The US Air Force today ordered a review of all international stopovers after it was revealed that flight crews stayed at Donald Trump’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland.
The move came after Congress launched an ethics probe into the use of the Trump resort for air crew accommodation while military planes were being refuelled at Glasgow’s Prestwick airport. Investigators will seek to determine whether the US military is helping to boost the fortunes of the President’s waterfront golf complex following reports which have raised possible conflicts of interest.
“Air Force leadership directed air mobility command to review all guidance pertaining to selection of airports and lodging accommodations during international travels,” the Air Force said in a statement.
US Air Force layovers at the Scottish airport are said to have tripled since 2015 and overnight stays by crews have reportedly increased five-fold.
Officials insisted there has been no evidence uncovered of any wrongdoing and that air crew transiting through Scotland had adhered to all guidance and procedures.
However, critics complained that stays at the Turnberry club — including one by a seven-strong US Air Force C-17 crew in March en route to Kuwait — breached traditional ethics by putting money into the President’s pockets.
The Air Force added in its statement: “Even when USAF aircrews follow all directives and guidance, we must still be considerate of perceptions of not being good stewards of taxpayer funds.”
Air Force officials claimed that rates at Turnberry for the March stay were cheaper than at a nearby Marriott hotel.
Neither the Trump Organization or the White House have responded to requests for comment. The House Oversight Committee is investigating the stays as part of a wider, extended probe into Mr Trump’s businesses and finances.
The President courted controversy at the G-7 Summit when he suggested hosting next year’s meeting of world leaders at his Doral resort in Florida.
