Is there a law being broken even though foreign governments/dignitaries have been patron of Trump properties? OK he said the money will be donated come March 2018, but who’s watching the books – PB/TK
Justice Department argues Trump should be able to accept payments from foreign governments – By David Choi . June 9 2017
The Justice Department said US President Donald Trump is not in violation of the emoluments clause, a constitutional law that prohibits federal officials from accepting payments or gifts from foreign governments without approval from Congress.
The emoluments clause has been a subject of contention since before Trump took office, due in part to his labyrinthine business empire that watchdogs and critics said would entangle Trump in a web of conflicts of interest as president.
Lawyers for the DOJ argued that the emoluments clause does not apply to fair-market commercial transactions, such as fees incurred from hotels and golf club memberships, licensing payments, and office rent, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
Before he took office, Trump promised his businesses would annually donate its profits received from foreign customers at his hotels to the US Treasury Department. The Trump Organization said earlier this year that the first such donation would come in March 2018, according to Politico.
The Justice Department is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by several plaintiffs, including Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a watchdog group that alleges Trump’s business dealings run afoul of the Constitution.
Continue to businessinsider.com article:http://www.businessinsider.com/did-trump-violate-emoluments-clause-2017-6
