Case for Scottish Trump investigation is now "urgent and overwhelming”
Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie has written to Scotland’s First Minister and the Lord Advocate urging them to provide an update to the Scottish public as to what action is being taken to investigate Donald Trump’s acquisitions of property in Scotland.
Since February 2017, Mr Harvie has led calls for an investigation into the purchase of land for Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire and the Trump Turnberry resort in Ayrshire.
Mr Harvie urged the Scottish Government to grant an Unexplained Wealth Order, a mechanism that allows investigations into “politically exposed persons” like Trump suspected of involvement in serious crime.
In February of this year, the New York State Supreme Court found Donald Trump guilty of civil fraud, ordering defendants to pay more than $450 million. They were found to have falsely inflated the value of Trump’s assets, including his golf course in Aberdeen. Donald Trump was also subsequently convicted by a New York jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
Mr Harvie said: “The verdict from New York, and the litany of scandals surrounding Donald Trump, underlines the urgent need to get to the bottom of his finances and the business he runs.
"With every passing day we are seeing even more serious questions about the honesty, integrity and basic trustworthiness of the former President. I urge Scottish Ministers to look again at the request for an Unexplained Wealth Order and to follow the money to see where it goes.
"The case for Scottish Ministers to investigate Trump is now urgent and overwhelming. Scotland cannot be a country where anyone with the money is able to buy whatever land and property they want without question.
"Donald Trump is a very dangerous man and has shown himself to be profoundly dishonest. He can’t be above the law. He has serious questions to answer, not just in the US but also here in Scotland."
In his letter to the Scottish Government, Mr Harvie noted: “We now have indisputable and independent evidence in the public domain that Trump’s business dealings, including those in Scotland, were linked to fraud. Yet while Trump is finally being held to account by the legal system in the US, Scotland’s Civil Recovery Unit have provided the same comment that they provided in 2021, that they cannot “confirm or deny” whether a civil recovery investigation has commenced.”
Text of letter to First Minister and Lord Advocate
Dear First Minister & Lord Advocate,
I am writing to ask that Scottish Ministers urgently set out what action is being taken to investigate serious concerns around Donald Trump’s acquisition of property in Scotland.
You will be aware that for many years I have raised serious concerns over the influence wielded by Donald Trump on the Scottish Government. Since February 2017 I have called for an investigation into the purchase of land for Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire and the Trump Turnberry resort in Ayrshire.
Specifically, I have suggested that Ministers use powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to seek the grant of an Unexplained Wealth Order in respect of Donald Trump’s property transactions in Scotland.
In February of this year, the New York State Supreme Court found Donald Trump guilty of civil fraud, ordering defendants to pay more than $450 million. They were found to have falsely inflated the value of Trump’s assets, including his golf course in Aberdeen. The Attorney General commented that
“For years, Donald Trump engaged in massive fraud to falsely inflate his net worth and unjustly enrich himself, his family, and his organization. While he may have authored the ‘Art of the Deal,’ our case revealed that his business was based on the art of the steal. When powerful people cheat to get better loans, it comes at the expense of honest and hardworking people.”
Donald Trump was also subsequently convicted by a New York jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records.
We now have indisputable and independent evidence in the public domain that Trump’s business dealings, including those in Scotland, were linked to fraud. Yet while Trump is finally being held to account by the legal system in the US, Scotland’s Civil Recovery Unit have provided the same comment that they provided in 2021, that they cannot “confirm or deny” whether a civil recovery investigation has commenced.
Stringing out this position is no longer tenable. Following the rulings in New York, there is now urgent public interest in what action is being taken to investigate Trump’s business dealings in Scotland.
I am sure that you will share my concern that continuing to provide evasive answers to legitimate enquiries and failing to demonstrate any progress suggests that the wealthy and powerful enjoy leniency in Scotland and risks bringing the Scottish legal system into disrepute.
I would therefore ask that you urgently provide an update to the Scottish public as to what action is being taken to investigate Donald Trump’s acquisitions of property in Scotland and to provide a timeline as to when this process will conclude and report publicly on its findings.
Patrick Harvie MSP