DONALD Trump’s son has launched a blistering attack on Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie, accusing him of being “an irrelevant and spineless politician”.
Eric Trump hit out after Mr Harvie called for the US President to be investigated in Scotland and forced to disclose how he made his millions.
The Greens chief urged Nicola Sturgeon to seek a so-called McMafia order amid concerns over the purchase of the Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire in 2014.
This power triggers an investigation into the finances of someone from outside the European Economic Area in a position of power that makes them liable to bribery or corruption.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions in Holyrood, Mr Harvie said there remain “big questions over Mr Trump’s business dealings in Scotland”.
He said: “The purchase of Menie [Estate] and the Turnberry golf resort were part of Mr Trump’s huge cash spending spree in the midst of a global financial crisis, while his son was bragging about money pouring in from Russia.
“The US House of Representatives has heard testimony which states, ‘We saw patterns of buying and selling that we thought were suggestive of money laundering.’
“The testimony goes on to express particular concern about the golf courses in Scotland and Ireland.”
Mr Harvie said the Scottish Government has “powers that are designed for just this kind of situation”.
He added: “Trump’s known sources of income don’t explain where the money came from for these huge cash transactions.
“There are reasonably grounds for suspecting that his lawfully-obtained income was insufficient.
“Trump is a politically exposed person in terms of the law, and there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that he – or people he’s connected with – have been involved in serious crime. Some of them pleaded guilty.
“Scottish ministers can apply via the Court of Session for an Unexplained Wealth Order, a tool designed for precisely these kinds of situations.”
Eric Trump said the comments were “disgusting”, made without any supporting evidence, and “reckless, irresponsible and unbecoming for a member of the Scottish Parliament”.
In a statement, he said: “An irrelevant and spineless politician, Mr Harvie has long expressed deep-seated animus toward the Trump Organization, its principals and its projects, making wildly inappropriate allegations to advance his own political agenda and gain attention.
“Over the past decade, the Trump Organization has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Scotland while creating thousands of jobs.
“Mr Harvie is a disgrace to the Scottish Parliament. His conduct does not serve the best interests of the Scottish people and he should be admonished and sanctioned for his conduct. We demand that he immediately retract his libellous statements failing which we will hold him fully accountable.”
Earlier, Ms Sturgeon said she was “no defender of Donald Trump – of his politics or any of his other dealings”.
She said she took Mr Harvie's question seriously and would look into the issue.
However, her spokesman later said the decision to seek a McMafia order rests with the Crown Office.
He said: "The decision on whether to apply for a Unexplained Wealth Order is made on behalf of Scottish ministers by the Civil Recovery Unit, which reports to the Lord Advocate.”
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