Donald Trump investigation: Court action requests probe of ex-POTUS' Scottish golf courses

Former President Donald Trump is facing four major investigations and over 20 lawsuits amassed over the years especially during his presidency. Trump may now be facing another investigation, this time surrounding his golf courses in Scotland.

Human rights group Avaaz has filed a petition in Scotland’s highest civil court seeking a judicial review of the Scottish government’s decision to reject an “unexplained wealth order” on the former president’s golf courses in the area. The Scottish Parliament voted 89-32 against the motion, that was brought forward by the Scottish Green Party. The motion would have looked into the source of funds that Trump used to develop his courses on Aberdeenshire and Turnberry.

Avaaz has now brought the legal challenge to the Court of Session, to clarify whether the decision to pursue the order would be at the prerogative of the Scottish government. The petition cites that the ministers should act and that they have a duty to seek a UWO in any circumstance where the requirements of the 2002 Proceeds of Crime Act are met. The petition went on to say that the ministers failed to uphold their duty and “acted unlawfully.”

The attorneys representing Avaaz have also written letters to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. They stressed that even if the Civil Recovery Unit could carry out the work involved in applying for the UWO, the decision to apply still remains with the ministers. They also noted that if the Scottish government did not confirm or deny its intention to pursue a UWO against the former US president, they would see the response as “unlawful.”

In other news, Trump has been largely off social media after his indefinite or permanent suspension from most platforms. Instead, the former president has resorted to issuing statements that are being released through his aides or through his PAC, or even his blog. However, according to data by The Washington Post, Trump’s blog that was established this month appears to be falling flat.

The declining engagements with the former president’s blog was a sign, according to the outlet, of his path “toward online irrelevance.” When the blog was first unveiled, it received 159,000 social media interactions. The following days, the interactions went down to 30,000 and have not surpassed 15,000 interactions since.