A letter sent by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tom Udall (D-NM) referenced a recently reported two-fold increase in the club’s membership fee—up to $200,000—and said: “Presumably demand for memberships has increased dramatically since you were elected President with the expectation that a membership at your Club will offer special access to you when you are there.”
“Your Winter White House will provide an audience with you for those who can afford it, not to mention an increasing cash-flow into your family-run organization,” the letter added. “Instead of draining the swamp, it appears you’re bringing Washington right to the swamps of Mar-a-Lago.”
To dispel any notion that the club was “a private refuge for pay-to-play politics,” the the senators said, Trump should disclose Mar-a-Lago’s membership list, and a list of those in attendance at the club when Trump is there.
The letter also asked Trump to explain the measures he is taking to ensure his safety at the club, and to ensure no one in attendance has “ties to foreign governments or other entities that seek to influence you or United States policy.”
Correction: This post originally reported that former Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) co-authored the letter to Trump. We regret the error.
Read Whitehouse and Udall’s letter below:
