FOOLS GOLD

Trump’s Giant Gold Gifts Trigger Demand for Urgent Bribery Probe

Swiss MPs ask prosecutors if a Rolex and a gold bar given to Trump broke anti-bribery laws after a tariff-cut deal.

Swiss lawmakers have urged prosecutors to assess whether gold gifts received by Donald Trump broke the country’s anti-bribery laws.

Parliamentarians Raphaël Mahaim and Greta Gysin have asked the nation’s Office of the Attorney General to examine whether presents reportedly given to the U.S President by Swiss business leaders—among them a Rolex watch and a gold bar—breached the criminal code on offering an “undue advantage” to a foreign public official, according to Reuters.

The request follows a U.S.–Swiss framework deal this month, lowering Trump’s 39 percent tariff on Swiss goods to 15 percent. This deal was announced 10 days after the Oval Office meeting where the gifts were given, the outlet reports.

Play Video

The Swiss Green Party politicians wrote that “the end does not justify all means,” asking prosecutors to decide if criminal proceedings are warranted under articles that carry penalties of up to five years’ prison—or a fine, Reuters said.

Executives from MSC, Rolex, Partners Group, Mercuria, Richemont and MKS PAMP were listed as attendees to the meeting. Rolex declined to comment when approached by the Daily Beast, and the White House didn’t immediately respond.

GOOD AS GOLD

Trump Seals Trade Deal After Getting Massive Gold Tchotchke

Adam Downer

Alfred Gantner, a Partners Group co-founder who attended the Oval Office session, told Reuters the collaboration helped resolve the dispute. A company spokesman declined to make any further comment to the Beast, as did MKS PAMP.

A person close to the group who visited the Oval Office told the Beast: “The gifts were presented to the Presidential Library, on behalf of the Group who attended the meeting, in full compliance with both U.S. and Swiss law, and were cleared with the White House ethics counsel.”

After the meeting, a Rolex Submariner desk clock, which retails for five figures, could be seen in the Oval Office, alongside the gilded accents and signage that now fills the room. A similar model—although made of stainless steel rather than gold—costs around $10,000. Axios reported the one-kilogram bar was valued at around $130,000.

Swiss outlets and European media have dubbed the saga “gold bar diplomacy,” with criticism across Switzerland’s Green and Social Democrat ranks and a formal probe request now on the table. The government has defended the public-private push while denying any quid pro quo.

Under Swiss procedure, anyone can report an alleged offense, and prosecutors then decide whether to open a case, Reuters said.

NO KINGS THOUGH

Trump Lusts Over More Gold Gifts as He Even Receives a Crown

Isabel van Brugen

A spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office told the Daily Beast that the department generally does not comment on media reports, but confirmed it had received three criminal complaints “against persons unknown” in connection with the meeting between the Swiss delegation and the U.S. President.

“The Federal Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing these complaints as usual. It is important to note that the receipt of a criminal complaint does not automatically mean that a criminal investigation has been opened,” the spokesperson added. “No further information is currently available.”

The Daily Beast has also contacted Mahaim, Gysin, MSC, Rolex, Mercuria, and Richemont for comment.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Tom LatchemLead Global Correspondent

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.