The emoluments clause

D

deleted15807

Guest
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
Got a little motto
Always sees me through
When you're good to Mama
Mama's good to you

There's a lot of favors
I'm prepared to do
You do one for Mama
She'll do one for you

 

Industrialsize

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Posts
22,240
Media
213
Likes
31,766
Points
618
Location
Kathmandu (Bagmati Province, Nepal)
Sexuality
100% Gay, 0% Straight
Gender
Male
Why the Emoluments-Clause Lawsuits Matter
Think tax returns, for starters.
It sounds like a law school exam question: Can partisan opponents sue the president for alleged violations of the foreign emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution?

But the recent cases seeking to test that question—Maryland and Washington, D.C., jointly filed one against Donald Trump on Monday, and congressional Democrats are expected to file another today—are anything but academic. The suits revive long-dormant anticorruption provisions in the Constitution, the main one of which forbids the president from accepting payments from foreign governments that might seek favors in return. If the judiciary allows them to move forward, the cases could cast badly needed sunlight on the murky workings of the Trump Organization.

For one, think tax returns. The plaintiffs say one of their first steps will be to demand, via pretrial discovery, copies of Trump’s elusive personal tax filings. How better to assess the scope of the president’s international business affairs—and perhaps to discover why he has hidden his returns so defiantly?
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...lause-lawsuits-against-president-trump-matter

Mr Trump had long standing applications into China for trademarks. Every last one of them had been denied. Then something happened. Mr Trump became President. Suddenly China changed its tuned and began granting Mr Trump trademark after trademark. The absolute equivalent of accepting payments from foreign governments THAT MAY SEEK FAVORS IN RETURN.
 
  • Like
Reactions: b.c.

phonehome

Superior Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Posts
3,895
Media
0
Likes
4,275
Points
343
Gender
Male
What Trump does NOT the "right" to do is make money with his "long held busnesses" that the would not be making but for being president.

Can any Trumpeteer with a straight face say that all those people foreign and domestic who are spending money at that DC Trump hotel like it is going out of style would still be doing that if Hillary Clinton was in the White House ?

Prior to his being elected it had one of the lowest occupany rates for any hotel of like size in DC and they were deeply discounting rates to fill the few rooms they did.

He gets Trademarks that had previuosly denied, Ivanka gets like 6 of them the Kushner company does not have any trouble selling "green cards" in China at a half mill a pop while putting up images of Jared and Donald together.
 
  • Like
Reactions: b.c.

BULLDOG00

Admired Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Posts
1,741
Media
0
Likes
905
Points
148
Location
United States
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
What Trump does NOT the "right" to do is make money with his "long held busnesses" that the would not be making but for being president.

Can any Trumpeteer with a straight face say that all those people foreign and domestic who are spending money at that DC Trump hotel like it is going out of style would still be doing that if Hillary Clinton was in the White House ?

Prior to his being elected it had one of the lowest occupany rates for any hotel of like size in DC and they were deeply discounting rates to fill the few rooms they did.

He gets Trademarks that had previuosly denied, Ivanka gets like 6 of them the Kushner company does not have any trouble selling "green cards" in China at a half mill a pop while putting up images of Jared and Donald together.

Trump has been in the hotel and real estate business for many years. I see no problem with him continuing to own businesses while President. Becoming President should not mean you have to close or sell your businesses. I don't believe our Founding Fathers ever had that intent.
 

phonehome

Superior Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Posts
3,895
Media
0
Likes
4,275
Points
343
Gender
Male
Sure but then how does he keep from being bribed or others foreign and domestic from at the very least TRYING to bribe him ?

The founding fathers clearly did not intend for that to be a possibilty.

The wrote the emoluments clause FOR A REASON
 
  • Like
Reactions: b.c.

BULLDOG00

Admired Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Posts
1,741
Media
0
Likes
905
Points
148
Location
United States
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
Sure but then how does he keep from being bribed or others foreign and domestic from at the very least TRYING to bribe him ?

The founding fathers clearly did not intend for that to be a possibilty.

The wrote the emoluments clause FOR A REASON

I think Thomas Jefferson would be OK with Trump renting out hotel rooms at the normal rates he charges to the general public. Now if the leader of a foreign government started renting $150/night hotel rooms from Trump for $150,000.00 per night, you might have a case.
 

Klingsor

Worshipped Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Posts
10,888
Media
4
Likes
11,638
Points
293
Location
Champaign (Illinois, United States)
Sexuality
80% Straight, 20% Gay
Gender
Male
I think Thomas Jefferson would be OK with Trump renting out hotel rooms at the normal rates he charges to the general public. Now if the leader of a foreign government started renting $150/night hotel rooms from Trump for $150,000.00 per night, you might have a case.

A shame the Constitution doesn't make that distinction.
 

Industrialsize

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Posts
22,240
Media
213
Likes
31,766
Points
618
Location
Kathmandu (Bagmati Province, Nepal)
Sexuality
100% Gay, 0% Straight
Gender
Male
Thomas Jefferson would not be OK with this straight up bribe. This is anything BUT normal business affairs.

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.

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.
The website said the payments were just part of a huge effort by the Saudi authorities to lobby against the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA.

Last year, over repeated opposition from Barack Obama’s government, the US Congress passed a bill that would allow families of the victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for any alleged role in the plot.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...washington-dc-investment-270000-a7775471.html
 
  • Like
Reactions: TurkeyWithaSunburn

BULLDOG00

Admired Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Posts
1,741
Media
0
Likes
905
Points
148
Location
United States
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
Thomas Jefferson would not be OK with this straight up bribe. This is anything BUT normal business affairs.

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.

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.
The website said the payments were just part of a huge effort by the Saudi authorities to lobby against the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, or JASTA.

Last year, over repeated opposition from Barack Obama’s government, the US Congress passed a bill that would allow families of the victims of the September 11 attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for any alleged role in the plot.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...washington-dc-investment-270000-a7775471.html

Did the Trump organization provide the hotel rooms and catering services? If the service was provided, it is not fair to call it a bribe. It would make sense that visitors to DC would want to stay close to the Capital. Location location location.
 

Klingsor

Worshipped Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2011
Posts
10,888
Media
4
Likes
11,638
Points
293
Location
Champaign (Illinois, United States)
Sexuality
80% Straight, 20% Gay
Gender
Male
It also doesn't say the President can't conduct his normal business affairs.

It says he can't "accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state." "Emolument," to the Founding Fathers, meant "profit," "benefit," or "advantage" of any kind.

So it's a pretty sweeping restriction.

Title of Nobility Clause
 
  • Like
Reactions: b.c.

BULLDOG00

Admired Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2016
Posts
1,741
Media
0
Likes
905
Points
148
Location
United States
Sexuality
No Response
Gender
Male
It says he can't "accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state." "Emolument," to the Founding Fathers, meant "profit," "benefit," or "advantage" of any kind.

So it's a pretty sweeping restriction.

Title of Nobility Clause

That restriction doesn't appear to include conducting legal and lawful business.
 

Industrialsize

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Posts
22,240
Media
213
Likes
31,766
Points
618
Location
Kathmandu (Bagmati Province, Nepal)
Sexuality
100% Gay, 0% Straight
Gender
Male
Despite our Canine legal scholar's opinion, 3 cases making their way through the judicial system will settle this. It is a matter the courts have never had to rule on until Mr Trump.
Case 1: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Case 2: Attorneys General of Washington D.C. and Virginia
Case 3: 100 Congressional Democrats.
 

phonehome

Superior Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Posts
3,895
Media
0
Likes
4,275
Points
343
Gender
Male
I think here is the underlying thing that explains all this

Republicans are somewhat between "do not mind" and "prefer to be" scammed

They are more than Ok with people "running for president" as just a money making scam or it being a "full time job for them.

Herman Cain, it was really just a book tour, no one cared.

Ben Carson same thing just 4 years later.

Mike Huckabe turned it into a long running gig on Fox news.

Sarah Palin and the rest of the Palins got more than one reality TV show out of the deal, all those books that she really never wrote which lead to all those "book tours" that looked to all the world like the campaign rallies she loved so much in 08

The response is always something along the lines of "Oh they are so smart, I would do it too if I could"

Now with Donald Trump who is the ultimate at it it's "that is fine with us" no matter what he does.
 

Industrialsize

Mythical Member
Gold
Platinum Gold
Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Posts
22,240
Media
213
Likes
31,766
Points
618
Location
Kathmandu (Bagmati Province, Nepal)
Sexuality
100% Gay, 0% Straight
Gender
Male
I think here is the underlying thing that explains all this

Republicans are somewhat between "do not mind" and "prefer to be" scammed

They are more than Ok with people "running for president" as just a money making scam or it being a "full time job for them.

Herman Cain, it was really just a book tour, no one cared.

Ben Carson same thing just 4 years later.

Mike Huckabe turned it into a long running gig on Fox news.

Sarah Palin and the rest of the Palins got more than one reality TV show out of the deal, all those books that she really never wrote which lead to all those "book tours" that looked to all the world like the campaign rallies she loved so much in 08

The response is always something along the lines of "Oh they are so smart, I would do it too if I could"

Now with Donald Trump who is the ultimate at it it's "that is fine with us" no matter what he does.
On the Emoluments clause, it doesn't matter a rat's ass what the republican's think. It's now a matter for the courts.