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Former Bush Counsel: Electoral College Can’t Vote For Trump if He’s in Violation of Constitution
Mediaite ^ | November 23rd, 2016 | Justin Baragona

Posted on 11/25/2016 7:59:15 AM PST by Cheerio

While meeting with the New York Times yesterday for an on-the-record interview, President-elect Donald Trump stated that the president cannot have conflicts of interest and that the law was on his side. This comes in response to numerous concerns over Trump using his position to further enrich himself and his personal businesses.

During a discussion on CNN this morning, former White House lawyer Richard Painter made the case that if it appears that Trump will be in violation of the emolument clause of the Constitution, then the Electoral College must decide to not vote for him next month.

After he and fellow guest Jan Baran agreed that there isn’t an actual law that prevents Trump from being involved in his businesses while in the White House but that it does present numerous ethical issues, Painter said that he informed Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway of concerns around the emolument clause.

(Excerpt) Read more at mediaite.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bush; corruption; fakenews; trump
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To: knarf

Shouldn’t that include the Nobel Peace prize?


41 posted on 11/25/2016 8:33:27 AM PST by ez ("Abashed the devil stood and felt how awful goodness is..." - Milton)
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To: All
These people slay me.....where were they when disastrous Obama ran?

This deranged arrogant megalomaniac unaccountably got into American politics under false pretenses.

His disgusting European apology tour certainly proved his rank hatred of America. His capabilities in office demonstrated a remarkable proclivity for looting the US Treasury.

In it only for the money, you say? You betcha. The Washington Times says he leaves office as a billionaire.....and plans to shake the money tree bigtime (coached by those practiced grifting experts....the Clintons).

===============================================

The clock is ticking, his time in the White House is fading....but Obama is not going quietly. Boobamba left Americans a divided nation, trillions in debt, and a cartload of parasitic freeloaders sucking up our tax dollars, many of whom plan to kill us.

If that wasnt enough Boobamba says he intends to stay active....to take years and years to transform America even more. He's proud he fundamentally transformed the nation we loved into a violent, hate-filled place.

All of this is fodder for his foundations. The reality is the Boob and the missus got rich in office and intend to get even richer via an endless presidency......ala the crooked Clintons.

42 posted on 11/25/2016 8:34:01 AM PST by Liz ( Experience is a dear teacher, but fools will learn at no other. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Cheerio

Divestiture would make sense if he were the major stockholder of an international corporation and would be in the position to give that corporation advantages that other similar corporations would not have.

But this is his own business. He can’t exactly bribe himself to give himself special favors. Furthermore, he has already demonstrated his commitment to conducting the business of the people, by having everyone in his administration agree not to lobby for 5 years.

There are other strong indicators of how he will govern: his very campaign slogan, “Make American Great Again,” and his many campaign speeches talking about “Us” and “We” show that he isn’t in this for his own aggrandizement. Contrast that to Hillary’s slogan, “I’m with Her,” which communicated that her personal ambition was the purpose of the election, and that the people were only important in that they would elevate her to that position.

One other thing: the left certainly has the word “loose” in their lexicon. How many times did we hear that Trump is a “loose cannon”? Every time the Hillary campaign needed to distract us from Hillary’s instability and words of warmongering (e.g., when she said she would attack Russia militarily to retaliate for cyber attacks), they trotted out that “loose cannon” meme.


43 posted on 11/25/2016 8:35:21 AM PST by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: bigbob

George Washington had mucho business interests. You think those slaves were sitting around. He also had some interest in a canal....and in fact I think Congress offered him some shares....or something like that.


44 posted on 11/25/2016 8:35:56 AM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: Cheerio

At night the cockroaches appear from behind the wall. When discovered,you step on them


45 posted on 11/25/2016 8:36:49 AM PST by BigEdLB (To Dimwitocrats: We won. You lost. Get used to it.)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

thank you.


46 posted on 11/25/2016 8:39:50 AM PST by Blennos ( As)
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To: Cheerio
By virtue of the fact that former members receive benefits and protection after they leave office and the fact that they have privileges far beyond what their office requires, they've turned election to the House or even more so the Senate into the functional equivalent of a Title of Nobility.

That's even true of some of the appointed positions that in reality carry life long benefits after the person is out of that position.

If they're going to whine about Trump, they could at least destroy the outrageous preference given to members of Congress during and after their term in office before they start whining. People who arrive in Washington worth a few hundred thousand and leave six or twelve years later as millionaires aren't fooling anyone, they're clearly violating the very law these twits want to pretend Trump would be violating.

Repeal the 17th Amendment and a great many of those benefits will dry up in a heartbeat because the under the table and off the books cash that funds them will go away.

47 posted on 11/25/2016 8:40:00 AM PST by Rashputin (Jesus Christ doesn't evacuate His troops, He leads them to victory !!)
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To: Cheerio

bookmark


48 posted on 11/25/2016 8:42:52 AM PST by GOP Poet
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To: TTFlyer

TTFlyer, you nailed it.

There isn’t much of anything about the Bushes, the Clintons, nor the Obamas that I would hold in high esteem. Good riddence to them all.

“... and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.” — Sam Adams


49 posted on 11/25/2016 8:46:08 AM PST by DNME (This is the tyranny that the Founders warned us about.)
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To: goldstategop
The emolument clause only prevents the President from being under the financial influence of a foreign state.

If that's accurate, they definitely don't want to push it too far. The Klinton Foundation is chock full of foreign money pay to play corruption. So much so, she would be in prison at any other time.

50 posted on 11/25/2016 8:47:13 AM PST by LouAvul (The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.)
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To: Cheerio

Leave if to Trump to trick liberals into reading the Constitution.


51 posted on 11/25/2016 8:59:29 AM PST by Raycpa
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To: Cheerio

Total BS


52 posted on 11/25/2016 9:07:12 AM PST by Strac6 (Sig Sauer, Pilatus, Mrs. Strac... all the fun things in my life are Swiss)
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To: Cheerio

The left wants the electoral college to punish Trump (and Trump supporters) for the pre-crimes they are convinced he will commit, while the Clintons are ALREADY GUILTY of this EXACT crime. The lunacy of the left never ceases to amaze me.

The author’s other worries seem much more applicable to the Clintons as well. So, the author’s logic, if valid, would really have applied in the event that the stupid voters had prevailed and Clinton had won.

There are millions of armed Americans who were and still are ready to go to war over the outcome of this election. The leftists need to follow the proverbial advice to be careful what you wish for.


53 posted on 11/25/2016 9:10:26 AM PST by unlearner (11/8/2016 - a new beginning.)
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To: goldstategop

When these pathetic pansies start worrying about Hillary’s conflicts of interest, getting paid by foreign governments in exchange for favorable treatment, I might briefly take them seriously.

I assume George Washington put Mt Vernon in a blind trust? And Thomas Jefferson put Monticello in a blind trust? Meanwhile, the Clintons and Obamas make millions WHILE IN OFFICE. And everyone knows it.


54 posted on 11/25/2016 9:10:58 AM PST by Mr Rogers (We're a nation of infants, ruled by their emotion)
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To: Cheerio

The coup would not be bloodless.


55 posted on 11/25/2016 9:11:17 AM PST by Bon mots
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To: Cheerio

And what legal authority does a former Bush counsel have to issue this decree? Why, none of course. But the MSM will grasp at any straw to stop or deligitimize Trump.


56 posted on 11/25/2016 9:15:15 AM PST by Hardastarboard (Freedom Trumps Fascism)
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To: Cheerio



57 posted on 11/25/2016 9:20:45 AM PST by Cheerio (Barry Hussein Soetoro-0bama=The Complete Destruction of American Capitalism)
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To: Cheerio

“Mister Richard Painter, Mister Richard Painter please call your office, Jill Stein is waiting for you.”


58 posted on 11/25/2016 9:37:01 AM PST by jmaroneps37 (Conservatism is truth. Liberalism is lies.)
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To: Cheerio

This is a real problem for Hillary; that is why they knew about it. But they just exposed Hillary to another legal problem. It will certainly be piled on for the Foundation indictment. It is not just for the Presidency, it is for any office of trust.

This is a major problem in Iraq. Iran is paying their bureaucrats more than Iraq is paying them.


59 posted on 11/25/2016 9:38:21 AM PST by Revolutionary ("Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!")
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To: Cheerio

That applies to the US and the States, not foreign govs.

Prez can’t concurrently be a government employee in some other position.

So if you are elected prez, you’d have to give up your government mail-room job the day you assume office.


60 posted on 11/25/2016 9:38:48 AM PST by fruser1
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