Trump-appointed ambassador 'lined the president's pockets' by making sure to stay at his hotels: report

Kelly Craft, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to be an ambassador first to Canada and then the United Nations, insisted on staying at his hotels during travel.

Forbes has obtained internal emails showing that Craft told a staffer that she wanted to stay at Trump's D.C. hotel when she was in town for a conference for ambassadors.

"I would prefer the TRUMP HOTEL," Craft wrote to the staffer.

And this was not a one-time arrangement, as Forbes found that "Craft stayed at Trump's D.C. hotel at least three times in the first half of 2018 while in town on government business."

Jack Patterson, a spokesperson for government watchdog American Oversight, said Craft's decision to enrich the man who appointed her on the taxpayer's dime was symbolic of the corruption that was rife during Trump's tenure.

"Ambassador Craft's apparent eagerness to direct business to a Trump-owned hotel sends a signal that U.S. foreign policy is pay-to-play," he said. "An American diplomat using their position to line the president's pockets is an example of the casual corruption that permeated the Trump administration and undermines confidence in the United States."