Murphy to Trump Nominees: 'No, You Cannot Promote the President's Businesses as Ambassador'

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security, today questioned Michael Young, nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, and Ronald Johnson, nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, during their confirmation hearing.

Sen. Murphy has honed in on the Trump family's corruption, particularly on its foreign business deals. Earlier this week, Murphy took to the Senate floor after breaking investigative reporting found that a Russian ally of Vladimir Putin paid hundreds of thousands of dollars of wedding bills for Donald Trump Jr.

Murphy stressed President Trump's active search for ways to boost his business interests abroad: "This is a pretty simple question: if the White House were to come to either of you and ask for help from the embassy on a financial project important to the family, what would your response be? .... And I don't think these are out of the realm of possibility hypotheticals, given how many important business interests the family has in this particular region."

Murphy pressed the nominees after they refused to provide a direct answer on working to enrich the Trump family's businesses: "Just answer the question… I mean, the president's son has active Trump family projects in Serbia today. It is not inconceivable that you will be asked to advocate on behalf of those projects. Do you think it's appropriate for you to advocate on behalf of projects that put money in the pocket of the president of the United States?"

Murphy admonished both nominees after another refusal: "Guys, the answer is no! The answer is no. It is not appropriate for an ambassador to advocate on behalf of projects that will enrich the president or his family. That's an easy answer. The answer is no."

A full transcript of Murphy's questioning is available below. A video of the exchange is available here.

Murphy:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to everyone on the panel for your willingness to serve your country and for your family's willingness to serve. Mr. Young, last year Donald Trump Jr. made two pretty high-profile visits to Serbia. In at least one of them, he met with Vucic and business leaders, and then in April of this year, an even more extraordinary visit, he went to the Republic of Serbska, and it was widely covered as you know an implicit endorsement of Vucic by the president's family. We now know that at that exact same moment, when the president's son was going to the Republika Srpska, a Russian ally, a very close associate of Vladimir Putin, was paying for Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding, and you were going to be in a country that apparently is of great interest to the president's family. What do you know about the president's son's visit to the Republika Srpska? Why did he go, and what was the message he was delivering when he was there? Because it was covered as an official act of the federal, of the U.S. government. It was of great interest in the region when he was there.

Young:

Senator Murphy, thank you for that question. I will have two levels of answers for that. One is that, as I have seen in the newspapers, which is my only level of understanding of this, is that there is interest in financial investment on the part of his companies in Serbia, and those are of course decisions for Serbia and the private sector to make. If confirmed, I will certainly look carefully at what kinds of representations we are making, and what kind of activities occur across the board, to ensure that we try to speak with a single voice and advance all of the particular activities that are designed to help advance our relationship with Serbia in ways that make the United States safer, more secure.

Murphy:

But in preparation for this hearing or for this job, have you asked the White House or the State Department what the nature of those visits were? That seems to be immediately relevant to you in this new post. Have you asked those questions?

Young:

Senator, I have asked those questions, and-but I have not-I am not in a position, having not been confirmed, to be able to have the depth of more confidential information about that. What they have-what I have been briefed on, really reflects essentially what is in the newspapers.

Murphy:

Yeah, this is an extraordinary moment when business interests of the family do intersect with the national security interests of the country, and I think it's going to make your job very, very hard. Let me ask both you and General Johnson a related question. The president's family has a lot of business interest in the region. You referenced that Donald Trump Jr. seems to be interested in building properties there. The president's son-in-law, who is maybe the most important diplomat these days, representing the United States, Jared Kushner, is proposing to build a resort in Albania. And in fact, it has become so controversial that an American ally, the leader of that country, his political survival is threatened because of this project. This is a pretty simple question: if the White House were to come to either of you and ask for help from the embassy on a financial project important to the family, what would your response be? First, I'll ask you General Johnson, and then to you, Mr. Young. And I don't think these are out of the realm of possibility hypotheticals, given how many important business interests the family has in this particular region.

Johnson:

Good morning Senator Murphy, thank you. I don't believe the president would actually ask me to help them with a financial deal for his family first and foremost. And if he did, I think I would refer back to Main State in order to get clarification, sir.

Murphy:

Well, what if the State Department said we'd like you to help the president or the president's family on a business deal?

Johnson:

I don't believe that it would ever occur.

Murphy:

Do you believe it's appropriate for an embassy to be helping the president of the United States on a personal, family financial project?

Johnson:

First of all, Senator, it is the job of the embassy to help promote U.S. economic interests in those countries. Well, whether or not it's the president's is a different story. I understand where you're coming from.

Murphy:

Do you think it might be appropriate for an embassy?

Johnson:

I did not say that, Mr. Senator.

Murphy:

So is it or is it not?

Johnson:

If he asked me if he wanted to promote economic development in Bosnia Herzegovina, I welcome all Americans to come to Bosnia Herzegovina to be able to promote themselves.

Murphy:

Even if it's the president's family interest? Mr. Young, is it appropriate for an embassy to be trying to push a personal project of the president's family?

Young:

Senator Murphy-it is, I believe, part of the job of the ambassador to try and urge the country to create an environment that levels the playing field, so that American companies and American interests can compete fairly and freely, and if they do, they will win.

Murphy:

I know, but just answer the question. I mean, this is no-for you especially-this is not inconceivable. I mean, the president's son has active Trump family projects in Serbia today. It is not inconceivable that you will be asked to advocate on behalf of those projects. Do you think it's appropriate for you to advocate on behalf of projects that put money in the pocket of the president of the United States?

Young:

Senator, I think it is the obligation of the ambassador to urge a country to consider all opportunities.

Murphy:

Guys, the answer is no. The answer is no. It is not appropriate for an ambassador to advocate on behalf of projects that will enrich the president or his family. That's an easy answer. The answer is no. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.