Joo Kim Tiah, the Malaysian owner of the Trump Tower in Vancouver has not been questioned by the FBI and denies dealing with the US President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
In a media statement released on March 5, Tiah’s lawyers responded to a CNN report that on March 2 quoted two unnamed sources who said US counter-intelligence officials were investigating Ivanka Trump’s role in the building of Trump International Hotel and Tower Vancouver.
The CNN report quoted the sources as saying the FBI has been scrutinizing international business deals of Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner to ascertain if the deals could leave them vulnerable to pressure from foreign agents, including from China.
CNN also claimed that Ivanka had played a “key role” in negotiating the tower deal and the FBI probe could possibly impede her efforts in getting full security clearance as her father’s special advisor at the White House.
Tiah clarified that no American authorities had contacted them and that the deal for the Vancouver project was struck in 2013, before Trump’s announcement to run for office.
Reportedly, the Trump Organisation has earned more than US$5 million (RM19.5 million approximately) in royalties and US$21,500 (RM84,247 approximately) in management fees for the tower from the Holborn Group.
The statement from Tiah’s Holborn Group speculated it was because the building was launched after Trump’s inauguration as US president that it had fuelled concerns over foreign funding of a presidential campaign.
The US$360mil (RM1.4bil) Trump tower was developed by 37-year-old Tiah, the son of tycoon Datuk Tony Tiah Thee Kian who founded Kuala Lumpur-based TA Global Berhad. In January 2016, Tiah also became CEO of TA Global Berhad.
“The entire development of the Trump International Hotel and Tower Vancouver was funded by Holborn Group (and its partner) TA Global Berhad,” the statement said.
The tower has 63 floors and houses 217 luxury residential units, 147 hotel rooms as well as a trademarked Ivanka Trump spa.
News of the scrutiny of Ivanka follows her husband’s recent security clearance downgrade, to secret from top secret.
Kushner, Trump’s senior adviser, has been dogged by allegations about mixing public and private business, meeting foreign officials at the White House and then seeking significant loans from related parties for his father’s company.
The FBI’s special counsel Robert Mueller is also investigating allegations that Kushner conspired in the Russian tampering of the US presidential election that led to Trump’s win.
CNN said it is standard procedure for the FBI to probe foreign contacts and international business deals as part of a background check investigation for security clearances.
Earlier report: Mar 2, CNN: Malaysian Developer’s Business Deals with Ivanka Trump