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High-ranking Democrats on Capitol Hill are calling for a counterintelligence investigation into a woman who has peddled access to President Trump and who founded the massage parlor where 

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is accused of soliciting sex

.
Li "Cindy" Yang has been the subject of a number of reports in recent weeks, notably in 

, which have detailed how she created a business that advertised "entry to events, including White House visits, 'VIP activities at Mar-a-Lago' and Warren Buffett's annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders," according to 


She was photographed in February with Trump at a Super Bowl party that Kraft also attended, according to the 

 for a group of Chinese business executives to attend a paid fundraiser for the president in late 2017.


If true, these allegations raise serious counterintelligence concerns," wrote the 

highest-ranking Democrats on the intelligence and judiciary committees

 in both the House and the Senate in a letter dated Friday.


The letter, addressed to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and Secret Service Director Randolph Alles, contains questions about a number of aspects of Yang's reported activities.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., released on Monday a statement in which they too said they support an investigation.


Yang founded the Orchids of Asia Day Spa, where Kraft is accused of visiting and 

 — an accusation Kraft has called "totally false." Yang told 

 that she sold it long before the scandal involving the New England Patriots' owner.


Democrats want to know the extent to which Yang or her businesses have been investigated by the FBI or state authorities for human trafficking or other violations of the law.


They also want a counterintelligence investigation into the extent that Yang or her clients interacted with Trump, Vice President Pence or other senior White House officials and whether those alleged interactions broke 

 in the United States.
Yang met a number of high-level Republicans over the past year, according to the 


No one Yang says she met with, or was photographed with, told the 

"Although Ms. Yang's activities may only be those of an unscrupulous actor allegedly selling access to politicians for profit, her activities also could permit adversary governments or their agents access to these same politicians to acquire potential material for blackmail or other even more nefarious purposes," wrote the Democrats.

They are also interested in probing whether Yang or any of her clients illegally contributed to campaigns in an effort to gain access to politicians.

A previous version of this story misspelled Secret Service Director Randolph Alles' first name as Randoph. 

Crime, Law and Justice

Politics and Government News

Miles Parks

Author

Top Democrats in Congress are concerned the actions of Li "Cindy" Yang could allow "adversary governments" "to acquire potential material for blackmail or other even more nefarious purposes."

Democrats call for investigation into pro-Trump former owner of massage parlors

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