Obama's, Bush's top ethics lawyers: Trump must sell businesses or Electoral College must reject him [View all]
Daily Kos
November 25, 2016
Judd Legum at Think Progress writes:
Richard Painter, Chief Ethics Counsel for George W. Bush, and Norman Elson, Chief Ethics Counsel for Barack Obama, believe that if Trump continues to retain ownership over his sprawling business interests by the time the electors meet on Dec. 19, they should reject Trump.
In an e-mail to Think Progress, Elson explained that "the founders did not want any foreign payments to the President, period."
This principle is enshrined in Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, which bars officeholders from accepting "any present, emolument, office. or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state."
This provision was specifically created to prevent the President, most of all, from being corrupted by foreign influences.
Elsen said that the Electors should insist that Trump set up a blind trust for all his enterprises as a condition for getting their votes.
More:
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/11/25/1604105/-Obama-s-Bush-s-top-ethics-lawyers-Trump-must-sell-businesses-or-Electoral-College-must-reject-him
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