Trump Presidential self-enrichment
Collection of instances of Donald Trump using the Presidency to enrich himself and his family. This is basic corruption. In many instances, this also violates the emoluments clause of the US Constitution.
Profiting off the Presidency
March 15, 2017 Businesswoman Who Bought Trump Penthouse Is Connected to Chinese Intelligence Front Group
Emoluments Clause violations
The reason for the emoluments clause is that gifts provided by foreign governments can purchase influence over US officials, including the president. Doing business with a foreign government also presents this issue–the decision to give business to a Trump company is a gift, and the terms offered can be over payments given to influence President Trump.
- March 8, 2017 China provisionally grants Trump 38 trademarks. “China has granted preliminary approval for 38 new Trump trademarks, paving the way for Donald Trump and his family to potentially develop a host of branded businesses from hotels to insurance to bodyguard and escort services, public documents show. … Dan Plane, a director at Simone IP Services, a Hong Kong intellectual property consultancy, said he had never seen so many applications approved so expeditiously.”
- February 15, 2017 The registration this week came as a surprise win for Trump after a decade of trying — and failing — to wrest the rights to his name back from a man named Dong Wei. The abrupt turn in Trump’s bureaucratic fortunes once he declared his candidacy has raised questions about the extent to which his political status may be helping his family business. link
- November 28, 2016 Trump Tower rents office space to a state-controlled Chinese bank. ICBC was Trump Tower’s largest office tenant as of 2012, occupying 11 percent of its office space.
- Trump’s partner in a building in Manila was also named an envoy to the U.S. in October, and the partner, Jose E.B. Antonio, said he hopes to expand his collaboration with the Trump Organization.
- Foreign diplomats have been gathering at his newly opened hotel just blocks from the White House.
- Trump Tower in the Philippines. Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte, named the Trump Organization’s partner in the Manila real estate venture his top trade envoy. Trump gets paid if the deal goes through. In a long-term licensing deal, the project’s development company agreed to pay royalties for use of the Trump brand. Trump reported receiving $1 million to $6 million in payments from the project between 2014 and mid-2016, according to his financial disclosures. Trump and white house advisor Ivanka Trump are promoting the project. May 2017. link
- President Trump and His Businesses: Not So Separate After All by Max Yoeli. March 28, 2017link
President Trump’s responses to questions on this issue
Trump has not placed his wealth in a blind trust or sold his businesses.
Trump has not released information on his business partners, holdings, or debt.
Trump has not released his tax returns.
Trump has pledged to refrain from new foreign deals while in office.
January 23, 2017 “Dillon [Trump attorney Sheri Dillon] said that Trump would turn over “profits” from foreign governments at his hotels to the U.S. treasury.”, link. There is no evidence this has been done.