The entire thrust of yesterday's Newsweek story on Trump-Cuba boils down to one legal question:
Whether the New York-based consulting firm, Seven Arrows Investment and Development Corporation ("Seven Arrows"), lied about the purpose of its travel to Cuba in 1998?
As we posted yesterday, if Seven Arrows didn't obtain the appropriate OFAC license for its travel-related transactions, or lied about the purpose of the trip, there should be legal consequences against Seven Arrows and any Trump executives that knowingly colluded with it.
Hillary Clinton strongly agrees.
A statement from her campaign blasted Trump:
"Trump’s business with Cuba appears to have broken the law, flouted U.S. foreign policy, and is in complete contradiction to Trump’s own repeated, public statements that he had been offered opportunities to invest in Cuba but passed them up. This latest report shows once again that Trump will always put his own business interest ahead of the national interest - and has no trouble lying about it."
Then, talking to reporters from her plane last night , Hillary added:
"Trump put his personal and business interests ahead of the laws and values of the United States."
First of all, it's great to see Hillary finally recognize that business with Cuba's regime contradicts U.S. law and values. Moreover, that it flouts and contradicts the national interests of the United States.
She should immediately send a memo to The White House.
More importantly and consistently, Hillary should immediately demand that President Obama fully enforce Cuba sanctions and not allow American business and travelers to flout U.S. law.
Specifically:
Akin to the accusation against Seven Arrows, Hillary should immediately seek OFAC enforcement against all American travelers lying on their affidavits on regularly scheduled flights to Varadero, Cayo Coco and Cayo Largo, and staying at the Cuban military's all-inclusive beach resorts. These trips violate U.S. law.
Hillary should seek OFAC enforcement against Starwood Hotels management deal with the Cuban military's, Gaviota, S.A., which is contrary and inconsistent with U.S. law, traffics in stolen American property and violates international labor law.
Hillary should seek OFAC enforcement against Stonegate Bank and Banco Popular de Puerto Rico for issuing credit cards that provide financing of transactions through stolen properties, which is in direct violation of U.S. law.
Again, as we posted yesterday -- there's an opportunity here.
We can now all agree that doing business with the Castro dictatorship is bad; that U.S. law must be respected; and OFAC should take enforcement action against those who violate it.
