Panama is investigating Trump's business, vindicating ethics watchdogs

The Trump Organization's property in Panama
(Image credit: Rodrigo Arangua/AFP/Getty Images)

Panama's federal prosecutors opened an investigation into the Trump Organization on Monday following the escalation of a dispute over the management of Panama City's Trump International Hotel, The Washington Post reports. The probe has sparked concerns because President Trump still technically owns the organization that shares his name, although his sons oversee the day-to-day operations. "The fear has always been that there would be an international incident involving the finances of the president, and the president would have his loyalties questioned," explained Jordan Libowitz of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

The Panama probe follows unsuccessful attempts by the Trump International Hotel's majority owner, Orestes Fintiklis, to fire the Trump Organization, which has managed the hotel since it opened in 2011. Fintiklis argues that the Trump Organization has poorly managed the hotel and that the undesirability of the Trump brand has hurt revenue, while the Trump Organization says its contract is still valid.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.