Emoluments Clause: Letter to Donald Trump
on Saturday, January 7, 2017This page discusses a letter sent to President-elect Donald Trump urging him to divest from his business interests to avoid conflicts of interest during his presidency. The letter is signed by several ethics lawyers, public policy organizations, and prominent Republicans.
They say as long as Trump maintains ownership of the Trump Organization, he cannot separate his business from the presidency, which could allow foreign governments and companies doing business with Trump’s companies to financially benefit the president.
The letter asks Trump to fully divest or he will face issues with the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.
The letter from Ethics Lawyers, Public Policy organizations and prominent Republicans urging the president elect to divest from his business interests or risk facing the Emoluments Clause through his presidency while dealing with foreign leaders and banks that could funnel money directly to his businesses around the world
— Ethics Lawyers & Organizations said:
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As long as you continue to maintain ownership of The Trump Organization, no other steps that you take will prevent the serious conflicts of interest, appearance of conflicts, and Emoluments Clause problems that will exist throughout your presidency. In these circumstances, you cannot separate the presidency from your business enterprises. Domestic interests and foreign individuals, companies, banks and governments involved in business activities with The Trump Organization will be doing business with and potentially providing financial benefits and profits directly to the president of the United States.
— Ethics Lawyers & Organizations
- Ambassador (ret.) Norm Eisen, chief White House ethics lawyer, 2009-2011
- Richard Painter, chief White House ethics lawyer, 2005-2007
- Campaign Legal Center
- Arne H. Carlson, Former Governor of Minnesota (R)
- Center for American Progress
- Center for Media and Democracy
- Former Rep. Rod Chandler (R-WA)
- Common Cause
- CREW
- Democracy 21
- Former Rep. Mickey Edwards (R-OK), Former Chairman, House Republican Policy Committee
- Every Voice
- Former Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD)
- Issue One
- Thomas Mann
- Norm Ornstein
- People For the American Way
- Project On Government Oversight (POGO)
- Public Citizen
- John Pudner, Executive Director, Take Back our Republic
- Former Rep. Claudine Schneider (R-R.I.)Peter Schweizer, President, Government Accountability Institute
- Former Rep. Peter Smith (R-VT)
- Revolving Door Project
- Sunlight Foundation
- Zephyr Teachout, Associate Law Professor, Fordham Law School, Affiliation noted for identification purposes only
- Laurence H. Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor and Professor of Constitutional Law, Harvard Law School, Affiliation noted for identification purposes only
- Anne Weismann
- Christie Whitman, Former Governor of New Jersey (R)
