The Japanese conglomerate is a major investor in AI and other matters before the Trump administration.
Read more Aston Villa takes on FIFA in court to unblock registration for 17-year-old Madjo
Democrats are pressing a Japanese conglomerate with business before the Trump administration to explain a reported $50 million donation to President Donald Trump’s planned presidential library, calling the circumstances concerning.
Politico first reported that SoftBank Group, a major investor in AI and other matters, recently made an undisclosed $50 million donation to Trump’s library. Funding for the library, planned in Miami, already is the focus of a broader Democratic-led investigation.
“These circumstances raise concerns about the potential for bribery and whether donors are seeking favorable treatment from the Trump Administration,” Sens. Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (New Mexico) wrote in a letter to SoftBank shared with The Washington Post. The Democrats asked the company to respond by July 13.
Read more Rory McIlroy takes green jacket to Wimbledon as Ryder Cup players get Royal Box treatment
SoftBank and the Trump library did not immediately respond to questions about the reported donation.
Trump rolled back some AI regulations after taking office last year, flanked by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and other leaders at the White House. His administration has more recently weighed strict restrictions on some AI companies.
Catch up quickly every weekday morning with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories. Sign up for The 7 newsletter.
Read more Trump says he’s profiting ‘because the stock market’s going up’
