Chaffetz threatens new ethics investigation

[Edge-]

A Trump flunky said that Trump should be free from ethical concerns now that he's won.


Nothing to worry about here.

(how many different categories of concerns are we at now with as-yet-sworn-in President?)

The fact that CNN still gives Jeffrey Lord a platform, and legitimacy, is why cable news has so little faith. He's the kind of lying piece of shit that media are supposed to protect the general public from, not give a fucking national megaphone.

[Ripster42]

I read them both. I am saying you are fucking wrong. It's you in fact, that does not understand.

Like, how can you not understand that I am disagreeing with you, and think I am somehow just confused...

Edit: a simple google search shows US code Title 18, Part 1, Chapter 11: Bribery, Graft, and Conflicts of Interest.

I have no idea why you think the Constitution would be the only law. That's the law says how the laws are made, guy. There are still actual laws, in addition to the law making law.

- - - Updated - - -



Sorry if my colloquialism offended you, amigo.

So, you quote US law as your argument for the president being explicitly excluded from conflict of interest laws (and the emoluments clause). Find me where it says it explicitly excludes the president, because I couldn't find it in what you referenced.

Here's the emolument's clause text:
"No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state."

Edit: Just so we're clear:

e·mol·u·ment
əˈmälyəmənt/
nounformal
a salary, fee, or profit from employment or office.

So he essentially can't have any business dealings with anyone who works for a foreign government or he's in violation of the constitution, unless he gets congressional approval to do so. Which is why presidents have been putting their shit in blind trusts.

[cubby]

So, you quote US law as your argument for the president being explicitly excluded from conflict of interest laws (and the emoluments clause). Find me where it says it explicitly excludes the president, because I couldn't find it in what you referenced.

Here's the emolument's clause text:
"No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state."

Lil TJ doesn't know how the Constitution works - he still thinks a President "can't be in violation" of it. Adorable, but obviously misguided.

How many different scandals is Trump bringing with him to the White House?

And what's the over/under on his impeachment?

[Halicia]

You're an idiot.

The President and Vice President are exempt from conflict of interest laws.

"No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."

The Constitution begs to disagree.

[Lenonis]

Do you even know what a blind trust is? His businesses will still exist but just be handled by someone else. How can he just forget his name? Anything that he does as president is going to have an impact on his name whether he is in control of his business or not. A blind trust is going to have NO impact on that.

Why are you insisting that the president of the united states have an active role in running side businesses while being president? Why?

A blind trust isn't perfect for the reasons you pointed out, but why are you trying to say there is no difference? That is 100% completely a bold faced lie. If the businesses were in a blind trust Trump wouldn't know what was going on with them. Including what is up and coming or behind the scenes. Thus the impact of the conflict of interest would be lessened.

And, I really want you to give me a straight answer -- why should the president of the united states have a side job running a global company? How does THAT make any sense??

Under the trust, the owner does not know how the assets are managed.

Thank you for showing how a blind trust reduces the conflict of interest. Glad we resolved this issue.

It's so...gross...that people want our president to be running a business instead of being president.

[Wells]

1. He sold all his stocks. He doesn't own anything to game in the stock market.
2. He is putting his liquid cash in the standard blind trust other presidents have volunteered to do, to be invested in whatever the trustee choose, which may or may not be stocks.
3. Although he is handing management over to his kids, he is doing so with dual ethics employees on both sides, government and private, to ensure the blind status of the real estate empire is maintained.
4. Real estate can't really be gamed by foreign officials, like you surmise. If one takes the assumption, and I think we should, that his properties are successful, they don't have vacancy problems that can be solved by foreign government kick backs.
5. If Trumps property is unfairly seized by a foreign leader, this is something that already would not have been ok before he was president. I sort of doubt he has properties in banana republics so, this seems like it's not likely an actual thing.
6. He has directed his sons, and the ethics advisers, to pursue no new building projects abroad while he is president.
7. He is donating any profits from foreign government stays at his properties to the US treasury.
8. His branding rights, such as the use of his name on buildings and products he doesn't own, and his share of his TV show, don't really need to be managed. There is nothing to game there.
9. Lastly, the notion that he can make MORE money than he would have as a private citizen, under these rules, is just sort of a ridiculous notion, IMHO.

I've seen no evidence for any of these beyond his word.

- - - Updated - - -

How did you arrive at this notion?

He does sell his name out for profit on buildings, but Trump Tower is his baby, and was built before he was famous enough to sell his name.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_Tower

^^This lists the owner as Trump. Maybe you should log in and correct the record.

Its condos.

[Stormspellz]

Yes. The US president is specifically excluded from those laws. Your fake news outlets didn't tell you that fact, did they? That's why you have to watch both sides, folks. It's not always what they say, but so often it's what they don't say.

They aren't immune to bribery and those two walk the same line furthermore

"No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."

Is pretty cut and dry

[KrazyK923]

Another "Republicans are bad, so very bad" thread? /yawn

Maybe they should stop be doing such obvious and laughably corrupt things, people wouldn't bitch about them.

[Fahrenheit]

Chaffetz is a hypocritical, partisan scumbag, likely second only to Mitch McConnell.
Two quintessential examples of the current brand of the GOP.