The Key to Trump's Downfall? Scotland
The so-called 'McMafia order' could expose financial misdealings within the Trump organisation.
It is well known that former president Donald Trump is being investigated by U.S. authorities over his financial transactions and the amount of tax that he has paid. However the questions surrounding his wealth also have an international element because of the golf courses that Trump owns in Scotland.
In particular the famous Turnberry course was purchased in 2014 for £36 million ($63 million) at a time when Trump was declaring a loss on his income tax returns. Despite significant investment, none of his courses have turned a profit either.
While members of the Trump family said that the amount came from company funds, there are legitimate concerns that the money actually came from Russia.
In theory it is the Scottish government who should be pursuing Trump on this matter but they have been reluctant to do so. Nevertheless, an online pressure group called ‘Avaaz’ that promotes global activism on a range of issues has challenged the failures of the government in this regard.
Now a judge has sided with Avaaz and opened up the possibility that an unexplained wealth order will be issued against the former president. These orders have been around for a few years at this point and are colloquially known as ‘McMafia orders’ because they allow the Scottish government to investigate the unexplained wealth of individuals and especially leading figures in organised crime. Ultimately it can lead to the individual being stripped of their assets if a satisfactory explanation is not forthcoming.
Of course there is still a long way to go in these proceedings but whether it is in the U.S. or the U.K. it seems like the net is closing in on Donald Trump.
In the podcast this week we discuss one of the most controversial cases from the Supreme Court. The Justices were asked to consider the human rights implications of the two child limit that was implemented in respect of child tax credit. Has Lord Reed now cemented his reputation as one of the most pro-government presidents of the Supreme Court?
Episode link: http://uklawweekly.com/2021-uksc-26/
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