House Democrat Calls For 'immediate' Ethics Probe Of Qatari Plane Gift To Trump

A Democratic congressman is calling for an morals investigation complete President Donald Trump's plans to judge a $400 cardinal pitchy from Qatar that would temporarily service arsenic Air Force One earlier being allotted to Trump's statesmanlike room aft he leaves office.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote to nan Government Accountability Office connected Sunday, noting that the plane would beryllium nan azygous astir costly gift ever received by a U.S. president. Torres derided nan woody arsenic a "flying grift," arguing it violates nan Emoluments Clause of nan U.S. Constitution, which "explicitly prohibits immoderate personification holding nationalist agency from accepting ‘any present, Emolument, Office, aliases Title, of immoderate benignant whatever, from immoderate King, Prince, aliases overseas State.'"

"I americium penning to definitive siren complete reports that President Donald Trump is poised to judge a luxury craft — a Boeing 747-8 — from nan authorities of Qatar. The plane, truthful opulent it has been described arsenic a ‘palace successful nan sky,’ is group to beryllium made disposable to President Trump for charismatic usage arsenic Air Force One and past for backstage usage erstwhile he leaves office," Torres wrote.

"This ‘flying grift’ is simply nan latest section successful a tawdry communicative of statesmanlike profiteering unprecedented successful American history," Torres added.

TRUMP TEASES 'VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT' AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE'S 'ON EDGE OF MY SEAT'

President Donald Trump says he plans to judge nan gift of a $400 cardinal pitchy from Qatar. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Trump described nan woody successful his ain words connected societal media successful a station Sunday night.

"So nan truth that nan Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 craft to switch nan 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, successful a very nationalist and transparent transaction, truthful bothers nan Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for nan plane," he wrote.

"Anybody tin do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!!" he added.

TRUMP STAFFERS LOAD BOXES OF ITEMS SEIZED BY FBI IN 2022 MAR-A-LAGO RAID ONTO AIR FORCE ONE

ABC News reported that Trump toured nan level successful West Palm Beach earlier this year. While nan woody is group to beryllium announced during Trump's travel to nan Middle East this week, nan existent transaction is not expected to beryllium made until later. Qatari officials opportunity they expect to donate nan level done nan Pentagon.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, a Democrat from New York, is calling for an morals investigation into President Donald Trump's plans to judge a pitchy from Qatar arsenic a gift. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"The imaginable transportation of an craft for impermanent usage arsenic Air Force One is presently nether information betwixt Qatar's Ministry of Defense and nan U.S. Department of Defense, but nan matter remains nether reappraisal by nan respective ineligible departments, and nary determination has been made," Qatari embassy charismatic Ali Al-Ansari told ABC News.

Presidents person for decades circumvented nan Emoluments Clause by classifying gifts they person while successful agency arsenic gifts to nan agency of nan president. Those gifts are past cataloged and stored arsenic portion of their statesmanlike libraries aft leaving office. While presidents support immoderate level of entree to nan items successful their libraries, they do not ain them straight and must acquisition them from nan national authorities successful bid to unafraid backstage ownership.

TRUMP STAFFERS LOAD BOXES OF ITEMS SEIZED BY FBI IN 2022 MAR-A-LAGO RAID ONTO AIR FORCE ONE

If nan pitchy were to participate Trump's statesmanlike library, it is unclear really costs would beryllium apportioned for attraction and usage costs.

A Boeing 747-8, nan aforesaid wide exemplary arsenic nan 1 being talented to Trump, sits connected a tarmac.  (Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

When not successful agency arsenic president, Trump has traveled successful his backstage Boeing 757 jet, dubbed Trump Force One. That pitchy is famously emblazoned pinch Trump's past sanction and was often seen successful nan backdrop of run rallies.