Congress demands FBI investigate Trump-linked 'massage parlor' founder

Trump’s apparent relationship with the massage parlor founder linked to a prostitution bust is drawing heightened scrutiny from Congress.

In a letter sent last Friday to the head of the FBI, the director of national intelligence, and the head of the Secret Service, four top Democrats are demanding a criminal and counterintelligence investigation into allegations surrounding Li “Cindy” Yang.

The letter asks Trump law enforcement and intelligence agencies to look into “credible allegations of human trafficking, as well as unlawful foreign lobbying, campaign finance and other activities” by Yang.

Yang burst into the headlines in early March after the Miami Herald published photos of her next to a smiling Trump at a Super Bowl watching party. Yang owns several south Florida massage parlors and was the original owner of the massage parlor where New England Patriots owner (and Trump friend) Robert Kraft was arrested for soliciting prostitution. Since the initial report, photos have surfaced of Yang at numerous Trump events, posing with high-profile Republicans including Trump’s adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric.

The first part of the letter asks for an investigation into Yang’s possible involvement in “prostitution and human trafficking in which immigrant women are forced to serve as sex workers” at the massage parlors she currently owns and operates.

In addition, Yang is accused of selling access to Trump and his family to clients from China. In addition to massage parlors, Yang reportedly operated a business which advertised “the opportunity to interact with the president” and promised access to the Trump family, especially at Mar-a-Lago, the Florida resort owned by Trump.

“If true,” the letter states, “these allegations raise serious counter intelligence concerns.” The letter quotes from FBI Director Christopher Wray, who told Congress that Chinese counterintelligence is “more deep, more diverse, more vexing, more challenging, more comprehensive and more concerning than any counterintelligence threat I can think of.”

The members of Congress are concerned that Yang could have knowingly or unknowingly allowed foreign government agents to politicians “to acquire potential material for blackmail or other even more nefarious purposes.”

Even before this latest scandal erupted, Democrats in Congress were concerned about Trump’s willingness to discuss policies with Mar-a-Lago members, who pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to become a part of the club.

“One of things that we have been concerned about is security,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told ABC News. “We don’t know how safe it is from a communications standpoint.”

A joint statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer encouraged Director Wray to heed the request from Congress and open an investigation, saying the situation is “very concerning.”

An investigation will shed light on whether or not Trump, his family, or his advisors made themselves available to foreign spies who knew access to Trump could be easily bought.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.