Congress of the United States ashing, BE, 20515 February 27, 2018 ‘Alan Garten General Counsel ‘The Trump Organization ‘Trump Tower 725 Sth Avenue New York, NY 10022 Dear Mr Garten, ‘As members ofthe House Committee on Foreign Affairs, we write to request information bout the Trump Organization's role inthe development ofthe Trump Ocean Club Panama. ‘According to Reuters, President Trump has earned, and continues o earn millions of dollars in ‘management fees and royalties from this property. Given widely reported allegations of money laundering and drug trafficking in connection with Tramp Ocean Club Panama, we believe i is imperative to understand the Trump Organization's knowledge of and role in sales a this propery. (On November 17, 2017, the non-governmental organization Global Wirness published a report entitled "Narco-a-Lago: Money Laundering atthe Trump Ocean Club Panama.” On the ‘same day, Reuters and NBC released a video interview with Alexandre Ventura Nogueira, 2 ‘Brazilian national who stated that he had served as an agent conducting pre-construction sales for properties in Trump Ocean Club. ‘The Global Wimess report raised serious concems about fhe backgrounds of some ofthe ‘agents iavolved in pre-construction sales forthe Trump Ocean Club, as well as some ofthe investors who acquired the properties. For example, Mr. Venturahiraself, who reportedly ‘brokered up to one third of overall Trump Ocean Club properties, was arested by Panamanian, authorities in 2009 on charges related to real estate fraud. According tothe Global Wimess report, Mr, Ventura was listed as an officer in “more than hall” ofthe 119 companies that were created for the purpose of executing sales of Trump Ocean Club properties, and several ofthese ‘units were sold to an associate of Mr. Ventura named David Helmut Murcia Guzmén, Mr. ‘Murcia Guzman is a Colombian national who was extradited to the United States in 2010. In 2011, Murcia Guzman pled guilty o conspiracy to launder the proceeds of illegal narcotics trafficking, and in 2013, be was convicted by a Colombian court for money laundering and illegally eceiving money. tthe time thatthe Trump Ocean Club was under development, Panama had an inemational reputation as a haven for money laundering activities, including in the real estate sector. In 2006, the year when the Trump Ocean Club deal was announced, the State Department's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report on Panama sated that "Panama isMr. Alan Garten February 27, 2018 Page 10 a major drug-transit country, and particularly vulnerable to money laundering.” Furthermore, in 2007, the Panamanian Attorney General Ana Matilde Gomez acknowledged to Reufers that there ‘were “illicit investors” inthe Panamanian realestate sector. Is therefore reasonable to expect that the Trump Organization should have been aware ofthe reputational and legal risks of doing. business in Panama's realestate sector, and should have conducted due diligence on investors. and agents in order to mitigate such risks We therefore request that you provide us with timely answers to the following questions: ‘© What steps did the Trump Organization take to conduct due diligence on the investors or agents involved in Trump Ocean Club? ‘© Did the Trump Organization at any time become aware that any agents or investors involved in Trump Ocean Club were involved in money laundering or illegal narcotics trafficking? '* Iso, what actions did the Trump Organization take to report such activities to the appropriate authorities, such as the Panamanian Public Ministry or the United States Department of Justice, and to end any business arrangements with such individuals? ‘The answers ofthese questions are essential as we carry out oversight of U.S. policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean. Combatting drug trafficking remains a significant foreign policy priority forthe United States, and in Fiscal Year 2017 alone, Congress appropriated $533,200,000 in Western Hemisphere funds within the International Narcotics ‘Control and Law Enforcement Account. I is our responsibility to ensure not only that these funds are used effectively, but also thatthe President and other relevant government officials remain fully committed to the goal of dismantling the transnational criminal organizations that are responsible for smuggling drugs into the United States Therefore, ifthe President, in @ previous role, failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the laundering of drug money, it would be of grave concern tous. We look forward to your response, and thank you for your attention to this important 1 me Now? Edd L. bage- House Committee on Foreign ATfaies