Everything Trump sets out to accomplish is dependant upon secrets and lies intended to shortchange others.
Business ventures? Secrets and lies about the value to stakeholders and the illicit streams of revenue and finance.
Immigration? Secrets and lies about the activities of immigrants and the intent of harsh immigration policies.
Taxes? Secrets and lies about who benefits and how federal debt and deficits are impacted.
Tax returns? Secrets and lies about why Trump cannot keep his promise to reveal them and the history of tax dodging and foreign financial entanglements they document (which have to do with why Trump cannot really turn his businesses over to a third party to operate as a blind trust).
Russia? Secrets lies about, well, everything pertinent, from contacts and meetings to financial activity, kompromat, and whatever Trump chats about to Putin with no diplomatic staff attending.
We deserve a president that can withstand the light of day -- something the vampire-like Trump Organization, and Trump himself, can never do.
4
Why is the Department of Justice being paid by middle-class taxpayers (the only ones left) defending the rights of a private enterprise and its owners to privacy, because a victory would prove a very high-ranked elected government official is a criminal, acting in violation of the Constitution?
Especially a man who, paid and guaranteed a pension by our taxpayer-funded government has bragged “Only stupid people pay taxes ... I’m kind of a bright kind of guy.”
If the man is, for once, speaking truthfully, then “the president’s a dodger, yes a well-known dodger”.
Dodging the draft during the illegal, pointless slaughter of SouthEast Asians, through the lesser slaughter of young Americans, I can only applaud Trump’s daring development and subsequent banishment of bone spurs. After all, at 12 years if age, I had already begun laying the groundwork for my CO and 4F appeals, and, if need be, a flight to Canada.
Fortunately, by the time the would have bern needed, even the draft lottery was dead - along with a lot of victims of our governments’ foul acts - many many young Americans killed and between 10-500 Viet Namese, Lao, Khmer and other residents of the same region dead for each of our casualties, mainly civilians. The only decent act Trump ever committed in his life was refusing to serve in the LBJ-Nixon crime. I only wish all had done the same.
But I never dodged paying my taxes, for the good the money I paid went to provide us all with s usually- Good Government Of Laws.
2
Like the mob, Trump organizations have a penchant for keeping two sets of accounting books. See:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/inside-a-donald-trump-audit-missing-books-and-unusual-accounting/
1
I have used this screen name since DJT was (s)elected.
And I call Maryland home. It is no coincidence- I just knew this day would come.
DJT taxes, his ignorance of the law, his unwillingness to pay for real legitimate legal help (see rudy g.) and time would bring us here.
If anyone thinks the actions in MD & DC are not somehow related to the recent raid on Deutsche Bank you have not been paying attention!
The tipping point will be in January 2019 when DJT ( yes even he) realizes that his presidency is essentially over and the possibility of actual indictment is real.
2
Trump decided to run for only two reasons: 1). undo all a Black President achieved and 2). to enrich himself. No one should have ever voted for a Presidential candidate with these ambitions. We must do everything possible legally to convince Trump not to run in 2020 and instead to resign for the good of the country.
2
Any attorney could tell him it was wrong.
Ignorance is no excuse.
1
When, not if, this goes to the Supreme Court, Trump’s new Protector-in-Chief, Brett Kavanaugh, will be among the 5 who’ll put Trump above the law while in office, thereby making a mockery of the emoluments clause.
2
..."wrongly interpreted the meaning of the emoluments clauses, construing the bans against corruption far too broadly."
It's not big corruption. It's only teenie-weenie corruption. People are saying teenie corruption. It's no different than any teenie-weenie corruptions in my whole life. Democratic prosecutorials trying to make teenie-weenie things bigger things.
I cannot wait until January. Let the chips fall where they may. It is about time this greedy man was held accountable for the damage he is doing across the board. Especially when it lines his pockets.
2
"Russia, if you're listening, please show us Donald Trump's tax returns."
3
A total waste of time.
QUOTE: The law at issue is Title 18 Section 208 of the U.S. code. It says federal executive branch employees can’t participate in government matters in which they or their immediate family has a financial interest.
Because of this law, some federal employees put their investments in a blind trust. This allows them to sidestep the regulation and participate in a matter that might otherwise pose a conflict of interest.
But the president and the vice president, despite being executive branch employees, are exempt. According to the law’s definitions, Title 18 Section 208 does not apply to them, nor does it apply to members of Congress or federal judges.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/nov/16/rudy-giuliani/giuliani-president-trump-will-be-exempt-conflict-i/
Guess who writes the laws...
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
1
@Rev. E. M. Camarena, PhD
Yours is an Emily Litella rant -- your initial premise is just wrong and everything that follows is hilariously irrelevant and (back at you) "a total waste of time."
"The law at issue" is NOT "Title 18 Section 208 of the U.S.Code."
The "law at issue" is the U.S. Constitution art. I, S 9, cl. 8 and art. II, S I, d. 7. That's what it says in the complaint filed by Maryland and D.C. in Federal court.
You could look it up.
@bob
Utter nonsense. The law is as clear as a country stream. There is no conflict of interest for the President.
Further, no other crimes these fishing expeditions may uncover will survive in court because these investigations lack probable cause.
Look into the legal concept of Fruit of the Poisoned Tree.
In America, we don't investigate people to see if they may have committed crimes. That was the Stalinists's way: "Show me the man, and I will show you the crime."
The US Constitution is clear on the matter of criminal investigation.
These impeachment pipe-dreams are running on fumes and these investigations are a tacit admission that the Collusion charges are dead in the water.
https://emcphd.wordpress.com
1
Remember when we thought the Clintons' use of the Lincoln Bedroom was corrupt?
3
I trust that Trump didn’t sleep too well last night.
1
One of the stipulations in the leasing of the railway station for private development is that no elected government official was to have a stake in it. Before even considering the emoluments clause, we have a direct violation of the terms of the lease for the building.
While on some days, Trump claims he has placed all his assets in his children's hands, on others he leads guests around pointing proudly to what he clearly seems to see as his possessions.
3
Why should the Justice Department act essentially as Trump’s personal lawyers??
The judiciary is meant to be separate from the executive arm of the government for checks and balance. It should be in the Justice Department’s own interest and top priority to investigate these claims, not block them.
3
Donald "conflict of interest" Trump. SAD!
1
I wish Florida would do the same for Mar-a-Lago.
3
This is an absurd waste of taxpayer dollars.
1
@Harlod Dickman
I'm assuming you mean the Justice Department acting as Trump's personal counsel?
1
An honest, ethical man or woman has nothing to fear. The fact that this president and his legal counsel will contest these subpeonas speaks volumes as to the unethical dishonest character of Donald J. Trump.
3
Gee, the Saudis spent $270,000 at Trump's hotel, and Trump is protecting the Saudis from any accountability for killing thousands of children and a journalist working for an American newspaper. What a coincidence.
6
@McGloin -- Get real. Whatever Trump's motives for protecting the Saudis, it isn't because some of them stayed in his hotel.
Republicans are complaining about harassment and obstructionist tactics. Where do they think pacifist liberals learned this? After decades of being harassed by those now whining the loudest. But you have to admire the studied, pre-planned, systematic, dishonest over-reaction that the GOP and their "think tanks" produce. All the Dems have is isolated pointless P.R. actions like this. When it quickly gets to the S.C., want to bet Bret Cavanaugh will decide state governments can't sue the Feds. No standing to do so. Despite the Constitution. Oh wait! Maybe he'll decide the case on its merits and not based on his overt rage and hatred expressed under oath. Think he might recuse himself for his bias? LOL Next the GOP Five will vote to tear up the Constitution like they did with the Voting Rights Act. Not for any actual reason, just b/c. it was working. So, don't waste money dissecting the Emoluments clause. It means what it says. It's not overbroad. It means the President isn't supposed to sell out the country. But we already know all Trump's businesses involve money laundering. Of course he's guilty. Still...who's gonna stop him now?
6
These last two years should be a call to action to revise prosecutorial priorities in our legal system(s).
After the Trump debacle of using the highest office to enrich your family and your assests, Americans should be insisting that Congress spend more money to prosecute tax cheats and money launders in our country. Why were people such as Trump, Stone, Manafort, Flynn, etc allowed decades of fast cash?
Scoundrels would be inhibited about violating tax codes and cozying up to foreign bribes if more of these folks were actively and publically prosecuted AND sentenced.
3
Trump has calculated that we would all become blase at his nonstop reckless excessiveness. Good to see that some are actually doing something about it. The FBI was not able to get murder charges to stick on Al Capone but they finally got him on tax evasion.
Yes, let us s keep inundating this electoral college mistake with lawsuits until we bend him and ultimately, break him.
3
Kudos to Maryland and the District of Columbia for having the patriotism & courage to push this issue forward! It's creepy having a president with a business that's actively making money off of politicians & foreign dignitaries who are negotiating with our federal government. To paraphrase an honorable man who served our country with dignity & strength- "Not prudent....shouldn't be doing it."
If there's no wrongdoing, he'll have nothing to hide, right?
3
Trump knew he was going to run for President before he planned on the hotel and he will find any way to make a buck from his job supposedly running the country. So far he has made America the joke of the world and not even close to being great no less great again. He was losing money on his golf courses and hotels and bankrupted his casinos. Even Indian tribes do a better job without going to Wharton.
2
Its all about making the rich richer not making America great again.
4
Love how the Justice Department has become the personal law firm of the president.
You cannot broach any topic relating to this administration without brushing up against corruption.
5
That the Justice Department is going to contest the rulings by the Federal judge that has allowed the DC & Maryland cases to go forward is particularly chilling. Has Trump so successfully demonizing every government agency and representative body that they are willing to do his bidding, including protect him from investigation and potential prosecution? I'm sure Matt Whitaker is more than willing to go to bat for him. That's exactly what he was hired to do.
6
Brian Frosh sounds pretty innocuous on NPR, but basically what this investigation might reveal is far more significant than any collusion with Russia might ever reveal. After all, everyone colludes during elections with anyone who can help them win--that's called running a campaign.
But not every President uses his position as President to funnel billions into his own private coffers.
No matter how you slice it: businesses controlled by Trump himself, or by his children palming cash from Saudis or foreign governments or international corporations who launder money through hotel visits may or may not change the opinion of the MAGA crowd, but it may change opinions of soybean farmers in Iowa.
Whether or not it violates the emoluments clause is likely going to be lost on many, but there was a reason the founding fathers did not want Presidents being bought by anyone, and the idea of graft and corruption is not that hard to grasp, even for the MAGA crowd.
6
@Claudia I don't think it's fair or accurate to say that "everyone" colludes with foreign governments during elections. I think that this was actually rather shocking if not treasonous.
2
This is a private business matter that the Justice Department should have no part in. Trump has no right to use the Justice Department and taxpayer dollars to defend his business interests. This is a matter for his private lawyers to sort out.
If Trump had divested himself of his interest in his hotels, as he should have, then he wouldn't be liable for whatever his hotel organization has gotten up to. But, he wants to play businessman/president, so that means his businesses should be open to investigation just like any other and without exception.
14
Is there probable cause for this? The man owned a successful business, he's not a professional politician.
@jim
I wish he wasn’t president, but there he is. If president’s aren’t politicians, than Long Island isn’t an island and you don’t even exist.
1
There is an apparent conflict of interest with this property. Getting the subpoena-d documents should be a slam dunk, with emphasis on 'SHOULD'. Hopefully, Trump's nefarious ways haven't yet infected the judiciary.
Thank you, MD & DC AG's, for going-to-bat for the American people.
3
Trump owns a Hotel, Great Location, probably the nicest Hotel in the Area, if I have Money that is where I would be staying. The derangement of these people to question Trump's ability to own a Hotel is repulsive to me. I doubt if you get extra credit for staying there, he made the deal for that Building before becoming President, nobody is forcing you to stay there, I'm sure they have a Red Roof Inn in the area.
@hank
When you give money to Trump and expect favors it’s called quid pro quo. Trump has emphasized again and again the transactional nature of his worldview. Hence the violation of the emoluments clause. To claim otherwise is what we call being naive.
2
New York's case against the Trump Foundation will serve as a roadmap to get ahold of Trump's financials - his business - the trust - the tax returns.
Each litigation will inform the next one. His lawyers (whom he hates to pay personally) will have to work overtime to defend against opening up his books to prosecutors. The taxpayers should only pay for the White House counsel whose job is to protect the office of the president, not the individual holding that office.
4
I applaud Maryland and DC. The States have been defrauded by the Trump family's tax evasion long enough.
6
@George S,
Plenty of wealthy people have been in government. They understood the need to divorce themselves from their assets, though, by placing them in a blind trust. Trump did not do this. Nor did he - or his son in law - properly disclose what those assets are. He has earned this scrutiny by choosing to ignore these necessary steps.
Want to be president? The US will take good care of you if you reach the position. A blind trust would, too. What isn’t allowed is for Saudi Arabia or Russia to do so, as well.
6
Past presidents haven’t even considered crossing a line that would give the appearance of unethical behavior or of putting personal gain ahead of national interest.
However over the past decades other politicians have crossed those lines numerous times, insisting that they weren’t doing anything illegal. Voters have not penalized unethical or even illegal behavior (recently electing a representative who plead guilty to assault).
Those unethical politicians and the uninformed voters who keep them in office are to blame for Trump’s behavior and his misuse of the DOJ in support of that behavior.
1
If this ends up at the Supreme Court It will be very interesting to find out if the 5 Justices appointed by Republican Presidents are objective and really Constitutionalists.
5
One of the last lines of the article strikes me as relevant as it pertains to Saudi Arabia: $270,000 has been spent there by their agents. Again we find ourselves asking the biggest question in the room, has this type of transaction influenced Trump in a way that provides leniency towards the Saudi's, especially as it relates to Khashoggi? It is sad to think that the answer might in fact be yes.
7
I would like to see a list of investors who have profited from the wild gyrations in the stock market that seem to follow Trump’s tweets, to see if there is any connection between them and the President. It only takes a couple of seconds of advance warnings to place buy or short orders to reap huge profits in the market.
16
I keep calling my Congresswoman to get and expose for all the inquiries Trump's tax returns for the last 5 years. Trump promised he would release them. An audit does not prohibit the release. Let's find out if trump only looks out for his own financial interests or the country. Financial facts matter and are based on the laws of mathematics not some trumpian alternative lies.
156
@Richard
....is there any plausible doubt that "...trump only looks out for his own financial interests..." ?
3
Read the Fine Print: Donald Trump NEVER promised to release his taxes a) until he was no longer under IRS audit, which, in his case, means never, because the IRS will not stop work looking into a man who claims to be a “self-made billionaire “ reports to the agency he is neither, or if b) former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton magicked up any e-mails she had dared to delete during the first Obama term.
(As anyone who has used computers knows the e-mails one erases if working in a high-level government post is either mail fully, legally, snd, in the interests of national security must vanish, or spam, or auto-erased and sterilized malicious attack code, possibly mail mis-addressed. The very concept that daring to erase e-mails from a personally owned computer is a crime is absurd. Furthermore erased e-mails have vanished into the mist of electrons that surround us. It can be recovered with less difficulty than unfrying an egg. Were her acts criminal, the messages would all have vanished without a trace of ever existing when she left office).
(The absurdities have led a president in power, starting .1 years into his first term, to began his “re-election campaign” by whipping up audiences on government/campaign trips - neither fish nor fowl, to proclaim his ex-challenger a criminal, screaming “Lock her Up”).
I suppose Mr Trump, so used to lying and criminal ways, cannot imagine someone running against him truly working to serve the nation.
2
Release the Kraken-- i mean, Taxes.
12
It’s bad enough that we have a president who’s totally dysfunctional and corrupt , but he’s also the head of an administration that does absolutely nothing to manage the daily business of running the country.
Add the direct cost of having to discover and prove the criminality of this White House, let alone the financial losses caused by Trump’s uncontrollable, idiotic tweets and you get a looming disaster of irreparable damage.
The Democrats, who’ll run the House next year , and a few dozen sane Republican Senators, should start preparing the impeachment proceedings immediately, before it’s too late.
15
This seems to be the state and District against a private hotel and associated support groups.
Shouldn't Trump be paying for this attempted challenge to investigation?
How can one (on the part of a prosecutor) determine if any violations occurred without having all the data necessary to see if there were laws broken?
Investigation must happen, not based on what is well shielded from view of our employed auditors.
Our tax dollars shouldn't be wasted on his company's defense.
Further, I wonder if the IRS has ever audited any of his returns to see about impropriety. Not as a weapon of the Federal Government, but done as the IRS is granted to do, as a chance to find violations in a complex business operation which seems have almost assuredly occurred.
I have, as a private citizen and small fry, very little challenge against an audit, or to cooperate with state officials examining my records. I trust they will follow the law, and if I've broken a law, that it will be discussed with me.
Is there any reason other than Trump's lawyers already knowing there were violations, to resist such an investigation?
This is where the accused usually calls a press conference and states loudly that they 'welcome' an investigation proving they are squeeky clean.
I don't hear that much from Trump and partners.
90
@reid "Further, I wonder if the IRS has ever audited any of his returns to see about impropriety. "
According to The Don himself, the IRS is till auditing all is returns. That's why we can't see them, "he says."
Well, with this blatent and scott-free corruption in the White House for all to see, the USA has no business scolding countries such as Monrovia, Nigeria, etc.
1
It is far past the time that we hold this President accountable. He pledged to turn over his business to his children.
We all knew that this was a political stunt.
Now we find, through these court documents that he has blatantly violated the Emolument Clause of our Constitution by enriching himself and his family.
He has entangled the presidency by taking money from foreign countries, some of which we have deep conflicts of interests.
Our country deserves better. The American people have had enough, as shown in the midterm elections. Soon, as more is revealed in the pleadings and convictions in the Mueller investigations, the President will be shown to be the criminal that he was in New York, and is now in the White House.
73
@Carol Marguerite Bridgid Kristian, So your solution would be to BAN Non-Citizens from staying in his Hotel???
2
If MD, DC, and judges are "interpreting the emoluments clause too broadly", why has this issue not come up since 1788 until now? We have had a number of rich presidents: FDR, TR, Kennedy, the Bushes for example. Could it be that Trump's predecessors saw the office of president as a time of public service, not as a chance to cash in while serving? Washington insisted on minimal pay both as a general and as president, carefully avoiding any hint of profiteering or corruption. Trump's deepest secrets may not be a about his Russian dealings, but about his tax evasions and financial frauds.
120
lets hope he winds up like al capone.
12
@Allfolks Equal, I'm sure Trump files his returns every year, the Gov't does have people looking at them I would imagine and I can't recall Trump being charged with Tax Crimes. Someone did publish one year of his taxes, he payed a HUGE Amount to the Gov't, seems like it was $40 or $50 MILLION, that is MORE Income Tax Paid in one Year than Warren Buffett has paid in his entire Life, Buffett makes less than One Million from his job.
1
@Hank48188. Warren Buffet pays little in taxes on his $1MM/yr you say? .............................
"Last year, Warren Buffett reported about$11.6 million in gross income on his tax return, and paid $1.85 million in federal income taxes. His 16% effective tax rate already sounds low, until you consider that his net worth increased by $12 billion in 2016." Mar 20, 2017
Tax Secrets of the 1% -- The Motley Fool
The Motley Fool › 2017/03/20
Perhaps Maryland and the District of Columbia could and should ask Vladimir Putin to have Russian military intelligence aka GRU or Russian domestic intelligence aka FSB or Russian foreign intelligence aka SVR turn this information over to the American people regarding his corrupt crony capitalist corporate plutocrat oligarch DC hotel scam.
Perhaps the Russians might also be willing to disclose to Americans what Trump is hiding from the American people in his personal and family income tax returns and business records. Along with whatever Trump is hiding from America in his mental and physical health and medical records.
MAGA!
16
Kavanaugh's "moment" is fast approaching. An independent jurist or a tainted, corrupt, Trump-plant?
43
Here's hoping that arguments 'against' in this trump/trump org "emoluments case" (Why is "Justice" repping trump org anyway?) are written and argued by the Acting A.G. himself --whereas the personal injury case he offered as his most significant legal product (when 'sitting' as the purely political choice of Iowa political powers, and expecting Senate confirmation as southern Iowa's U.S. D.A.) should make Mr. Whittaker perfect for the part (if only considerable as such by those of us rooting for Maryland and The District of Columbia).
4
@Thomas Murray
If only. More likely this hack will put career attorneys in a bind to either write a solid document or quit for insubordinate behavior.
1
Am I to understand that my tax dollars are going to defend the administration against these alleged actions by a Trump business?
129
@Eve Waterhouse
And when he loses, will we all be reimbursed, with interest added?
5
@Eve Waterhouse. Yup.
2
@Eve Waterhouse
Yes. That's right.
2
Evidently, the liberals in our country are DESPERATE to find anything they can dream up to attack our President.
Having entered into this remodeling of the old post office after a competitive bidding process with the Government to convert the building into a hotel was above board and highly welcomed by all involver, including the District of Columbia.
Now that he is President and Clinton is out looking for any job even as a dishwasher , the left cannot seem to get over their loss.
Yes, President Trump still has his name on the hotel, yes he still owns it and yes he does make a profit from it. However, when he was sworn in as POTUS, he agreed to turn any profits made by the hotel from any FOREIGN DIGNITARIES who stayed at the hotel during his Presidency to the treasury. By the way he also has turned over to the treasury his $400,000 annual salary.
Seems these liberal enclaves don't have enough projects within their borders to waste their taxpayer funds on so they look for any trivial thing to try and demean the POTUS. They should consider spending their money on the lousy job they are doing with providing adequate low income housing for their citizens, or spending their tax dollars on reducing the MURDER rates within their borders.
3
@jane blonda
The lawsuit seeks documents to prove that everything is indeed above board. So what is Trump hiding? The US constitution existed long before Trump started his cult, hopefully it can survive?!
46
@jane blanda: Let’s not get too worked up about liberals... You know, Trump refused to rent to African Americans, so much for his attempts to provide low income housing, and let’s not even start on Ben Carson, who just decreases it, and Trump claimed (in)famously he could shoot someone on 5th avenue without losing a vote and he and the GOP are in bed with the Putin-funded NRA, so much for reducing murder rates...
19
@Corbin AG's don't subpoena a person or a business to produce records to "prove everything is above board".
6
America has to decide if we are a country with laws or not. Right now, Republicans would prefer to be lawless as long as They are in power. Our best option is to remove them.
79
@Jim Dennis - Git 'er done.
1
We are all tired of all the lawsuits, commentators and pundits complaining about the despicable actions of Trump and the “constitutional crisis” he has created. However, nothing is done to stop him! He has no shame. Trump just keeps moving forward on his path to destroy the soul of America in his narcissistic, greedy and self centered feeding frenzy. Nixon had the courage to resign. Trump will never resign. Where is Superman? Clark, I know the pen is mightier than the sword, but you need get out from behind your desk at the Daily Planet and start taking action to save this country.
58
@Michael E. Zall, I see it differently. We, the citizens of the USA, ARE Superman & Superwoman. Collectively, we have the power to vote these crooks & their accomplices out of office.
1
Maybe we can trade one Emoluments Clause for one Electoral College...
Hugh
16
@Hugh Massengill
You can't negotiate with the Party of Trump. They lie about everything and don't live up to their deals.
No Compromise worth those that attack the Constitution.
This is just the beginning of state involvement in the checks and balances against DJT.
Simply put if mitch mcconnell is too much of a coward to do the right thing the state of Maryland will.
Soon you will see other states following our lead in pursuing (state)tax crimes, money laundering, election law violations, etc. New York has already made it clear they are planning to pursue DJT for similar and related crimes.
And these charges will follow DJT and his family even after leaving office.
This is just the beginning of the end for DJT.
87
Why Is justice dept using our tax dollars to defend a privately owned hotel.
123
@Beau Vine Excellent question. This has to come out of Trump's own pocket, which is probably empty.
25
Democrat AGs should mind their own business rather than perpetuating witch hunts. This sets a dangerous precedent. What goes around, comes around. Stay tuned.
8
@Steve. Investigating probable bribery of the president of the United States by multiple foreign powers is legitimate.
108
If DJT has done nothing wrong this should be over quickly.
Or, the plaintiffs will find wrong doings that are in violation of the Constitution and DJT will be held accountable.
It amazes the majority of the US electorate why trump followers are adverse to finding the truth. Dems seek it out and the law and the Constitution are on our side.
I agree, stay tuned!
77
@Steve
You do raise an interesting point. At some point the courts, at least the SCOTUS, is going to have to rule on whether the states have standing to actually engage in these lawsuits. Despite what some would like to pretend, not all of these laws and provisions, like the Emoluments Clause, are that clear cut, for doubles the Founders never envisioned anyone with the scope and scale of business interests PRIOR to office being in power. Where do you draw a dividing line between pre-office and in-office periods, how far back, etc.?
Additionally, while one side, for the most part, cheers on the AG's involved, they might have a totally different take on the same conduct (they didn't like it when Obama was challenged) the next time around when a Democrat occupies the White House. And what is the role of civil actions against matters that may or not be criminal - is it the correct forum?
3
The "plain meaning" of the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, when applied to the obvious and admitted facts surrounding Trump's businesses, makes clear that Trump is in violation of that Clause and should have been required long ago to divest himself of his myriad business interests in order to avoid the situation he (and we) now find ourselves in. That situation, specifically, is that Trump is acting on multiple fronts in his own interest, and not in the interest of the American people. His bizarre behavior vis-a-vis Putin and Mohammed bin Salman can only be explained by the fact that he has much to lose personally/financially if he behaves toward these thugs as we would expect a president without such business entanglements to behave. A president without a personal financial stake would have taken meaningful steps to get to the truth about their heinous activities (e.g., Putin: using a nerve agent to try to kill a Russian "turncoat"; e.g., MbS: ordering the murder of journalist Khashoggi) and deal with them like the criminals they are, instead of brushing past their vile misdeeds.
What is discouraging is that only the attorneys general of Maryland and the District have been involved in this anti-corruption lawsuit. Rhetorical question: where are the other 48 attorneys general on this crucial matter?
112
The NY AG is already busy on this. There appears to be a very thorough investigation underway of Trump and the Trump Foundation, including his tax returns. The IRS has also been notified by NY. The water is definitely rising in the Good Ship Trumpy Pop. We can observe the rats deserting the sinking ship.
51
@ALB
Answer to rhetorical question: they lack "standing."
2
This is plain interference by states in federal politics and should not be tolerated.
1
@Mike Livingston: States have to step in upholding the US Constitution when Congress looks the other way...
10
@mike livingstone
This downright corruption of the executive branch. Hence our system of checks and balances acting as a fail safe.
3
@Mike Livingston
Oh, Mike, you can't be serious. Did you object when state AGs sued the Obama administration about the constitutionality of Obamacare?
3