We’ve all heard about the boxes of White House records Himself and company tossed into their Florida-bound UHauls last year. Prepare to be unsurprised again soon…
Politico reports that the State Department, in a report to be published Monday by the Federal Register, says it cannot compile a complete and accurate accounting of gifts given to Himself, VP Pence, or White House staff during the final year of the Self administration.
The State Department’s Office of Protocol reported the situation in footnotes to a partial list of gifts received by U.S. officials in 2020. The office publishes such lists annually in part to guard against potential conflicts of interest. A preview of the 2020 report was posted on the Federal Register website on Friday ahead of its formal publication on Monday.
The report notes that the lack of gift information could be related to internal oversights as the protocol office neglected to “submit the request for data to all reporting agencies prior to January 20, 2021,” when the Trump administration ended and the Biden administration began. However, it also noted that there had been a “lack of adequate recordkeeping pertaining to diplomatic gifts” between Jan. 20, 2017, when Trump took office, and his departure from the White House four years later.
[Bolding added.]
The incomplete report can be seen at the Federal Register’s website now and lists some of the fascinating stuff that foreign leaders give US officials: “Sword in case.” “Dolce and Gabbana Handbag.” “Painting of a Man Playing the Flute.” Jewelry. Watches. Objets d’art. Just tons of stuff.
But not all of it...