President Donald Trump is barred from using lending and funding programs created under the CARES Act, the largest part of the federal coronavirus stimulus response, to help his businesses.
However, Trump and his Trump Organization are not prohibited from seeking out funding and lending from programs created by foreign governments in countries in which his businesses operate. Now, the Trump Organization is seeking funding from governments in Ireland and Scotland to help pay wages for employees furloughed by stay-at-home orders.
Bloomberg reports the Trump Organization has asked the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland for help to pay employees at his three resorts there: Trump Turnberry and Trump International Golf Links in Scotland, and Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, Ireland. What's unclear is how much of those employees' wages the Trump Organization would like those governments to fund, either in full or to close a gap.
None of what the Trump Organization is doing is illegal. However, as there has been blowback against businesses taking forgivable PPP loans viewed as unnecessary, there has been similar criticism of Trump overseas. Critics claim Trump, who reports himself a billionaire in net worth, should have enough money on hand to pay employees in full without government assistance. Trump's three resorts in question, however, have never turned a profit since he purchased them.
When he took office, President Trump handed day-to-day control over the Trump Organization to his sons.
Meanwhile, some 2,000 laid-off Trump employees at properties throughout the United States cannot be paid through funding from the Payroll Protection Program. They can only seek out unemployment insurance, which has been enhanced under the CARES Act.
