The U.S. military is reportedly seeking to rent space in Trump Tower that could cost $1.5 million per year, a move that once again raises ethics questions about government funds going directly into a company owned by President Donald Trump, CNN reports.
The Pentagon said that "the space is necessary for the personnel and equipment who will support the POTUS at his residence in the building," explaining that close proximity to the commander in chief is necessary for military support of the president, including those who keep the "nuclear football" nearby.
Similar arrangements have been made for past presidents when they are not staying at the White House, including at the Chicago home of Barack Obama.
But Richard Painter, who was White House ethics counsel under George W. Bush, told The Washington Post: "I have never heard of a president charging rent to the DOD or any other part of the government so they can be near him on his travels. He should give them for free a very limited amount of space and they can rent nearby if needed."
Painter last month sued the president on behalf of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics for allegedly violating the Constitution, because Trump has refused to sell off some assets and place the rest into a blind trust, as every president has done with his business interests for the past four decades, the Star Tribune reported.
Instead, Trump has resigned from his official management roles and turned them over to his sons to manage while promising not to ask about them.
Trump Organization and White House officials did not respond to requests for comment, the Post said.
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