Officials to Review Trump Jr's 'Unusual' Summer

The US Fish and Wildlife Service will take a look
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 18, 2019 6:08 PM CST
Officials to Review Trump Jr's 'Unusual' Summer
In this Aug. 1, 2019, file photo, Donald Trump Jr. speaks before the arrival of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.   (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Donald Trump Jr.'s summer trip to Mongolia is falling under a little extra scrutiny, Roll Call reports. Following a report that he illegally killed an endangered sheep and imported parts of it back to America, the US Fish and Wildlife Service plans to take a closer look. At issue is whether Trump Jr. got a hunting permit from the Mongolian government after leaving the region, which ProPublica calls "unusual," and perhaps broke US or Mongolian laws. The Lacey Act of 1900 makes it illegal to bring home animal trophies in violation of foreign laws, and can lead to fines and prison time.

A Trump Jr. rep said Tuesday that the trip was bought at an NRA auction in 2015, before his father began running for president, and permits were obtained via an independent hunting group. "Mr. Trump paid for his trip to Mongolia on his own, flew commercial and timely applied and secured all required permits through a third party outfitter—as is standard in the industry," said the spokesperson. The Palm Beach Post notes that Trump Jr. obtained his "coveted permit to hunt a rare sheep" only after Mongolia's ambassador and foreign minister visited Mar-a-Lago in Easter. (More Donald Trump Jr. stories.)

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