(From warren.senate.gov)
More than two weeks after Rolex chief executive Jean-Frédéric Dufour appeared alongside President Donald J. Trump at the US Open, no details have emerged on what was discussed between the two leaders. That may soon change.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren is pressing Rolex for answers about whether the encounter was tied to efforts to ease the new 39-percent tariff on Swiss watches.
In a letter to Dufour sent Wednesday, Warren demanded clarity by Oct. 8 on why Trump was invited to the US Open, what communications took place with his administration before, during and after the event, how much Rolex expects to pay if no exemption is granted and how that would impact profits.
“Given the President’s record of doling out special treatment to CEOs who are able to woo him with flattery, payoffs, or both, the timing of his attendance at the match in the Rolex box is concerning,” the Senator wrote. “I have questions about whether you are attempting to curry favor with the President in an effort to secure special-interest exemptions for Rolex products.”
The meeting was unusual for Rolex, whose reputation depends on staying above politics. Yet Dufour managed to get closer to Trump than the Swiss delegations had in weeks.