Erin Kelly

USA TODAY

Top Democrats on the Senate homeland security panel have sent a letter to the inspector general of the General Services Administration asking her to review the agency's management of a lease involving the Trump International Hotel, owned by President Trump and his adult children.

Sens. Tom Carper, D-Del., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., announced Thursday that they are seeking a review of the lease with the Trump Old Post Office LLC, which leases the downtown Washington building on Pennsylvania Avenue, just blocks from the White House.

McCaskill is the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Carper is the senior Democrat on the panel's permanent subcommittee on investigations.

"As you are aware, recent events have raised important questions about GSA’s management of the Old Post Office lease," the senators wrote in a letter dated Monday to Inspector General Carol Ochoa. "In 2013, GSA negotiated a lease agreement with Trump Old Post Office, LLC — a private company owned by now-President Donald Trump and his adult children. Since President Trump took the oath of office, the Trump Old Post Office, LLC appears to be in breach of the plain language of the lease agreement."

According to the lease, "No member or delegate to Congress, or elected official of the Government of the United States or the Government of the District of Columbia, shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom."

Democrats have been saying since last year that Trump must fully divest himself of all financial interests in the lease to be in compliance with the legal agreement.

The General Services Administration said in December that the agency could make no definitive statement about the lease.

"GSA does not have a position that the lease provision requires the President-elect to divest of his financial interests," the agency said in a Dec. 14 statement. "We can make no definitive statement at this time about what would constitute a breach of the agreement, and to do so now would be premature. In fact, no determination regarding the Old Post Office can be completed until the full circumstances surrounding the President-elect’s business arrangements have been finalized and he has assumed office. GSA is committed to responsibly administering all of the leases to which it is a party."

The senators complained that the GSA has still not taken any action "despite the warning signs from members of Congress and ethics watchdogs."

"Your office is in a unique position to review GSA’s management of the lease of the Old Post Office Building and identify any potential missteps," the senators wrote to Ochoa.

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GSA reserves judgment on Trump hotel lease

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