FBI counterintelligence officials are scrutinizing one of Ivanka Trump’s business deals related to a hotel in Vancouver, Canada, CNN reported Thursday.
Two sources familiar with the matter told CNN that officials are looking into the deal involving the International Hotel and Tower in Vancouver, which contains an Trump-branded spa. The probe comes as Trump, President Trump’s elder daughter and one of his senior advisers, seeks to obtain a full security clearance.
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The development, a 616-foot building that opened in February of last year just after President Trump took office, is not owned by the Trump Organization, but rather by Joo Kim Tiah, an heir to one of Malaysia’s wealthiest families, according to CNN.
It was not clear what aspects of the deal investigators are looking into, the news outlet reported. Investigations into foreign contacts and business dealings are standard procedure of a background check.
A spokesman for Ivanka Trump’s ethics counsel rejected any notion that red flags had been raised during her security clearance process in a statement to CNN.
“CNN is wrong that any hurdle, obstacle, concern, red flag or problem has been raised with respect to Ms. Trump or her clearance application,” said Peter Mirijanian. “Nothing in the new White House policy has changed Ms. Trump’s ability to do the same work she has been doing since she joined the Administration.”
FBI investigators are looking at whether any deals could possibly leave Trump or her husband, White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, open to pressure from foreign agents. Kushner’s interim top secret security clearance was downgraded last week.
In June, President Trump’s financial disclosure form revealed the Trump Organization has made at least $5 million in royalties from the project, as well as thousands in management fees.