Legal

Deutsche Bank Scoured US President Trump's Personal Account For Russian Links - Report

Josh O'Neill Assistant Editor 21 February 2017

Deutsche Bank Scoured US President Trump's Personal Account For Russian Links - Report

According to an analysis by Bloomberg, Trump currently owes Deustche Bank around $300 million.

Germany's largest lender Deutsche Bank has carried out an internal examination of US President Donald Trump's personal account to see if he held any suspicious ties to Russia, the Guardian reported.

Deutsche Bank, which has recently found itself embroiled it numerous litigation cases across the world, was seeking evidence of whether its recent loans to Trump were perhaps underpinned by financial guarantees from Moscow. 

The president's immediate family are also Deutsche Bank clients, the UK news organization says. The Frankfurt-headquartered bank examined accounts held by the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, her husband, Jared Kushner, who serves as a White House advisor, and his mother.

The internal review revealed no evidence of any Russia link, the Guardian's report said. However, Deutsche Bank is coming under pressure to appoint an external and independent auditor to review its business relationship with President Trump. 

“We know that Deutsche Bank is a major lender to President Trump, and the firm is also currently undergoing scrutiny by the Department of Justice for alleged misconduct,” Bill Pascrell Jr, a member of the House Ways and Means committee reportedly said.

“I think it’s important for the American people to know the extent of the bank’s involvement with the president, and whether there is any Russian involvement in loans made to Mr Trump,” the Guardian quoted him as saying. 

A source familiar with Deutsche Bank's internal review reportedly said it came after Trump's bid to become US president made him a politically exposed person, or PEP. Banking regulations require PEPs to undergo more stringent due diligence checks than an ordinary person because of their proximity to government. 

According to an analysis by Bloomberg, Trump owes Deustche Bank around $300 million. He has four large mortgages, all of which were issued by its private banking arm. The loans are guaranteed against the president's properties: a recently-built deluxe hotel in Washington DC; his chicago tower hotel; and the Trump National Doral Miami resort. 

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