A look at 5 Trump business ties that pose conflicts

[webfact]

A look at 5 Trump business ties that pose conflicts

By BERNARD CONDON

 

NEW YORK (AP) — After Ivanka Trump appeared on CBS's "60 Minutes" wearing a $10,800 bracelet from her jewelry line, someone at her company sent photos from the interview to fashion writers to drum up free publicity. A firestorm of criticism erupted over the impropriety of profiting off the presidency, and the company apologized.

 

If only the bracelet brouhaha was the end of it.

 

Experts on government ethics are warning President-elect Donald Trump that he'll never shake suspicions of a clash between his private interests and the public good if he doesn't sell off his vast holdings, which include roughly 500 companies in more than a dozen countries. They say just the appearance of conflicts is likely to tie up the new administration in investigations, lawsuits and squabbles, stoked perhaps by angry Oval Office tweets.

 

"People are itching to sue Donald Trump and stick him under oath," said Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer for George W. Bush.

 

In an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, Trump insisted that the "law's totally on my side," and ethics experts agree that federal conflicts of interest rules don't apply to the president so he can run his business pretty much the way he pleases while in office. His company, The Trump Organization, had no comment on the conflicts issue, other than a statement reiterating its plans to transfer control of the company to three of the president-elect's adult children.

 

Painter doesn't think that goes far enough. In a letter to Trump last week, he joined watchdog groups and ethics lawyers from both Democratic and Republican administrations in predicting "rampant, inescapable" conflicts that will engulf the new administration if the president-elect does not liquidate his business holdings.

 

A look at five areas where conflicts may arise:

 

NEW HOTEL

For use of the government-owned Old Post Office for his new Washington hotel, Trump agreed on annual rent to the government in a contract that was signed more than three years ago.

 

So what possibly could be the problem now?

 

Plenty, according to Steven Schooner, a professor of government procurement law at George Washington University who has studied the contract. In addition to base rent, the president-elect agreed to additional annual payments based on various financial measures of how well the hotel is doing. Schooner says such payments typically require drawn out negotiations each year.

 

"How can anyone expect a government employee to negotiate with the Trump family at arm's length and treat the Trump family like any other contractor?" Schooner asks.

 

Schooner thinks Trump should terminate the contract because, even if the Trump family acts honorably, the appearance a conflict will spread doubt throughout the contracting system. Federal rules prohibit government employees and elected officials from striking contracting deals with the government for just this reason, though the president is exempted.

 

"The U.S. government pays over $400 billion in contracts a year," Schooner says. "Why should other contractors have to follow the rule if the President of the United States doesn't have to?"

 

As president, Trump will have the authority to appoint a new head to the General Services Administration, the federal agency that signed the lease with Trump and will negotiate the rent each year.

 

Business at the hotel could get a lift if foreign dignitaries decide to stay at the new hotel to curry favor with the new president.

 

In addition to the Washington hotel, Trump Organization leases land from some local governments, including for a golf course in New York City and one in Florida.

 

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Trump's extensive operations abroad raise the possibility that his foreign policy could be shaped by his business interests, and vice versa. Trump has struck real estate deals in South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Uruguay, Panama, India and Turkey, among other countries.

 

In June, Turkish media reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for Trump's name to be removed from the Trump Towers in Istanbul because of what Erdogan characterized as anti-Muslim comments by the candidate. A NATO member, Turkey is a key ally in fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

 

In India, the newspaper Economic Times reported that Trump held a meeting in New York a week after his election with business partners who put up the Trump Towers Pune in the western part of the country. The president-elect also has a Trump-branded residential tower in nearly Mumbai with another company.

 

Kenneth Gross, head of political law at the firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, says Trump's business ties will raise suspicions that he is getting special deals abroad because he is president, and that this runs the risk of violating the Emolument Clause. That is a section of the U.S. Constitution that forbids public officials from receiving gifts from foreign governments and foreign-controlled companies without the consent of Congress.

 

"He can't avoid conflicts," said Gross, "unless he sells his assets."

 

TRUMP LENDER

One of Trump's biggest lenders is Deutsche Bank, a German giant in settlement negotiations with the Department of Justice on its role in the mortgage blowup that triggered the 2008 financial crisis. The hit to Deutsche could be substantial, with the government reportedly demanding $14 billion.

 

Will a Justice Department under Trump go easy on the bank? It's not clear anyone will know. Trump will nominate the head of that agency, too.

 

One possible response is for Trump to make sure the Deutsche case is handled by career civil servants at Justice, and any appointee like the Attorney General is recused. A career civil servant doesn't have to worry about being fired if he goes against Trump's wishes, but may still worry about displeasing bosses connected to the president.

 

More than 300 positions at Justice are currently held by presidential appointees.

 

TAX AUDIT

The odds that the IRS will rule against Trump may be no different than before he was elected, but it's difficult to know for sure.

Trump has cited a long running audit by the Internal Revenue Service in refusing to release his tax returns. If he is under scrutiny, it's not surprising. In his Oct. 9 debate with Hillary Clinton, Trump confirmed he used a $916 million loss in 1995 to avoid paying federal taxes for years.

 

The president nominates the commissioner of the IRS who, assuming the Senate approves, serves for five years.

 

Trump will also get to make appointments to the National Labor Relations Board, which rules on labor disputes. In July, the board ruled against Trump in a case involving workers trying to unionize at the Trump Hotel Las Vegas. The Trump Organization lists six other hotels in the U.S. on its website.

 

FLURRY OF LAWSUITS

Trump said Friday that he agreed to pay $25 million to settle three lawsuits alleging fraud at his Trump University so he could focus on preparing for his presidency. But this could also bring problems, as Trump himself has acknowledged previously.

 

"When you start settling cases, you know what happens?" the president-elect said earlier this year. "Everybody sues you because you get known as a settler."

 

Painter, the ethics lawyer for George W. Bush, predicts the political divide in Washington is going to make things worse.

 

"The plaintiff's lawyers are going to get in there because they can get a good settlement, and Trump's political enemies are going to egg it on," says Painter. "You put that all together and you're going to have a lot of potential for litigation."

 

Painter says Trump should sell his ownership stakes to minimize the danger the new president gets distracted by lawsuits. He adds, though, that this is just a partial fix. The famously litigious Trump already is facing numerous lawsuits.

 

Asked to sum up his view on Trump's situation, Painter replies, "A mess, a mess."

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-11-24

[DriveByTrucker]

And so one of the real reasons for Trump to run for president begins....how can I enrich myself further, by exploiting the presidency.

Wonder what kind of lame excuses the Trump supporters will come up with for the Great Orange One to take this completely unethical position. Especially how they going to explain how enriching himself is supporting the American working man!

In any case, its clear why Trump doesnt want to pursue finding ways of prosecuting Clinton and the Clinton foundation, because starting in January 2017, we will be introduced to how corruption is "really done". Its up to the American public if they will accept him to become the richest man in the world through corruption, cronyism and nepotism.....

Edited November 24, 2016 by DriveByTrucker

[Emster23]

America, you've just been had, if you didn't know already. The scam man who railed against Hillary and "Pay for play" now dealing from near perfect perch. There were plenty of warning signs, as there typically are when being scammed, but the rather naive public ignored them. Leopards don't change spots.

 He will "drain the swamp" aka "wetlands" and put in a golf course....

Edited November 24, 2016 by Emster23

[Rob13]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A look at 5 Trump business ties that pose conflicts

 

 

The tip of a very large iceberg.

[otherstuff1957]

74 pending lawsuits....  350 million dollar debt to Chinese Banks....   a similar amount owed to Deutsche Bank...  Republicans (and Democrats) split into feuding protectionist and free trade factions...  Trying to run his business and be president at the same time...  Business conflicts between his children and his/their role in the government...

 

Trump will probably be waaaaay too busy with these problems to even think about 'draining the swamp', even if that was his intention in the first place.

 

 

[DriveByTrucker]

1 minute ago, otherstuff1957 said:

74 pending lawsuits....  350 million dollar debt to Chinese Banks....   a similar amount owed to Deutsche Bank...  Republicans (and Democrats) split into feuding protectionist and free trade factions...  Trying to run his business and be president at the same time...  Business conflicts between his children and his/their role in the government...

 

Trump will probably be waaaaay too busy with these problems to even think about 'draining the swamp', even if that was his intention in the first place.

 

 

The corruption we can clearly expect will make Trump the biggest swamp yet.....

[boomerangutang]

          I mentioned, months ago, that Trump would mandate that his biz properties be used for housing/entertaining domestic and foreign guests, at government expense.  He can do what he did with Trump Towers:  charge 5 to 10 times market rates for rooms/entertainment venues, and bill to taxpayers.  Who's going to challenge that?  Days ago, he rec'd a gift from Japanese prez - a golf club valued at around $5,000.  Trump would just laugh at the tiny dollar value, but it's the principle:  The president is not allowed to personally accept gifts from foreign government agents.    .....and that's just what surfaced.  What about the hundreds/thousands of gifts & special treatment for business deals he will be getting - above board, and under the table, in ensuing months.

 

Trump fans either didn't see the massive corruption coming, or don't care.   He can do no wrong in their view.

 

 

[Opl]

17 minutes ago, boomerangutang said:

"          I mentioned, months ago, that Trump would mandate that his biz properties be used for housing/entertaining domestic and foreign guests, at government expense.  He can do what he did with Trump Towers:  charge 5 to 10 times market rates for rooms/entertainment venues, and bill to taxpayers.  Who's going to challenge that?  Days ago, he rec'd a gift from Japanese prez - a golf club valued at around $5,000.  Trump would just laugh at the tiny dollar value, but it's the principle:  The president is not allowed to personally accept gifts from foreign government agents.    .....and that's just what surfaced.  What about the hundreds/thousands of gifts & special treatment for business deals he will be getting - above board, and under the table, in ensuing months.

 

Trump fans either didn't see the massive corruption coming, or don't care.   He can do no wrong in their view.

 

 

 

Yes

 

Trump's campaign paid his businesses $8.2 million. The GOP presidential candidate draws on his own companies to an unprecedented degree.

 

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-business-campaign-trail-228500

 

"In 2000 Donald Trump told Fortune magazine, “It’s very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it.”

During this primary season, Donald Trump made a point of not taking outside donations, but now he is. Some of Trump’s campaign money is making its way back to the candidate himself, because unlike any other candidate in modern history, Trump is using his businesses for his campaign."

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-businesses-profit-off-presidential-campaign-money/

 

and quote from an other thread  -Obama: Trump ‘woefully unfit’ to be President

post ID 2159 -

 

16 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

It seems Trump has no plans on leaving the swamp, much less draining it.

Donald Trump Raises Prospect of Keeping Ties to His Firms

Donald Trump indicated Tuesday he was unlikely to disentangle himself from his business empire as fully as he previously suggested, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest while president.

Mr. Trump and his representatives said during the campaign he would have nothing to do with his businesses if he became president, promising a “total and complete separation.”

 

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump told the New York Times that “the law’s totally on my side” and that “the president can’t have a conflict of interest.”

http://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-raises-prospect-of-keeping-ties-to-his-firms-1479860954

 

end of quote post ID 2159-

 

 

How the Trump Organization's Foreign Business Ties Could Upend U.S. National Security

Almost every foreign policy decision D.Trump will make  will raise serious conflicts of interest and ethical quagmires.

"The Trump family rakes in untold millions of dollars from the Trump Organization every year. Much of that comes from deals with international financiers and developers, many of whom have been tied to controversial and even illegal activities."

This article by Newsweek of last September explains well the situation in which he finds himself and in which he places the country  he'll be at the head of:

 

http://europe.newsweek.com/donald-trump-foreign-business-deals-national-security-498081?rm=eu

 

 

Edited November 24, 2016 by Opl

[Kiwiken]

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely

[elgordo38]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Experts on government ethics are warning President-elect Donald Trump that he'll never shake suspicions of a clash between his private interests and the public good if he doesn't sell off his vast holdings, which include roughly 500 companies in more than a dozen countries. They say just the appearance of conflicts is likely to tie up the new administration in investigations, lawsuits and squabbles, stoked perhaps by angry Oval Office tweets.

 

Even the Donald would not be that stupid. If I were him I would say "Give the job to Pence I'm out of here"

[Grubster]

3 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

          I mentioned, months ago, that Trump would mandate that his biz properties be used for housing/entertaining domestic and foreign guests, at government expense.  He can do what he did with Trump Towers:  charge 5 to 10 times market rates for rooms/entertainment venues, and bill to taxpayers.  Who's going to challenge that?  Days ago, he rec'd a gift from Japanese prez - a golf club valued at around $5,000.  Trump would just laugh at the tiny dollar value, but it's the principle:  The president is not allowed to personally accept gifts from foreign government agents.    .....and that's just what surfaced.  What about the hundreds/thousands of gifts & special treatment for business deals he will be getting - above board, and under the table, in ensuing months.

 

Trump fans either didn't see the massive corruption coming, or don't care.   He can do no wrong in their view.

 

 

Are you sure about the gift thing, I would think it an insult to not accept it. We should send the statue of liberty back I guess. I don't know who was president at that time but I'm sure it could have swayed a decision or two.

[DriveByTrucker]

Can we conclude that the complete lack of any reaction from Trump supporters in this thread mean that they too expect that this might become Trumps' downfall? Or are they just completely out of BS arguments to defend the inevitable diarrhea of corruption that the presidency of the Great Orange One will bring......

Edited November 24, 2016 by DriveByTrucker

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, DriveByTrucker said:

And so one of the real reasons for Trump to run for president begins....how can I enrich myself further, by exploiting the presidency.

Wonder what kind of lame excuses the Trump supporters will come up with for the Great Orange One to take this completely unethical position. Especially how they going to explain how enriching himself is supporting the American working man!

In any case, its clear why Trump doesnt want to pursue finding ways of prosecuting Clinton and the Clinton foundation, because starting in January 2017, we will be introduced to how corruption is "really done". Its up to the American public if they will accept him to become the richest man in the world through corruption, cronyism and nepotism.....

Good read. There is something here we are not seeing. Why would a 70 year old man want to spend 4 years of his life as president and to take a wage cut? Unlike Obama there would be no one out there clamoring for your services at age 74. One could say ego which is true he can write that on his heavenly resume or it would be great for his children to say we are the children of an ex president it would surely boost their business interests as they proceed through life. From what I can see that is the main thrust of things. 

[alanrchase]

Trump insists he is worth 10 Billion Dollars. The highest I have seen from an independant source is about 4.5 billion. He can happily leave office with an actual worth of 9 billion and tell everyone the Presidency cost him a billion dollars. Anyone who dares to mention he made 4.5 billion while in office will obviously be a liar.

[DriveByTrucker]

10 minutes ago, elgordo38 said:

Good read. There is something here we are not seeing. Why would a 70 year old man want to spend 4 years of his life as president and to take a wage cut? Unlike Obama there would be no one out there clamoring for your services at age 74. One could say ego which is true he can write that on his heavenly resume or it would be great for his children to say we are the children of an ex president it would surely boost their business interests as they proceed through life. From what I can see that is the main thrust of things. 

 

IMO you're spot on. There are three reasons he wants to be president:

1. It elevates his ego into the stratosphere
2. He can enrich himself beyond anything imaginable
3. It elevates his ego into the Mesosphere

The second one is what is going to kill him politically

 

Edited November 24, 2016 by DriveByTrucker

[boomerangutang]

40 minutes ago, Grubster said:

Are you sure about the gift thing, I would think it an insult to not accept it. We should send the statue of liberty back I guess. I don't know who was president at that time but I'm sure it could have swayed a decision or two.

     

Below is a quote from this web site  re; gifts given to Obama while he is/was prez. . . . 

 

"They’re not bribes. By law, Obama must turn them over to the National Archives or other institutions for storage or display. He can pay fair market value for those he wants to keep — but he appears to have opted not to hold on to any items.... In each case, under the heading 'circumstances justifying acceptance,' the State Department says 'non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government.' 

 

On Lankawi Island in Malaysia, there's a large building which displays the thousands of gifts given from over a hundred world leaders, to former prez Mahathir.  It includes solar vehicles.  Oddly, there are no gifts from the US on display.

[Briggsy]

1 hour ago, DriveByTrucker said:

Can we conclude that the complete lack of any reaction from Trump supporters in this thread mean that they too expect that this might become Trumps' downfall? Or are they just completely out of BS arguments to defend the inevitable diarrhea of corruption that the presidency of the Great Orange One will bring......

They will deflect to, "but Hillary........." Give them time.

[Silurian]

You can add Donald's chat with Nigel Farage in which Donald discussed the wind farm near one of his gold courses. Donald doesn't want the wind turbines near his golf course as he feels it will negatively impact business. Some quid pro quo going on there perhaps?

 

Trump encouraged Farage to oppose wind farms, Brexit ally says

President-elect’s intervention raises doubts over separation of politics and business

https://www.ft.com/content/00f8102c-b0dc-11e6-a37c-f4a01f1b0fa1

 

 

[NeilSA1]

2 hours ago, Grubster said:

Are you sure about the gift thing, I would think it an insult to not accept it. We should send the statue of liberty back I guess. I don't know who was president at that time but I'm sure it could have swayed a decision or two.

 

Was the Statue of Liberty given to a president, in his personal capacity, or his country?                 Therein lies the difference.

[Chicog]

The fact he's got away with blue murder throughout the campaign has obviously emboldened him to think he can do whatever he likes.

I wonder if the White House counsel will be the one from the Mafioso family friend (i.e. a criminal one)?

 

Quote

President-elect Donald Trump registered eight companies during his presidential campaign that appear to be tied to hotel interests in Saudi Arabia, according to a report in The Washington Post.

 

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/306990-trump-appeared-to-register-eight-companies-in-saudi-arabia

[KKr]

8 hours ago, DriveByTrucker said:

Trying to run his business and be president at the same time... 

It's the same, isn't it ?
The difference is in the size of the business.
Well done American voters.

[Rob13]

2 minutes ago, KKr said:

It's the same, isn't it ?
The difference is in the size of the business.
Well done American voters.

 

Running 2 massivve businesses is the same as running one?

[DriveByTrucker]

Just now, KKr said:

It's the same, isn't it ?
The difference is in the size of the business.
Well done American voters.

 

No it isnt! Being the president of the USA is not the same as running a business! That utterly simplistic view would mean that millions of people in the world would be able to be president of the USA. I know plenty of very good business leaders, but they would be terrible politicians.....

[Thrilla]

I can see the Trump bashers here will have no problem with a thorough investigation into the Clinton Foundation first.

 

That would be fair wouldn't it.

[Briggsy]

7 minutes ago, Thrilla said:

I can see the Trump bashers here will have no problem with a thorough investigation into the Clinton Foundation first.

 

That would be fair wouldn't it.

Et voila!

[Briggsy]

7 minutes ago, Thrilla said:

I can see the Trump bashers here will have no problem with a thorough investigation into the Clinton Foundation first.

 

That would be fair wouldn't it.

Et voila!

[Chicog]

8 minutes ago, Thrilla said:

I can see the Trump bashers here will have no problem with a thorough investigation into the Clinton Foundation first.

 

That would be fair wouldn't it.

 

What on earth do you think has been going on for the last year and a half?!

 

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, Briggsy said:

They will deflect to, "but Hillary........." Give them time.

There you go, post #24.

[sgtsabai]

Business as usual and to hell with the people or the country.

[boomerangutang]

        I predict Trump's presidency will be similar to his campaign.  Though he probably won't go on red-faced tirades against every Tom, Dick, Jane and Spot (like he's done for the past 17 months), he will fill every week with screwy activities, always just at the edge of legal.  In Trump's (and his apologists') view, they will throw out excuses ad nauseum.   For everyone else (the reasonable folks out there), Trump will be seen as either borderline or completely breaking the law.   

 

          Any one of Trump's transgressions would land a normal president in hot water.  Yet, Trump is like the naughtiest boy at school:  always picking fights, calling names, and breaking rules, so everyone has to try and tolerate his shitstorm of annoyances.  It's already at the point that if he doesn't act rude, or stupid, or doesn't do anything illegal, all his fans applaud how presidential he is. 

 

          Maybe I'm old school, but I was brought up to uphold gentlemanly ways.  I missed the whole 'frat party' phase that most American boys go through between 18 and 22.  I was a thoughtful hippie instead.  Trump looks to me like a sufferer of arrested development (at sometime around 7 year old) who emulates mafia tough guys and frat dicks who bellow out loud when they pull a successful practical joke, like suddenly pulling a guy's pants down to his ankles just as his name is announced on the graduation stage.   Trump sealed it for me with his puerile name-calling, and his reputation has gone downhill every since, with everything he's said.  

 

         I'm pissed at Americans who voted for him.  It's as though those voters want to see the US tumble down the hill of mediocrity into the cesspool.  If, in coming years, Trump voters realize what dumbass mistakes they made, should I be gracious and forgive them?  Doesn't really matter, does it.  If they don't like something about me, they can shoot me - and justify it by saying they legally own a gun.