National Security

State Department website

removes article touting
history of Trumps Mar-a-
Lago estate
By Anne Gearan April 24 at 8:19 PM

TheStateDepartmentonMondayremovedfromitswebsiteanarticleaboutthehistoryandlavishfurnishingsofPresident
TrumpsprivatelyownedFloridaresortclubMaraLago,followingquestionsaboutwhetherthefederalgovernment
improperlypromotedTrumpsmoneymakingenterprises.

Sen.RonWyden(DOre.)pointedtothetraveloguestyleblogpieceMonday,askinginaTwittermessagewhytheState
Departmentwouldspendtaxpayer$$promotingthepresidentsprivatecountryclub.

TheStateDepartmentissuedastatementMondayapologizingforanymisperception.

Theintentionofthearticlewastoinformthepublicaboutwherethepresidenthasbeenhostingworldleaders,the
statementsaid.

Itwasnotclearwhethertheitemhadbeenvettedforlegalorethicalconcerns.

TheshortitemhadbeenpostedonapromotionalwebsitecalledShareAmericaonApril4,aheadofTrumpsmeetingat
MaraLagowithChinesePresidentXiJinping.Aversionoftheitemwasrecentlyrepostedonthewebsitemaintainedby
theU.S.EmbassyinLondon,whereitcaughttheattentionofwatchdoggroups.

TheitemadoptedTrumpstermwinterWhiteHouseforthemembersonlyclub.Itdidnotexpresslyencourage
foreignerstovisitMaraLago,althoughotherarticlesonthesamewebsiteactivelypromoteU.S.tourism.Theitemdid
notethattheestateislocatedattheheartofFloridasPalmBeachcommunity.

ByvisitingthiswinterWhiteHouse,TrumpisbelatedlyfulfillingthedreamofMaraLagosoriginalownerand
designer,theitemread.TheornateJazzAgehousewasdesignedwithOldWorldSpanish,VenetianandPortuguese
influencesandfilledwithoriginalownerMarjorieMerriweatherPostscollectionofantiques,thearticlenoted.

Theitemincludedphotographsofthehouseandsumptuousinteriors,andcopiesofTrumptweetsmentioningMaraLago.
Thearticlegaveabriefsummaryofthe1927mansionshistory,includingPostsdesirethatitbeusedbyU.S.presidentsas
aretreatandthesubsequentdecisionbytheU.S.governmentthatthepropertywastooexpensivetomaintain.Trump
boughtitin1985.

Afterrefurbishingthehouseandaddinganeventsspace,Trumpopenedtheestatetoduespayingmembersofthepublic
in1995astheMaraLagoClub,theStateDepartmentitemread.PostsdreamofawinterWhiteHousecametruewith
Trumpselectionin2016.TrumpregularlyworksoutofthehousehemaintainsatMaraLagoandusestheclubtohost
foreigndignitaries.

Onewatchdoggroup,AmericanOversight,calledforaninvestigationbytheStateDepartmentinspectorgeneralandsaidit
wouldrequestpublicrecordsdocumentinghowtheblogpostwascreated.

TheStateDepartmentdescribestheShareAmericasiteasitsplatformforsharingcompellingstoriesandimagesthat
sparkdiscussionanddebateonimportanttopicslikedemocracy,freedomofexpression,innovation,entrepreneurship,
education,andtheroleofcivilsociety.

ThesiteisproducedbythedepartmentsBureauofInternationalInformationPrograms,whichproducesmaterial
distributedbyU.S.embassies.

Anne Gearan is a national politics correspondent for The Washington Post. Follow @agearan

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