President Donald Trump's administration is considering an offer from Republican mega-donor and Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson to pay for at least part of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
Trump administration officials say State Department lawyers are evaluating the legality of accepting private donations to cover some or all embassy costs. They say the embassy move cleared its last major hurdle Thursday when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson finally approved a security plan.
The officials weren't authorized to discuss the issue publicly and demanded anonymity.
Under one scenario, the administration would also solicit contributions from individual donors in the evangelical and American Jewish communities. One official says Adelson offered to pay the difference between the cost and what the administration raises.
Opening a full-fledged embassy will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
