The US president holds a trademark in Jordan for a Donald Trump casino, despite the fact that gambling is illegal in the kingdom.
It is one of four he received before he ran for office, and suggests that the former casino executive may have had wider hopes for businesses across the Middle East than was previously known.
To keep the trademarks active, the Trump Organisation would need to reapply for them during Mr Trump’s four-year term, raising potential ethical concerns for his company in Jordan, a stalwart US ally in the fight against ISIL.
The Trump Organisation has said its decision to enforce its intellectual property rights is “nothing new” but declined to discuss whether it knew how controversial gambling was in the kingdom.
Jordan’s government acknowledged the trademarks, but that does not mean gambling is in Jordan’s future.
“That does not give any right to the company to practise any activities unless it is formally registered as a company in Jordan and licensed to practise,” said government spokesman Mohammed Momani. “Gambling is illegal in Jordan, so if a company applies for this, it will be disapproved.”
Richard Painter, the chief White House ethics lawyer under George W Bush, said the casino trademark raised new concerns about the Trump Organisation’s international entanglements. He is part of a lawsuit alleging Mr Trump is breaching the US constitution by allowing his business to accept payments from foreign governments.
“We don’t want foreign governments in a position to pay off our politicians with special treatment,” Mr Painter said.
Mr Trump for years tried to enter the Middle East as a businessman. He applied for and received trademarks in Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.
After defeating Hillary Clinton in the November election, Mr Trump shut down some of his companies including several connected to a possible venture in Saudi Arabia. While most recent presidents have sold their financial holdings to avoid conflicts, Mr Trump has said that is not necessary.
Instead, he has turned managerial control over to his two adult sons, vowing not to pursue more deals abroad and appointing a lawyer to screen his business for conflicts.
In Jordan, Mr Trump applied for four trademarks with the ministry of industry, trade and supply in June 2008, and won its approval in February the next year. The trademarks expire in February 2019, about halfway through the president’s term in the White House.
Among those businesses listed was “gambling and casino services, and the provision of casino facilities”, according to one of the trademarks.
Alan Garten, an executive vice president and chief legal officer at the Trump Organisation, described the company’s decision as “broad trademark protection” to guard against others using the Trump name.
“While the trademark registration also included casino-related activities, the company has never pursued a casino,” he said.
* Associated Press