Mixing Politics with Business

A Master List of Trump’s Conflicts of Interest

By Kate Brannen

 

This article comes from Just Security which is based at the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law. A warning to those with short attention spans – this is a long article, far exceeding 140 characters. However, the writing style is lively and readable. The information contained herein is vital for the challenges Americans now face.

Remember that giant pile of manila folders?

They were stacked high at Donald Trump’s press conference on Jan. 11. While no one was allowed to take a closer look at them, the unlabeled folders were said to contain the documents that Trump had signed in order to hand over control of his business to his two sons, Don Jr. and Eric.

The move was supposed to free Trump of any conflicts of of interest as he became president, or at least give the appearance that he’d done that. Sheri Dillon, of the law firm Morgan Lewis, said at the January press conference that Trump had asked her firm to design a structure that would “completely isolate him from the management of the company.” 

As part of this arrangement no new foreign deals would be made while Trump was president. New domestic deals would be allowed but would undergo vigorous vetting, according to Dillon. Trump would limit how much information about the business could be shared with him. And the Trump Organization, through its social media and marketing materials, would not refer to Trump as president.

Dillon also addressed the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution, which is meant at a minimum to protect the American public from a foreign government being able to bribe the president. Dillon argued that it could not be construed to cover fair value goods or services, for example, paying one’s bill at a Trump hotel. (Trump is now facing three Emoluments lawsuits that argue these kinds of payments represent exactly the kind of foreign payments that the Constitution sought to prohibit.) 

Despite asserting that foreign governments’ spending money at Trump properties could not be considered an emolument, Dillon said Trump would voluntarily donate all profits made from foreign government payments to his hotels to the U.S. Treasury.

This was the ethics plan that Trump laid out for himself and his family. It was meant to assure the public that Trump’s private business interests would never overlap or influence his duties as president. His daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner, made somewhat similar arrangements for themselves and their companies as they got ready to work in the White House. 

While all three distanced themselves to some degree from the companies and brands that carry their names, their financial stakes in the Trump and Kushner business empires remain the same. As for Trump’s sons, they frequently attend White House events and remain very much a part of the political scene surrounding their father.

It has become difficult to track these conflicts of interest stories as they often get drowned out by competing headlines. To help keep up, below is an attempt at a master list. It’s not comprehensive, but it starts to paint a picture of the vast number of issues that require oversight and scrutiny during this presidency. 

Trump meets Putin in Germany on Friday

US Senator calls for insurrection

Langevin amendment deems climate change to be a national security threat

Even the Republicans agreed

During markup of the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), Ranking Member on the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, introduced an amendment to ensure that climate change is included as part of the United States national security strategy. 

The amendment, which was cosponsored by every Democratic member of the committee, passed by voice vote. 

As stated in the amendment text, the committee has acknowledged that “climate change is a direct threat to the national security of the United States” and that “the Department of Defense must ensure that it is prepared to conduct operations both today and in the future and that it is prepared to address the effects of a changing climate on threat assessments, resources, and readiness.” 

UPDATED: Governor signs worker pay protection bill

UPDATED: Bill protecting workers’ pay from unauthorized deductions passes General Assembly

EDITOR'S UPDATE: The Governor signed this bill into law on July 7.

Rep. Robert E. Craven (D-Dist. 32, North Kingstown) and Sen. Frank S. Lombardi’s (D-Dist. 26, Cranston) legislation (2017-H 5932Aaa / 2017-S 0350B) that prohibits employers from making deductions from an employee’s wages without written authorization from the worker passed the General Assembly tonight.

“It is completely unfair for a hard working restaurant employee to lose their wages if a person skips out on a check or they break a plate.  There should be no unilateral wage deduction from an employee without any kind of notice or consent.  This bill will protect workers who need every single cent that goes into their pockets from a day’s work,” said Representative Craven, Chairman of the House Committee on Labor.

'Scary as Hell': Trump Response to North Korea Sparks Fear of Escalation

"We are literally at the point where we have to hope that a guy who is obviously crazy, Kim Jong-un, is less crazy than the U.S. President."

By Jake Johnson, staff writer for Common Dreams

Following North Korea's announcement on Tuesday that it had for the first time successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)—one it claimed could "target any part of the world"—President Donald Trump continued his bizarre use of social media as a weapon by launching a series of tweets described by commentators as "insane," "unintelligible," and "scary as hell."

"Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?" Trump wrote, referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, before casually floating the idea that "perhaps China will put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"

Experts were unsure whether the launch actually demonstrated the missile's capacity to reach "any part of the world."

Rhode Island should follow Mississippi’s example

"Go jump in the Gulf of Mexico"

By BETH COMERY, Providence Daily Dose

That’s what Mississippi’s Secretary of State, a Republican, has told Trump’s so-called “fraud commission” and that’s exactly how our Secretary of State, Nellie Gorbea, should respond. Secretary Hosemann added,

“Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our State’s right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes,” his statement continued.

Exactly. 

Secretary Gorbea, why are you being so compliant? The response from dozens of other states has been immediate and unequivocal. By the end of June, 27 states had denied the request. 

EDITOR'S NOTE: as of July 4, according to Trump's favorite news network CNN, 44 states intended to deny all or part of the demand for records. Most cite privacy, some cite the political bias evident in this entire process. Only three states - Colorado, Missouri and Tennessee - will fully comply. - W. Collette

Yes, it is exhausting having all our democratic institutions under attack simultaneously — and this is probably not what you signed up for — but for god’s sake Nellie grow a pair! 

Hope you had your checklist

Why they can't get along

Action to take guns from domestic abusers stalled by Mattiello adjournment of General Assembly

House OKs domestic violence gun safety measure

But Representatives Flip Filippi and Justin Price are OK with that.

With a 55-12 vote, the House approved Rep. Teresa Tanzi’s legislation to protect victims of domestic violence by disarming abusers. The bill will now go to the Senate.

EDITOR’S NOTE: local state Representatives Blake “Flip” Filippi of Charlestown and Justin “I Love the Militia” Price of Richmond were among the few state reps to vote to allow domestic abusers to keep their guns.

The Protect Rhode Island Families Act (2017-H 5510A), which would take effect July 1 (but obviously it will be later), would prohibit gun possession by domestic abusers convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes and those subject to court-issued final protective orders and ensure that all those subject to the prohibition actually turn in their guns when they become prohibited from possessing them.

Does Trump really want advice on women?

White House Halts Work of Women's Council
By Julia Conley, staff writer for Common Dreams

The Trump administration is taking steps towards eliminating the White House Council on Women and Girls, according to a Politico report.

The Council has ceased operations while President Trump decides whether its work is necessary, and may shut down entirely.

The Council was created in 2009 by Barack Obama with the aim of communicating with women's advocacy groups and assessing how American women are impacted by policy.
 

Another Troop Surge in America’s Longest War

What is the point?

By Jim Hightower

President Trump might have dodged military service in his youth, but he certainly is militaristic — he’s bellicose, likes to issue commands, and is constantly firing off militant tweets at anyone he perceives to be an enemy (which seems to include everyone who dares to disagree with him).

Meanwhile, he and his White House full of military commanders are pondering the launch of a real shooting war, a military offensive that would be known as “Trump’s War.”

Actually, he’d be attempting to achieve battlefield glory by picking up and extending what at first was Bush’s War, then Obama’s War. 

The place is Afghanistan, and the strategy is to shove another 5,000 or so American soldiers (none of whom will be named Trump) into that brutish hellhole.

Yes, that mess is still boiling, despite President Obama’s 2012 pledge to end our involvement in the longest war in U.S. history.

Trump demands loyalty over integrity

Government Of, By, and For Trump

By Robert Reich

“I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,” Trump told then FBI Director James Comey in January – even though FBI directors are supposed to be independent of a president, and Comey was only 4 years into a 10 year term.

Comey testified before the Senate that Trump tried to “create some sort of patronage relationship,” based on personal loyalty.

After Comey refused and continued to investigate possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives, Trump fired him.

Preet Bharara, who had been the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Trump tried to create the same sort of patronage relationship with him that he did with Comey.

Bharara’s office had been investigating Trump’s secretary of health and human services, Tom Price, and also looking into Russian money-laundering allegations against Deutsche Bank, Trump’s principal private lender.

When Bharara didn’t play along, Trump fired him.

Bharara said Comey’s testimony “felt a little bit like déjà vu.”

In his first and best-known book, “The Art of the Deal,” Trump distinguished between integrity and loyalty – and made clear he preferred loyalty.

Yeah, you're covered.

Smart phones actually make you dumber

The mere presence of your smartphone reduces brain power, study shows

University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin)

Your cognitive capacity is significantly reduced when your smartphone is within reach -- even if it's off. That's the takeaway finding from a new study from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin.

McCombs Assistant Professor Adrian Ward and co-authors conducted experiments with nearly 800 smartphone users in an attempt to measure, for the first time, how well people can complete tasks when they have their smartphones nearby even when they're not using them.

In one experiment, the researchers asked study participants to sit at a computer and take a series of tests that required full concentration in order to score well.

The tests were geared to measure participants' available cognitive capacity -- that is, the brain's ability to hold and process data at any given time.

Before beginning, participants were randomly instructed to place their smartphones either on the desk face down, in their pocket or personal bag, or in another room. All participants were instructed to turn their phones to silent.

The researchers found that participants with their phones in another room significantly outperformed those with their phones on the desk, and they also slightly outperformed those participants who had kept their phones in a pocket or bag.

The findings suggest that the mere presence of one's smartphone reduces available cognitive capacity and impairs cognitive functioning, even though people feel they're giving their full attention and focus to the task at hand.