1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

Please do everything you can to move your colleagues in Congress to launch an investigation into the $400 million "gift" of a luxurious private jet from Qatar to President Trump. As I know you know, the gift is an egregious violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause and a huge national security threat, and I honestly can’t believe it’s even on the table. Clearly, this colossal bribe from Qatar, a state-sponsor of terrorism that funds Hamas, crosses a bright constitutional line. Allowing a foreign power to provide the President's mobile command center also clearly raises alarming counterintelligence risks. As experts have warned, this gift plane would require massively expensive and exhaustive sweeps and inspections to detect any pre-installed surveillance equipment or other security vulnerabilities. And even after that, how can we trust that Qatar has not secured hidden access or influence over operations aboard the plane? This represents an unacceptable threat to national security. This is the very type of foreign corruption the Founders sought to guard against. I demand Congress exercise its constitutional duty by immediately launching a thorough investigation into this matter. The gift cannot be allowed to stand. Violations this blatant are destroying our democracy and system of checks and balances. You and Congress must forcefully denounce and block this unlawful emolument from a hostile foreign power. Our democratic institutions and national security depend on it.