Posted on 11/30/2016 2:28:12 PM PST by SeekAndFind
In a moment of glory for Constitution nerds, "Emoluments Clause" was trending last week on Twitter.
That's the clause in our nation's founding document that bans federal officeholders from accepting favors from foreign governments without the OK of Congress. It has come to the fore in part because the operations of the Trump Organization regularly throw President-elect Trump and his family into business relations with such governments and their representatives.
For example, Trump just threw an event welcoming potential customers to his newly opened Washington hotel, which is expected to do a boom business on inauguration week. Some diplomats told reporters that they were planning to book Trump suites as a gesture of goodwill toward the big man, just as they might do back home.
Even the more Trump-sympathetic voices in the press (yes, there are some) have been warning that the president-elect must act now to head off the looming conflict of interest. The Wall Street Journal says he needs to divest his business empire outright to function impartially as chief executive, while the New York Post warns against just putting the business in a peekaboo trust for his kids:
"After all, if the election had gone the other way, we'd right now be furiously denouncing the idea of letting Chelsea run the Clinton Foundation."
Trump initially responded to critics on Twitter with a note of defiance: "Prior to the election it was well known that I have interests in properties all over the world. Only the crooked media makes this a big deal!"
But this issue is not likely to go away on its own, nor will he find it as easy to stonewall as he did the one-time story of his tax return. New conflicts and potential conflicts arising from foreign patronage of Trump properties
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
He can’t even eat dinner at his restaurant without Twitter getting upset that he is getting free advertising.
Total BS. They'd love it. None of these hypocrites had a problem with Hillary peddling government contracts for foreign payoffs to the CF.
I despise these cretins.
Its a non-issue except to liberals and the MSM.
The emoluments clause only forbids the President from receiving gifts or anything of value from a foreign government.
It doesn’t prohibit him from running a private business.
So I guess there’s an exception for Secretary of State?
I wonder why this issue was not raised while Hillary Clinton was campaigning to be president...
Actually, no, I don’t wonder...
I was just yankin’ your chains...
But Hillary can use her office to rake in tens of millions from foreigners, when her job was to represent us against foreigners.....and that’s no problem.
And don’t forget, SOS is appointed, you don’t have a need to fund raise.
“That’s the clause in our nation’s founding document that bans federal officeholders from accepting favors from foreign governments without the OK of Congress.”
I would consider a multi-million donation to the Clinton Foundation by (insert country here) a very, very big favor.
More acts of desperation by infantile presstitutes.
ALL Conflict of Interest Laws, such as the WSJ is pointing out in this article, SPECIFICALLY EXEMPT the President and Vice President, THEY ALL KNOW THIS, Which makes them LIARS!!!
I claim dibs on this issue . . . I’ve been talking about the emoluments clause WRT to the Clinton Foundation for over a year. Now it’s suddenly an issue?
Whoever wrote this is delusional...........
Ah, philly.com readers, back to their normal hate-filled leftist comments.
True, too very true..
Did you see the Philly city attorney involved in defacement of a store with anti Trump graffiti in Chestnut Hill.
All of a sudden they're worried about this?
ML/NJ
Are you saying the President is immune from the emoluments clause?
The Constitution does not preclude the President or Vice President from owning profit-producing properties. If it did, all of our early presidents and VPs could not serve, including Washington, Adams and Jefferson. What the Left and its viciously sanctimonious media water carriers want is for Trump to divest himself of all of his business interests. They are doing this not out of concern for the country, but out of spite and hatred for a billionaire capitalist who upset their path to full control.
I love Trump and we are ever so fortunate that he decided to run for president.
But I would almost like a press conference question on this right off, because I would hate for him to give them anything to hang onto re: impeachment.
Yes, you got it right.
And Trumps hotel selling a room for a night isn’t a favor. It’s a purchase of hotel room.
George Washington didn’t have to sell his farm.
Yes, I saw that today and last night. I hope he gets fired and disbarred.
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