Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. are subpoenaing Mar-a-Lago and Trump Victory Committee to turn over any records related to Li ‘Cindy’ Yang and her associates and companies.
The subpoenas related to the Republican Party donor were issue this week, the Miami Herald reported Wednesday, as investigators continue to seek evidence in building a potential case against Yang and her associates.
A person familiar with the investigation said one subpoena, issued by a federal grand jury in West Palm Beach, orders Trump’s private club to turn over all documents, records and communications related to Yang, including 11 people, one charity and seven companies affiliated with her.
The 11 other individuals include those who were employed by Yang at her massage parlors in south Florida, her family members and donors to Trump Victory.
President Donald Trump’s club Mar-a-Lago and his reelection funding committee Trump Victory have been subpoenaed to turn over everything they know about businesswoman Li ‘Cindy’ Yang
Mar-a-Lago and Trump Victory are not part of the investigation
Yang, a Republican donor, opened a consulting firm in the 2016 election cycle where Chinese businesspeople were given the opportunity to attend Mar-a-Lago events with the promise to meet Trump and his associates
Many of the campaign fundraiser events at the club cost money to attend, which would be considered political contributions. It is prohibited for foreign nationals to donate to U.S. political campaigns
The club, owned by the Trump Organization, and the political fundraising committee for the president and the Republican National Committee, which supports his reelection efforts, are not part of the investigation.
The businesswoman is at the center of a public corruption investigation that seeks to determine if she violated campaign finance laws, specifically by potentially funneling money from China to Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign.
It is illegal for foreign nationals to donate to U.S. political campaigns.
During the 2016 election cycle, Yang opened a consulting firm where Chinese businesspeople were given the change to attend Mar-a-Lago events. Some of the events were campaign fundraisers where attendees had to purchase a ticket for entry – these type of payments are considered political contributions.
Concerns over the foreign money funneling emerged in March when it was discovered Yang was using Chinese-language social media to advertise ticket sales for events at the private club.
She promoted the GOP fundraisers and charity galas at Mar-a-Lago as ways to meet the president, his family and his advisers. She has been pictured with Trump and other Republican politicians several times.
Yand (left) and President Donald Trump
She has also been pictured with those in Trump’s inner circle several times. Above she can be seen with Trump’s son Eric Trump (left) and Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (right)
Yang started a chain of massage parlors across Florida, including the one where New England Patriot’s owner Robert Kraft (pictured) was found to have visited to solicit and pay for sexual favors. She had sold the parlor in question before the prostitutional scandal
Yujing Zhang, a Chinese woman, was arrested at Trump’s club in March with four cell phones, and said she was there to attend one of those events, where it was advertised that Trump and his sister Elizabeth Trump Grau would be present.
Her attorney said she had wired $20,000 to a party organizer for access to Mar-a-Lago to attend an event, which was later canceled. She produced a flyer for the party, which had been posted on the web site of Yang’s.
Yang started a chain of spas called Tokyo Day Spas, which included Orchids of Asia Day Spa, where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft visited multiple times, and police say he solicited and paid for sexual favors.
Charges were brought against Kraft as part of a prostitution and sex trafficking probe of businesses where massage parlors doubled as venues for prostitution, which included at least one of Yang’s massage parlors.
The 45-year-old businesswoman was not charged, as she had sold that particular spa before the scandal involving Kraft.
The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. A Trump Victory official said: ‘Trump Victory makes every effort possible to ensure that all contributions are made in accordance with the law,’ an official for Trump Victory said, according to the Herald.
‘While we can’t comment on any possible ongoing investigations, of course our committee would comply with any request from law enforcement to ensure all contributions are made legally.’
This probe comes as a separate matter involving a possible Chinese espionage operation in southern Florida is being investigated by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami.