Democrats Call To Investigate Donald Trump’s Golf Club

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There’s no small irony in the fact that the same president whose main campaign promise was ridding the country of undocumented immigrants, a man who said he would heavily punish American companies for hiring anyone other than Americans, being caught hiring undocumented workers as a cost-cutting measure.

Trump’s golf resorts were not only discovered to have hired undocumented workers but to have helped them obtain forged documents in order to work for them. That isn’t, however, the most startling piece of the story. Democrats signed a letter to Director Christopher Wray calling on the FBI to investigate the abuse of these immigrants through “forced and coerced labor,” among other allegations.

CNN reports that the letter began by saying:

‘We write to you to request a thorough federal investigation into the disturbing allegations from former Trump Organization employees that demonstrate possible violations of both civil and criminal law by the Trump National Golf Club in Westchester County, New York and Bedminster, New Jersey.’

More than 20 undocumented immigrants say that they were illegally employed by the golf clubs, and some say they suffered physical and mental abuse. These are violations of federal employment laws and add to the severity of the criminal accusations being made against Trump’s company.

‘The number of immigrants claiming they were employed illegally by the Trump Organization has risen to over 20 individuals and raises serious questions of criminal activity and numerous violations of employment laws at the Trump Golf Club in Westchester County, New York and Bedminster, New Jersey—including conspiracy charges, procuring false documents, and forced and coerced labor.’

Adding to the complications around any investigation into yet another Trump crime is the push by Trump’s administration to deport undocumented immigrants. Twenty or more witnesses who are currently still in the country illegally being deported before a full investigation can be completed could make the charges difficult to probe. Democrats addressed that threat in their letter.

‘Additionally, we request that the victims of the alleged criminal and civil violations be protected as material witnesses and victims. If the Department of Homeland Security deports any of these workers, it would be an obstruction of justice.’

Featured image via Flickr by Gage Skidmore under a Creative Commons license