Prosecutors to subpoena Trump hotel business records

Prosecutors in Maryland and Washington have announced subpoenas for the records of 13 private businesses owned by Donald Trump as part of an investigation into whether the US president is illegally benefitting from his Washington hotel.

The investigation focuses on the Trump International Hotel just four blocks away from the White House, which has become popular with foreign dignitaries and businessmen seeking to gain favour with the Trump administration.

The Maryland and Washington attorneys general also issued subpoenas on Tuesday to five federal agencies for records related to the Trump hotel, which occupies the stately Old Post Office Pavilion on Pennsylvania Avenue and is owned by the federal government.

Trump's victory in the presidential election in November 2016 immediately made the five-star hotel a hub for Washington politics, with various governments and embassies hosting receptions there.

According to the Washington Post, the Saudi government spent more than $270,000 on rooms and other facilities in the hotel.

In June 2017 Washington and Maryland filed suit, saying Trump was violating the emoluments clause of the US constitution, which prohibits US government officials from receiving gifts, payments or other valuable benefits from foreign governments and foreign officials.