Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced Tuesday that he will place holds on all Justice Department political appointees until Attorney General Pamela Bondi answers questions about reports that Qatar is offering to gift President Donald Trump a plane to use as Air Force One, as well as Bondi’s approval of the deal.
Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor that Bondi should answer how security measures were installed on the plane, what modifications would be needed to ensure a foreign-sourced Air Force One is safe and, if additional modifications are needed, whether the cost would be covered by the Qataris or by American taxpayers.
“Why would we take the risk of trusting any foreign country to do the sensitive work?” Schumer said.
Schumer also said Bondi needs to testify in front of the House and the Senate to explain why accepting the plane does not violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. Lawmakers have argued that the clause requires presidents to obtain congressional consent before accepting benefits from foreign governments.
Schumer called Bondi’s decision to approve the plane gift “blatantly inept.”
Other concerns of Schumer included whether Qatar was being offered anything in return for the jet, citing past security concerns with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
“This is not just naked corruption, it is also a grave national security threat,” he said.
Schumer also said the Foreign Agents Registration Act unit at the Justice Department needs to take further actions to disclose all activities by Qatari foreign agents inside the United States that could benefit Trump or his family.
“Since Attorney General Bondi took charge, the Department of Justice has not been doing its job when it comes to the FARA,” he said.
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