This week in Donald Trump's conflicts of interest: Ivanka gets in on the action

From the cult of Ivanka in Japan to that busy hotel in Washington, it's been a good week for Trump's bank account

By Matthew Rozsa

Staff Writer

Published December 10, 2016 11:30AM (EST)

 (Reuters/Lucas Jackson/Shutterstock/Salon)
(Reuters/Lucas Jackson/Shutterstock/Salon)

Not surprisingly, more than a few new conflicts of interest have come to light, casting even more doubt on the impending presidency of Donald Trump. Where to begin?

1) Ivanka Trump gets big in Japan

Coincidentally or otherwise, Ivanka Trump is actually something of a cult figure in Japan. At the same time as this picture was was being taken, a two-day private viewing of Ivanka's products — including the pink dress she wore at the Republican National Convention — was in full swing in Tokyo, according to a report in the New York Times on Sunday. Ivanka is currently close to a licensing deal with Sanei International, a Japanese apparel company whose largest shareholder is a bank owned by the Japanese government.

2) Trump's Hotel in Washington is where Republicans are going to party in his honor

The Trump International Hotel is going to host the Republican National Committee's Christmas party this year, as the Huffington Post reported on Wednesday. Although it may not be illegal for Trump to throw the RNC's big gala at his hotel, it certainly does little to dispel fears that he is using the presidency to make a quick buck.

3) The hotel was home to a major conservative event — and will likely host more in the future 

Right-wing bigwigs looking to curry favor with the incoming Trump administration won't have to wait until Christmas to do so — at least, not if they've already donated $1,000 to the Heritage Foundation. The right-wing think tank held an event at Trump International Hotel on Tuesday in which Trump's own vice president-elect, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, delivered the keynote speech.


By Matthew Rozsa

Matthew Rozsa is a staff writer at Salon. He received a Master's Degree in History from Rutgers-Newark in 2012 and was awarded a science journalism fellowship from the Metcalf Institute in 2022.

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Donald Trump Ivanka Trump Japan Taiwan