Donald Trump claims measures to stop conflict of interest will stop son Eric raising money for cancer victims
‘Isn’t this a ridiculous shame?’
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Donald Trump has claimed that concerns over potential conflicts of interest in selling access to his daughter will prevent his son from raising money to treat children with cancer.
"My wonderful son, Eric, will no longer be allowed to raise money for children with cancer because of a possible conflict of interest with my presidency," he wrote on twitter.
"Isn't this a ridiculous shame? He loves these kids, has raised millions of dollars for them, and now must stop. Wrong answer!"
His elder daughter, Ivanka Trump, was offering to go for a coffee with the winner of the auction.
The auction was intended to benefit the Eric Trump Foundation, which raises money for terminally ill children at the St Jude Research Hospital.
Bidding reached around $70,000, but the date was removed from the internet.
Eric Trump told the Washington Post on Wednesday that "no new money" would be coming in to his foundation's bank account.
He told the newspaper he could step away from the foundation, which he said has raised $15 million for children, and allow it to continue without him. A hunting trip with him or his brother, Donald Trump Jr, worth $500,000, and a photo op for up to 16 people alongside the president-elect for $1 million, were also scrapped.
Eric Trump told the AP that raising money for sick children was his "passion" and he said he would resume his cause after his father had stepped out of office.
The coffee with Ms Trump was removed last week following a New York Times article which raised ethical concerns about whether the future daughter of the president should be “sold” for access.
Bidding started on 5 December for $8,000.
The meeting would last between 35 and 40 minutes, the advert said, in either New York or Washington DC.
It was being promoted by CharityBuzz.com, a website which frequently auctions off celebrity access for good causes.
One of the highest bidders was Russell Ybarra, the owner of chain restaurant Tex-Mex, who wanted her father to repeal his strict proposals on immigration as he relied on foreign workers.
Mr Trump has delayed a meeting until January to announce how he plans to deal with conflicts of interest between White House matters and his real estate and business empire.
In recent weeks Mr Trump has been criticised for seeking foreign visas for temporary seasonal workers at his winery in Virginia and other businesses, as well as his new hotel in Washington DC, where his staff hosted groups of foreign diplomats.
He has been urged to divest from his businesses by former ethics lawyers to president Barack Obama and George W Bush.
Mr Trump said his business assets would be managed in a blind trust by his children, but his older children have sat in on meetings with world leaders and top tech executives, and are part of the Trump transition team.
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