Avaaz, a human rights advocacy organization, has filed a petition with the highest-ranking civil court in Scotland requesting a review of the Scottish government’s previous decision not to pursue what’s called an unexplained wealth order targeting former President Donald Trump. Avaaz is hoping to get the proposed investigation into Trump’s finances moving.
In the U.K., unexplained wealth orders allow authorities to demand an explanation for sources of funding behind particular endeavors, thereby helping the government guard against issues like money laundering and other financial corruption. The unexplained wealth order singling out Trump would cover his two golf courses in Scotland, which he bought in cash. As summarized by Reuters, Trump “spent more than $300 million in cash purchasing and developing the Scottish courses, neither of which has turned a profit.” Where did the money come from? That’s what Avaaz — and some Scottish leaders — want to know.
As Reuters adds, if Trump’s company “couldn’t satisfy the court that the money was clean,” then “the government, in theory, could seize the properties.”
In their new filing, Avaaz argues that Scottish authorities originally rejected the push for an inquiry into Trump’s funding for his golf courses on the basis of an erroneous interpretation of the relevant law. As summarized by Reuters, Scottish Justice Minister Humza Yousaf insisted that “unexplained wealth orders should be instigated by law enforcement officials rather than politicians.” Avaaz counters that “Scotland’s ministers have sole responsibility to determine whether to apply for an unexplained wealth order and cannot delegate that responsibility to” other officials, Reuters notes.
Going forward, if the court sides with Avaaz, then Scottish authorities could in theory concoct a new explanation for rejecting the push for an unexplained wealth order targeting Trump — or they might decide to go ahead and back the order. Interestingly, longtime golf writer James Dodson said in 2017 that Eric Trump — the former president’s son and a top executive at the family business — had “told him the courses were financed with money from Russia,” Reuters says. Eric has denied making the remark, but Dodson is apparently sticking by it.
Discussing the interaction — which he says took place in August 2013 at Trump’s golf club in Charlotte, North Carolina — Dodson told Reuters as follows:
‘It was really a simple question. I said: ‘How are you funding all these acquisitions?’ He said: ‘We don’t rely on American banks. We get all the money we need from foreign investors.’ And I remember asking if he meant the Chinese. And he said, ‘No, we get all the money we need to get right out of Russia.”
In the U.S., members of Congress are continuing to pursue Trump’s tax returns as part of their own effort to scrutinize the former president’s finances. Obtaining the tax returns could provide Congress with a crucial set of details to help guide legislative efforts to combat corruption like Trump’s behavior.
