Clinton campaign censures Trump over renting NY office to Bank Melli

The campaign of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has censured GOP candidate Donald Trump over a report that claims he allegedly rented some New York office space to Iran's Bank Melli.

Her campaign reacted after the allegations were made in a Monday report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

In the report, the ICIJ cited “public records” that it reviewed along with the Center for Public Integrity.

The report grabbed media attention particularly because Trump has been a staunch opponent of a nuclear agreement between Iran and the six world powers, including the US.

Trump has rebuked the Democrats for not adopting a tougher position against Iran in the nuclear negotiations, in which officials from the Democratic administration of President Barack Obama took part along with others from Britain, Russia, China, France, and Germany.

According to the new ICIJ report, “Trump inherited Bank Melli… as a tenant when he purchased the General Motors Building on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.”

With more than 8,000 square feet on the GM Building’s 44th floor, the office was held by the bank from 1998 to 2003, the report claimed.

“The Trump Organization’s dealings with the Iranian bank shed more light on Trump’s wide-ranging business interests, which sometimes stand at odds with his blunt declarations on the campaign trail,” it alleged.

Bank Melli, subject to US economic sanctions from the years 1999 through 2003, has not responded to the allegations so far.

The allegations are supposed to make Trump look bad as he has called Tehran a “big enemy” and voiced opposition against the nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Under the July 2015 deal, Tehran vowed to limit aspects of its nuclear program in return for the lifting of all nuclear-related sanctions.

According to Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), “The deal is being implemented since January without any particular problem.”

Hillary’s campaign blasted Trump for the alleged business ties with Iran, with Clinton policy adviser Jake Sullivan asserting that Trump should release his tax returns which could show more details about the issue.

“He talks a big game but when it comes to making a buck, he’ll deal with anyone,” Sullivan said in a statement. “The conflicts of interest presented by Trump’s business and his own desire to boost his bottom line above all else demonstrate clearly why voters should know more about Trump’s business deals and what they mean for how he’ll govern.” 

Since the JCPOA went into effect, congressional Republicans have introduced many sanctions bills and other legislation to undermine the agreement that is viewed as a foreign policy legacy of President Obama's administration.

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