Donald Trump’s son brands Scottish Greens leader ‘spineless’ over money laundering claims

p Eric Trump has branded a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/patrick-harviePatrick Harvie/a quot;an irrelevant and spineless politicianquot; after the Scottish Greens leader suggested US President Donald Trump could be involved in money laundering. /p p Trump Jnr said Harvieapos;s calls for an investigation into how his a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/donald-trumpfather/a was able to afford the purchase of land for golf resorts in Scotland were quot;wildly inappropriate allegations to advance his own political agenda and gain attentionquot;. /p p The US Presidentapos;s son, who is a trustee and executive vice-president of the Trump Organisation, demanded Mr Harvie quot;retract his libellous statementsquot; and called him a quot;disgrace to the a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/scottish-parliamentScottish Parliament/a quot;. /p p Speaking at First Ministerapos;s Questions, Harvie asked a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/nicola-sturgeonNicola Sturgeon/a to apply for unexplained wealth order because of quot;big questions over Trumpapos;s business dealings in Scotlandquot;. /p img src=https://i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article21592680.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Scottish-Daily-Politics-2020.jpg title=Patrick Harvie asked Nicola Sturgeon to apply for unexplained wealth order because of quot;big questions over Trumpapos;s business dealings in Scotlandquot; data-portal-copyright=Getty Images p/p pReferring to evidence heard by the US House of Representatives suggesting the land bought by Trump could be linked to potential money laundering, Harvie said: quot;The purchase of Menie and the Turnberry golf resort were part of Trumpapos;s huge cash spending spree in the midst of a global financial crisis./p pquot;Trumpapos;s known sources of income donapos;t explain where the money came from for these huge cash transactions./p pquot;There are reasonable grounds for suspecting that his lawfully obtained income was insufficient./p p quot;Scottish ministers can apply via the a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/courtsCourt of Session/a for an unexplained wealth order, a tool designed for precisely these kinds of situations.quot; /p p A letter from campaigners calling for Trump to be investigated was passed to the lord advocate in May 2019 by the a data-content-type=section-topic data-link-tracking=InArticle|Link href=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/all-about/scottish-governmentScottish Government/a . /p img src=https://i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk/incoming/article21592667.ece/ALTERNATES/s810/0_Donald-Trump-visit-to-UK.jpg title=Patrick Harvie questioned Donald Trumpapos;s purchases of his golf resorts in Scotland data-portal-copyright=PA #xA0; p/p pResponding to the remarks, Trump Jnr said: quot;Mr Harvieapos;s disgusting statements, made without any supporting evidence and having absolutely no basis in fact, are reckless, irresponsible and unbecoming for a member of the Scottish Parliament./p pquot;An irrelevant and spineless politician, Mr Harvie has long expressed deep-seated animus toward the Trump Organisation, its principles and its projects, making wildly inappropriate allegations to advance his own political agenda and gain attention./p pquot;Over the past decade, the Trump Organisation has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Scotland while creating thousands of jobs.quot;/p pHe added: quot;Mr Harvie is a disgrace to the Scottish Parliament./p pquot;His conduct does not serve the best interests of Scottish people and he should be admonished and sanctioned for his conduct./p pquot;We demand that he immediately retract his libellous statements, failing which we will hold him fully accountable.quot;/p pAs Harvie made the comments while speaking in the Scottish Parliament, he is protected under law from defamation action./p pTo be punished by Holyroodapos;s Standards Committee, he would have to judged to have broken the MSPsapos; code of conduct, although that explicitly does not cover quot;members expressing their political views in their capacity as a memberquot;./p pA Scottish Government spokeswoman said: quot;Any decision about whether or not to apply for an UWO is made on behalf of Scottish ministers by the Civil Recovery Unit, which reports to the lord advocate.quot;/p