Luddly Neddite
Diamond Member
- Sep 14, 2011
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Now, this is interesting.
In an exclusive exchange with ThinkProgress, Richard Painter, a University of Minnesota law professor who previously served as chief ethics counsel to President George W. Bush, says that Trump’s efforts to do business with these diplomats is at odds with a provision of the Constitution intended to prevent foreign states from effectively buying influence with federal officials.
The Constitution’s “Emoluments Clause,” provides that “no person holding any office of profit or trust under” the United States “shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.”
The diplomats’ efforts in seek Trump’s favor by staying in his hotel “looks like a gift,” Painter told ThinkProgress in an email, and thus is the very kind of favor the Constitution seeks to prevent.
To explain, the ordinary rule under the Emoluments Clause is that federal officials may do business with foreign governments so long as they do not receive special treatment. If the president owns a $200,000 Rolls Royce, Painter told ThinkProgress, they can sell that car to the Queen of England, so long as they only receive its fair market value. If Her Majesty The Queen pays $250,000 for the Rolls Royce, however, that would violate the Emoluments Clause.
Rest of article here:
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-poi...hs-ethics-lawyer-says-73e14789a935#.91zyk7w2i
Trump is in SERIOUS legal trouble.
Yabut, he has done similar crimes before - going to foreign countries for money for his campaign. Its very likely he got money from Pooting. In fact, he was pretty open about that as well as his thank you calls on his unsecured cell phone.
He has also been very open in his desire to end the US Constitution - in fact, that's why the trumpkins voted for him.
There's no doubt that trump is a criminal and always has been but maybe by now, someone has read Article 5 to him. If so, he'll stick to his Twitter whining cuz he just doesn't have the balls or the brains for actual governing. Just more of his hot air threats.