Donald Trump administration failed to disclose 17 gifts from India, says US panel report
The gifts were said to be worth $47,000, or Rs 38.78 lakh.
Former President Donald Trump failed to disclose 17 gifts from India during his tenure at the White House, a report by the United States House of Representatives’ Committee on Oversight and Accountability has said.
The report, published on March 17, alleged that Trump and his family received 117 gifts from foreign countries that were not reported by the White House. The gifts were worth around $2,91,000, or Rs 2.40 crore, the report said.
The unreported gifts from India were said to be worth $47,000, or Rs 38.78 lakh. Of the 17 gifts, 11 were presented to the former United States president and one was presented to him and former First Lady Melania Trump jointly. One more gift was presented to Melania Trump.
Three gifts were given to his daughter Ivanka Trump and one to his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a black marble table and cufflinks to Donald Trump, a bracelet to Melania Trump and another bracelet to Ivanka Trump. Modi also presented a painting on silk to Ivanka Trump in 2019.
The other gifts were presented to the Trump family by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, former president Ram Nath Kovind, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the Indian embassy in the Philippines.
The oversight committee of the United States House of Representatives also alleged that the White House under Trump failed to report 16 gifts worth $45,000 dollars (Rs 37.12 lakh) from Saudi Arabia and five gifts worth $3,400 (Rs 2.80 lakh) from China.
In the United States, the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act bars the president and other federal officials from keeping gifts from foreign governments worth more than a minimal value, which is currently set at $415, or Rs 34,254.
Gifts worth more than this amount become the property of the United States government.