Trump Conflict Flashcards
Conflicts of Interest
Holdings include 16 hotels, 17 golf courses, a modeling agency, a production agency and at least 25 residential real estate properties (a minimum of 17 domestically and eight overseas). His over 500 companies have dealings in 25 countries including India, Panama, Scotland and the Philippines. Trump leases his D.C. hotel from the federal government and appoints the head of the agency that monitors his lease. Also owes millions in loans, including over US$300 million in loans to Deutsche Bank, which is under investigation by the federal government. He also owes money to at least seven other banks for his heavily mortgaged properties; one of his real estate partnerships has a loan from the state-owned Bank of China.
Basic Criminal Conflict of Interest Statue
enacted in 1962, forbids federal executive branch employees from participating in government matters in which they – or their immediate family members – have a financial interest.
VP & Presidential exemption of criminal conflict of interest
exempt since 1974, when Congress requested an opinion from the Justice Department on whether the law applied to Nelson Rockefeller.
Blind Trust Requirements
Presidents are not required by any law to place their assets in blind trusts (just as they are not required to disclose their tax returns). But before Trump, starting with Lyndon B. Johnson, most presidents voluntarily placed their assets in blind trusts. This meant that any investments (but not cash or personal real estate) were managed by an independent entity, without the beneficiary knowing what they were.
OGE Oversight
isn’t of much use in policing the president. One study shows that OGE is a weak and ineffective agency.
Congressional Oversight
1) Congress has the power to impeach the president, by a simple majority vote of the house and a two-thirds vote of the Senate.
2) Congressional committees can conduct hearings to investigate presidential and executive branch activities, as with the current House Intelligence Committee’s hearing into Trump’s claim that Obama wiretapped him.
3) Creation of an independent commission, such as the one that investigated the U.S. administration’s preparedness for the 9/11 attacks, will require that Congress and the president sign off on such a commission.
DOJ Oversight
1) DOJ could also investigate and prosecute criminal violations by the president.
2) The Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the judiciary could review the legality of the president’s actions, both in his capacity as a private citizen and in his official role. But the attorney general has discretion over whether to pursue violations of federal criminal law.
Media Oversight
The media reports on presidental actions to keep him accountable
