The emoluments clause

[deleted15807]

No, actually it is not over, because Trump is in the process of admitting it is true - you have not been paying attention. Sooner or later the taxes will be looked at and that will be the final nails in the coffin.

The Trump death march will be slow, grinding and ugly.

 

[Industrialsize]

 

[Industrialsize]

Trump’s Defense of Taking Foreign Money Is Historically Illiterate
The Justice Department’s lawyers are getting the founding fathers all wrong.
Did George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or James Madison sell agricultural products to a foreign government “instrumentality?”

It’s hard to say, since their surviving plantation records don’t speak to the question. But the Department of Justice, which is defending Donald Trump against a suit filed by various parties including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), argues that it’s quite likely they did – and this assertion, seemingly arcane more than 200 years later and given the tumultuous state of the world, is key to the all-important question of whether President Trump is breaking the law.
The Emoluments Clause reflected common republican (small ‘r’) wisdom. The founders believed that the new nation should be governed by men who enjoyed sufficient economic wherewithal to place the common good above private, pecuniary concerns. They valued disinterestedness, virtue and independence and feared the day that someone beholden to a foreign or domestic economic power might hold high office.

The Emoluments Clause was a product of the founders’ shared republican ideology. And Donald Trump is the eventuality they feared above all.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/st...reign-money-is-historically-illiterate-215244

 

[TurkeyWithaSunburn]

What about the DOMESTIC emolument clause?
Donald Trump May Also Be Violating a Different Emoluments Clause

The payment flow chart is a little complicated—as is usually the case given the nesting doll of LLCs and trusts that make up the Trump Organization—but it boils down to this: State or city-run pension funds in California, New York, Texas, Arizona, Montana, Michigan, and Missouri pay millions of dollars per quarter to CIM, which then turns around and pays a portion of that money via a subsidiary to a pair of Trump-owned companies to manage, market, and operate the SoHo hotel. According to the most recent publicly available numbers, the Trump-owned businesses bring in an estimated $9 million a year from the CIM deal.

The Domestic Emoluments Clause differs from its foreign counterpart in at least two important ways beyond where the emolument is coming from. First, while the foreign clause covers all office holders, the domestic one is focused exclusively on the chief executive. Second, while the Constitution allows Congress to make exceptions for some foreign emoluments, there’s no such loophole for domestic ones. The rationale for including the domestic clause was to prevent a state—or even Congress—from buying a favor from the president. The fact the framers felt it necessary to include two different emoluments clauses should tell you how serious of a concern they thought this was. In this case, the fear would be that other states might invest in this fund—or some other one that also does business with Trump—in order to gain Trump’s favor, or even avoid his ire.

Interesting, how many clauses of the Constitution he can violate or possibly violate while being president?

He's filed for an amended tax return this year. What's he hiding?

 

[deleted15807]

Interesting, how many clauses of the Constitution he can violate or possibly violate while being president?

Well DC and MD are suing for that very thing. Going to be another shocking week in Washington.

 

[deleted15807]

The suit was filed today:

At a news conference, the two said Trump is “flagrantly violating” the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibit U.S. officeholders from taking anything of value from foreign leaders. The conflicts of interests are so vast, Frosh said, that Americans cannot say for sure whether Trump’s actions on a given day are taken in the best interest of the country or that of his companies.​

D.C., Md. attorneys general: Trump ‘flagrantly violating’ emoluments clause
​

Remember when Republicans screamed about The Clinton Foundation? At least that foundations goals were to help the disadvanted. The Trump brand's goal is to help the Trump family only. Fuck the rest.

 

[Industrialsize]

The suit was filed today:

At a news conference, the two said Trump is “flagrantly violating” the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibit U.S. officeholders from taking anything of value from foreign leaders. The conflicts of interests are so vast, Frosh said, that Americans cannot say for sure whether Trump’s actions on a given day are taken in the best interest of the country or that of his companies.​

D.C., Md. attorneys general: Trump ‘flagrantly violating’ emoluments clause
​

Remember when Republicans screamed about The Clinton Foundation? At least that foundations goals were to help the disadvanted. The Trump brand's goal is to help the Trump family only. Fuck the rest.

I started this thread 5 days BEFORE Mr Trump was inaugurated:
I believe that this little known clause of the constitution has the ability to bring Mr Trump's presidency down. And it would be due to his own refusal to listen to the Office of Government Ethics regarding divesting.
Jimmy Carter had to sell his peanut farm:

Republicans in 1979 spent six months and they hired a special prosecutor. They went out of their way to make sure it was a Republican special prosecutor who they hired at the Department of Justice to just tear everything apart, go up and down through every peanut shell to try to find something, anything scandalous in Jimmy Carter`s family peanut farm.
The same Republican Party hasn't spent one minute trying to understand Mr Trump's business dealings.
They neglect to do so at the peril of Mr Trump's presidency.

 

[BULLDOG00]

I believe that this little known clause of the constitution has the ability to bring Mr Trump's presidency down.

It is not going to happen.

 

[phonehome]

Just shows what fucking hypocrites the Republicans are.

Can you imagine the uproar if Chelsea had an office in the WH and the SIL was one office over from the Oval and seemingly in charge of everything and The Clinton Foundation was not only still going strong but Chelsea had created on her own supposedly for advancing the interest of women and got in excess of 100 million from Saudi Arabia where last time I checked women not just SA women but ALL women are not even allowed to drive a car.

Bill owned a couple of restaurants and a few bars in DC

They would be have articles of impeachment voted out of the house already

 

[BULLDOG00]

Just shows what fucking hypocrites the Republicans are.

Can you imagine the uproar if Chelsea had an office in the WH and the SIL was one office over from the Oval and seemingly in charge of everything and The Clinton Foundation was not only still going strong but Chelsea had created on her own supposedly for advancing the interest of women and got in excess of 100 million from Saudi Arabia where last time I checked women not just SA women but ALL women are not even allowed to drive a car.

Bill owned a couple of restaurants and a few bars in DC

They would be have articles of impeachment voted out of the house already

I have criticized Trump for having his family in the WH, but apparently it is legal.

As for Trump having businesses, of course he should be able to have them. Business men should be allowed in politics otherwise all we get is freaking lawyers.

 

[deleted37010]

I have criticized Trump for having his family in the WH, but apparently it is legal.

As for Trump having businesses, of course he should be able to have them. Business men should be allowed in politics otherwise all we get is freaking lawyers.

question sir,
should president trump's businesses financially benefit from his presidency?

 

[Industrialsize]

The Republicans in investigated the hell out of Jimmy Carter's peanut farm with a special prosecutor. He found NOTHING. Now they couldn't give a damn about Mr Trump's business entanglements and how they effect his presidency.
Inquiry Clears Carter Family's Peanut Business
A special counsel appointed to investigate questionable financial dealings involving President Carter's family peanut warehouse has concluded that there is no basis for criminal prosecution.

Making public a 180-page report on the multimillion-dollar loan package that the National Bank of Georgia provided to the warehouse, Special Counsel Paul J. Curran said yesterday that "no indictment can or should be brought against anyone."

During the course of the inquiry, which began last March, Curran and his team of investigators questioned President Carter under oath for four hours. Curran said he believed it was the first time in history that a president in office had given a deposition in a criminal case.

The six-month investigation was conducted before a federal grand jury in Atlanta. The team of attorneys and accountants reviewed about 80,000 documents and interviewed scores of witnesses.

Curran estimated that the investigation cost the government about $360,000. The former U. S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was appointed special counsel March 20, said he expects to return to private practice in Manhattan today.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arch...809-9b7d-7a57e78b76b0/?utm_term=.50b55b0674f3

 

[BULLDOG00]

question sir,
should president trump's businesses financially benefit from his presidency?

Presidents should be able to run and/or own businesses. If the Presidency increases profits is speculative. We don't want to discourage successful business people from running for office. Business people, especially business owners/founders and not just a CEO, are better than lawyers and community organizers.

 

[Industrialsize]

Trump's Washington DC hotel received $270,000 from Saudi Arabia

Donald Trump’s flagship hotel in the nation’s capital has received more than $270,000 in payments from a lobbying firm tried to Saudi Arabia, as the country seeks to overturn a US anti-terrorism law.


That's a straight up bribe and forbidden by the Emoluments Clause.

Newly filed lobbying reports reveal that the Trump International Hotel, located barely a stone’s throw from the White House, received the money from Qorvis MSLGroup. The payments were for hotel rooms and catering services for dozens of US veterans who the lobbying firm retained as part of a campaign to influence politicians.

The Daily Caller said disclosures filed with US Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, show that Qorvis MSLGroup paid $190,272 to Trump International for lodging expenses, $78,204 for catering, and $1,568 for parking.
Before he took office, Mr Trump pledged to donate foreign profits from his hotels to the US Treasury. However, reports say the Trump Organisation is not trying to comprehensively identify all foreign profits to its hotel business, according to a company policy document recently provided to the House Oversight Committee.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...washington-dc-investment-270000-a7775471.html

 

[deleted15807]

Trump's Washington DC hotel received $270,000 from Saudi Arabia

Donald Trump’s flagship hotel in the nation’s capital has received more than $270,000 in payments from a lobbying firm tried to Saudi Arabia, as the country seeks to overturn a US anti-terrorism law.


That's a straight up bribe and forbidden by the Emoluments Clause.

Newly filed lobbying reports reveal that the Trump International Hotel, located barely a stone’s throw from the White House, received the money from Qorvis MSLGroup. The payments were for hotel rooms and catering services for dozens of US veterans who the lobbying firm retained as part of a campaign to influence politicians.

The Daily Caller said disclosures filed with US Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, show that Qorvis MSLGroup paid $190,272 to Trump International for lodging expenses, $78,204 for catering, and $1,568 for parking.
Before he took office, Mr Trump pledged to donate foreign profits from his hotels to the US Treasury. However, reports say the Trump Organisation is not trying to comprehensively identify all foreign profits to its hotel business, according to a company policy document recently provided to the House Oversight Committee.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...washington-dc-investment-270000-a7775471.html

Trump claims all profits will be donated:

It’s Complicated, Trump Group Says of Donating Profit From Foreign Officials

However if there's one thing we know about Trump is he won't donate shit unless the press catches him not donating as they did during the campaign. If you read the article they have given themselves many ways to skirt the obligation plus a roadmap for foreign governments to still "donate" under the radar.

 

[TurkeyWithaSunburn]

Trump claims all profits will be donated:

It’s Complicated, Trump Group Says of Donating Profit From Foreign Officials

However if there's one thing we know about Trump is he won't donate shit unless the press catches him not donating as they did during the campaign. If you read the article they have given themselves many ways to skirt the obligation plus a roadmap for foreign governments to still "donate" under the radar.

Trump claimed he was going to donate all foreign govt profits, but last week (I think) his organization/lawyers said it was just too complicated to keep track of foreign govt business at his hotels.

So does this mean he'll finally donate some of his own money (read foreign govt) to his own foundation to host a charity tournament at a Trump golf course and bill his own foundation (or one of his kid's foundations) for using the golf course?
Makes sense, keep the money in the family!

 

[deleted15807]

Trump claimed he was going to donate all foreign govt profits, but last week (I think) his organization/lawyers said it was just too complicated to keep track of foreign govt business at his hotels.

So does this mean he'll finally donate some of his own money (read foreign govt) to his own foundation to host a charity tournament at a Trump golf course and bill his own foundation (or one of his kid's foundations) for using the golf course?
Makes sense, keep the money in the family!

You can be CERTAIN the Don will find a way to cheat and donation notebook will end up like this:

Searching for evidence of Trump’s personal giving

​

 

[phonehome]

Around the time they came out with the "it's too complicated" bullshit

They also were found to have sent out direction to all their properties that said "don't bother to try to find out". IE never ask, always assume that who ever is "just a private individual" that is staying "for pleasure" no business, government or otherwise has anything to do with the persons stay.

And DO NOT ASK!!!!

 

[Industrialsize]

More Emoluments
Chinese government grants preliminary approval for nine Donald Trump trademarks it had previously rejected.

SHANGHAI (AP) — The Chinese government has granted preliminary approval for nine Donald Trump trademarks it had previously rejected, in whole or in part, The Associated Press found, a turn that is likely to fuel further allegations that Beijing may be giving the president’s family business special treatment.

This is exactly what the Emoluments Clause forbids.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

https://apnews.com/a891967cfe12428c...n=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

 

[Industrialsize]

3rd lawsuit filed against Trump Emoluments
Trump Sued Over Foreign Business Dealings by Democrat Lawmakers
Lawsuit says Trump has run afoul of constitutional limits



A group of almost 200 Democratic lawmakers sued to block President Donald Trump from taking any money from foreign states at his global businesses without getting Congressional approval first, claiming his acceptance of such benefits violates the Constitution.

It’s the latest shot at the Trump administration from Democrats on Capitol Hill, who on Tuesday pressed his Attorney General Jeff Sessions for information about his role in the probe into the Trump campaign’s links to Russia. It’s an issue the Democrats also brought up in the lawsuit.

As Trump “decides how to shape U.S. policy toward Russia, he may be influenced by his long-standing, though yet unrealized, desire to build housing and hotels in Russia,” the Democrats said.


Trump has stepped down from running his $3 billion empire but retained his ownership interests, a decision the lawmakers say violates the Foreign Emoluments clause in the U.S. Constitution that forbids the president from receiving payments or gifts from foreign governments without Congress’s approval.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/...s-to-sue-trump-over-foreign-business-dealings