Donald Trump vows to shut controversial Trump Foundation

[Balt]

My question: what happens when Trump faces a more serious dilemma, like having to put his businesses in a real blind trust (i.e. not just using his kids as a proxy) or even to close one or more of them? That, to me, is the test... we see if he's actually interested in being President and assuming at least some of the responsibility that comes with it.

I don't know if what he's planning even counts as a proxy/fake blind trust. He wants to give his businesses to his kids, but also wants his kids to be advisors.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

There is the question of the emolument clause in the Constitution. For example, is it legal for foreign diplomats to stay at Trump's hotels knowing that he'll profit from their visit? They might not be handing him a direct bribe, but that's certainly trying to influence government.

Fair point. I'll have to investigate further tomorrow.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

One needs instinct and a lack of remorse to be in Trump's position. That is not always enough and that government is to serve the citizen and not make a profit isn't something that I'm confident he understands.

Commodus does have a point when legal restrictions impinge on Trump's sense of entitlement. I'm talking specifically about having family participating in government. That was done with the Kennedys but the law changed that. So if Trump decides his kids will serve in an official capacity it's not going to happen. The resulting tantrum may be so epic that it will go down in history.

I agree with you.
The way he seems to be currently inserting his children, into contentious roles. Seems like Trump is really asking for significant trouble over that. Sooner or later.

Even if it ends up being declared perfectly legal (which I doubt, and probably many others do as well, including yourself, as you just seemed to say so). It is likely to go badly wrong, sooner or later, anyway.

It just needs some kind of political problem/issue, to go bad. Then things will start to get ugly.

Even Trump himself, seems to lack much real political experience. But his family members, are even more inexperienced. Which surely is a sign of trouble to come.

I'm convinced a good leader, would not have put himself in that position (family members, in prominent, government positions (including access to privileged intelligence information etc) or similar, and business roles), in the first place. It is just simple, plain common sense. Even putting them in, to control his business interests, is clearly going to be potentially a significant conflict of interest situation.

 

[ivwshane]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/clinton-donor-sensitive-intelligence-board/story?id=39710624

It was an unpaid position on an advisory board with limited security access and it was a recommendation by her chief of staff, Cheryl mills, with apparently minimal involvement by Clinton herself. He also wasn't a donor to the Clinton foundation but to Clinton and Democrats in general and his expertise was software and security.

Oh noes!! Call the FBI!! This smells of corruption!

Additional emails collected from Hillary Clinton’s personal server only hint at her possible involvement in Fernando’s selection to the board. The records request for documents about Fernando’s appointment produced a chain of correspondence from 2010 with the subject line “ISAB” -- or International Security Advisory Board. In those, Mills writes, “The secretary had two other names she wanted looked at.” The names are redacted. Mills then forwarded the response to “H,” which is the designation for Clinton’s personal account. Three minutes later Clinton forwards the email chain to another State official and says simply, “Pls print.”

So who are these other "people" you speak of?

 

[imported_tajmahal]

There is the question of the emolument clause in the Constitution. For example, is it legal for foreign diplomats to stay at Trump's hotels knowing that he'll profit from their visit? They might not be handing him a direct bribe, but that's certainly trying to influence government.

Yes and if Donald trump sold bubble gum he wouldn't be able to sell any because a foreign entity might buy some bubble gum and with Donald Trump showing a profit from them buying it they may influence the government. It's not like they'd actually be bribing him, but hey bubble gum = bribe.

/S

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Some of the questions raised are answered in this article by Forbes.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennife...decessors-did-with-their-assets/#5b0c64087915

"The wealthiest Commander-in-Chief in American history will be exempt from conflict of interest statutes and most prohibitions against gifts (as are all U.S. presidents and vice presidents), so nothing stops Trump from maintaining the status quo and running his business from the White House. He’ll have to file a Federal Elections Committee disclosure document annually, which lists his assets and income. Tax returns, which Trump has steadfastly refused to release, do not have to be made available to the public."

 

[tweaker2]

Trump must be flogging his stable of lawyers bleeding raw to try to find some underhanded scurrilous way to get around anything that will keep him from running his businesses while he runs the nation into the ground.

This guy will go down as the most unethical, irresponsible and morally bankrupt president of all time.

However, his worst crime will occur after he leaves office when no one will be held responsible for the damage this shithead will leave in his wake, (like the Bush/Cheney debacle) and every person who voted for him will simply wipe their memory clean of him as if he never existed. It would be as if the damage he caused to the nation's prestige and well being was worth suffering from because the alternative would somehow have been worse, even if Hillary's policies would have generally kept in place a time of moderately rising prosperity that the Obama administration will have left behind it.

All this because millions of folks wanted to believe that all of that putrid snake oil he shoved down their throats would be really really good for their health and their paychecks.

 

[boomerang]

Trump must be flogging his stable of lawyers bleeding raw to try to find some underhanded scurrilous way to get around anything that will keep him from running his businesses while he runs the nation into the ground.

This guy will go down as the most unethical, irresponsible and morally bankrupt president of all time.

However, his worst crime will occur after he leaves office when no one will be held responsible for the damage this shithead will leave in his wake, (like the Bush/Cheney debacle) and every person who voted for him will simply wipe their memory clean of him as if he never existed. It would be as if the damage he caused to the nation's prestige and well being was worth suffering from because the alternative would somehow have been worse, even if Hillary's policies would have generally kept in place a time of moderately rising prosperity that the Obama administration will have left behind it.

All this because millions of folks wanted to believe that all of that putrid snake oil he shoved down their throats would be really really good for their health and their paychecks.

Reports of Miss Cleo's passing have obviously been greatly exaggerated. She is alive and well and posting as tweaker2!

 

[Puffnstuff]

Back to Trump I believe he'll cut ties when I see it. Tomorrow he may claim he never made any such statement.

Ultimate flip-flopper? I suppose he never heard of the phrase "say what you mean and mean what you say?" Oh wait, my bad, he did say "grab them by the pussy" didn't he? He was talking about cute cuddly kitty cats right?

Has anybody actually seen a website for Donald's foundation? Clinton has a website that anybody can access straight away just as Eric Trump's foundation has. I did see that the Don's foundation is under investigation by the NY Attorney General's Office. NPR is reporting that they ordered the foundation to stop raising money as they were not legally entitled to do so in the state.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

Has anybody actually seen a website for Donald's foundation? Clinton has a website that anybody can access straight away just as Eric Trump's foundation has. I did see that the Don's foundation is under investigation by the NY Attorney General's Office.

Yes.
Here it is:
https://www.donaldtrumpforvets.com/
Look at the top left hand side of the picture. Which says where/who it belongs to.

This link seems to explains about that website and the courts or something, being annoyed (legally speaking):
http://greatnonprofits.org/whitelabel/reviews/donald-j-trump-foundation-inc

 

[Puffnstuff]

Yes.
Here it is:
https://www.donaldtrumpforvets.com/

This link seems to explains about that website and the courts or something, being annoyed (legally speaking):
http://greatnonprofits.org/whitelabel/reviews/donald-j-trump-foundation-inc

Thank you for the link. The picture on the main page with the hottie in uniform kind of says it all for me and it has no functioning links which could be a result of legal action but since I didn't go there before they were ordered to stop accepting donations I can't say.

 

[Sinsear]

Trump must be flogging his stable of lawyers bleeding raw to try to find some underhanded scurrilous way to get around anything that will keep him from running his businesses while he runs the nation into the ground.

This guy will go down as the most unethical, irresponsible and morally bankrupt president of all time.

However, his worst crime will occur after he leaves office when no one will be held responsible for the damage this shithead will leave in his wake, (like the Bush/Cheney debacle) and every person who voted for him will simply wipe their memory clean of him as if he never existed. It would be as if the damage he caused to the nation's prestige and well being was worth suffering from because the alternative would somehow have been worse, even if Hillary's policies would have generally kept in place a time of moderately rising prosperity that the Obama administration will have left behind it.

All this because millions of folks wanted to believe that all of that putrid snake oil he shoved down their throats would be really really good for their health and their paychecks.

You sound bitter.

 

[fskimospy]

You sound bitter.

Does none of the large scale corruption that is likely to ensue bother you? I remember when conservatives claimed that the Obama administration was corrupt and how big an issue that was. Has something changed?

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

Thank you for the link. The picture on the main page with the hottie in uniform kind of says it all for me and it has no functioning links which could be a result of legal action but since I didn't go there before they were ordered to stop accepting donations I can't say.

Actually, we have the technology.
I can sort that out for you...

Internet archive to the recue:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160129040214/http://www.donaldtrumpforvets.com

Yes, they did seem to accept donations. There is a big form to fill in. It has not come out very well in my quote below.

I WANT TO SUPPORT OUR VETERANS
100% of your donations will go directly to Veterans needs


OVER $430,000 RAISED TODAY
How much would you like to donate?



CREDIT CARD DETAILS




Expiration Date:



BILLING DETAILS





The Donald J Trump Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. An email confirmation with a summary of your donation will be sent to the email address provided above.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Does none of the large scale corruption that is likely to ensue bother you? I remember when conservatives claimed that the Obama administration was corrupt and how big an issue that was. Has something changed?

Nah, i lived through a Clinton administration.

 

[tweaker2]

You sound bitter.

Not at all.

I'm merely attempting to express to the best of my reckoning what I see in Trump, how that applies to his actions and what the resultant consequences are. If that sounds bitter to you then I can tell you for a fact that what you read in my post is only a reflection of the bitter slime that Trump leaves behind him wherever he happens to go.

Being as objective as I can be, I can say that his aura is a hateful vindictive one. His personality and breath reeks of the stench that a carnivore leaves after a kill. He has no soul to speak of. His only purpose in life is to make a profit by defeating those that are out to defeat him, and they are legion. He is so self-serving and egregiously offensive in both personality and style of play that the only people he can trust are those of his immediate family, and he keeps them very very close not out of love, but out of fear that their allegiance to him may wander outside of the walls of Trump Tower.

He lives in constant fear, and justifiably so due to the long trail of vengeance seeking victims he has left behind him in his quest to be, ironically so, the most respected and admired man in the world.

Most damaging of all though is that he has successfully transplanted that sorrowful yet dangerous aura of his into his followers. This aura of hate, fear and mistrust of their fellow man is the essence of what gave him the ability to rise to the highest position of leadership our nation can offer. That aura of his convinced millions of people to believe in every single lie that came out of his mouth including the lies that dismissed the ones that came before it. Amazing both in its effect and effectiveness.

This is Trump. It's who he is and what he is as far as what I can see from my personal point of view.

 

[Puffnstuff]

It appears that since his foundation is under investigation that he cannot dissolve it.

 

[Jhhnn]

It appears that since his foundation is under investigation that he cannot dissolve it.

Yep. Discovery is ongoing. Trump can't just wipe the computers & send the rest to the shredder. The foundation has already made serious admissions of impropriety that the mesmerized care nothing about-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...2b15787add0_story.html?utm_term=.c9b0e6c33cac

Crooked Hillary! Lock her up!

 

[imported_tajmahal]

Yep. Discovery is ongoing. Trump can't just wipe the computers & send the rest to the shredder. The foundation has already made serious admissions of impropriety that the mesmerized care nothing about-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...2b15787add0_story.html?utm_term=.c9b0e6c33cac

Crooked Hillary! Lock her up!

yeah, he's not Hillary, only Hillary gets to wipe her computers and smash the HDs,and lie about her poor dead diplomat.

 

[Jhhnn]

yeah, he's not Hillary, only Hillary gets to wipe her computers and smash the HDs,and lie about her poor dead diplomat.

You sound bitter.

 

[brycejones]

You sound bitter.

He is obcessed with Hillary. Probably some unresolved issues with his mother.

 

[MrSquished]

The Trump Foundation is small potatoes. It does relatively nothing compared to the foundations of other high profile tycoons. Trump himself has given only 3.7 million dollars to it in total, and hasn't given money to the foundation in years. He is very cheap when it comes to charity compared to other rich folks.

 

[imported_tajmahal]

You sound bitter.

Why would I be bitter, Trump won and you're still crying.

 

[Jhhnn]

Why would I be bitter, Trump won and you're still crying.

Bitter about not being able to lock her up, obviously. It's the only thing I can think of that compels you to make every thread about Hillary. She's gone & she likely won't be back in 2020 so going on about her is just diversion.

 

[pauldun170]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/trump-exhibiting-clinton-behavior-president-elect-44391558

Donald Trump spent the past two years attacking rival Hillary Clinton as crooked, corrupt, and weak.

But some of those attacks seem to have already slipped into the history books.

From installing Wall Street executives in his Cabinet to avoiding news conferences, the president-elect is adopting some of the same behavior for which he criticized Clinton during their fiery presidential campaign.

Here's a look at what Trump said then — and what he's doing now:

———

GOLDMAN SACHS

Then: "I know the guys at Goldman Sachs," Trump said at a South Carolina rally in February, when he was locked in a fierce primary battle with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. "They have total, total control over him. Just like they have total control over Hillary Clinton."

Now: A number of former employees of the Wall Street bank will pay a key role in crafting Trump's economic policy. He's tapped Goldman Sachs president Gary Cohn to lead the White House National Economic Council. Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary nominee, spent 17 years working at Goldman Sachs and Steve Bannon, Trump's chief strategist and senior counselor, started his career as an investment banker at the firm.

Trump is following in a long political tradition, though one he derided on the campaign trail: If Cohn accepts the nomination, he'll be the third Goldman executive to run the NEC.

———

BIG DONORS

Then: "Crooked Hillary. Look, can you imagine another four years of the Clintons? Seriously. It's time to move on. And she's totally controlled by Wall Street and all these people that gave her millions," Trump said at a May rally in Lynden, Washington.

Now: Trump has stocked his Cabinet with six top donors — far more than any recent White House. "I want people that made a fortune. Because now they're negotiating with you, OK?" Trump said, in a December 9 speech in Des Moines.

The biggest giver? Incoming small business administrator Linda McMahon gave $7.5 million to a super PAC backing Trump, more than a third of the money collected by the political action committee.

———

NEWS CONFERENCES

Then: "She doesn't do news conferences, because she can't," Trump said at an August rally in Ashburn, Virginia. "She's so dishonest she doesn't want people peppering her with questions."

Now: Trump opened his last news conference on July 27, saying: "You know, I put myself through your news conferences often, not that it's fun."

He hasn't held one since.

Trump skipped the news conference a president-elect typically gives after winning the White House. Instead, he released a YouTube video of under three minutes. He also recently abruptly canceled plans to hold his first post-election news conference, opting instead to describe his plans for managing his businesses in tweets. "I will hold a press conference in the near future to discuss the business, Cabinet picks and all other topics of interest. Busy times!" he tweeted in mid-December.

———

FAMILY TIES:

Then: "It is impossible to figure out where the Clinton Foundation ends and the State Department begins. It is now abundantly clear that the Clintons set up a business to profit from public office. They sold access and specific actions by and really for I guess the making of large amounts of money," Trump said at an August rally in Austin.

Now: While Trump has promised to separate himself from his businesses, there is plenty of overlap between his enterprises and his immediate family. His companies will be run by his sons, Donald Jr and Eric. And his daughter, Ivanka, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have joined Trump at a number of meetings with world leaders of countries where the family has financial interests.

In a financial disclosure he was required to file during the campaign, Trump listed stakes in about 500 companies in at least 25 countries.

Ivanka, in particular, has been caught making early efforts to leverage her father's new position into profits. After an interview with the family appeared on "60 Minutes," her jewelry company, Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, blasted out an email promoting the $10,800 gold bangle bracelet that she had worn during the appearance. The company later said they were "proactively discussing new policies and procedures."

Ivanka is also auctioning off a private coffee meeting with her to benefit her brother's foundation. The meeting is valued at $50,000, with the current top bid coming in at $25,000.

"United States Secret Service will be Present for the Duration of the Experience," warns the auction site.

Trump on Saturday said he would dissolve his charitable foundation amid efforts to eliminate any conflicts of interest before he takes office next month.

———

CLINTON INVESTIGATIONS

Then: "If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation, because there has never been so many lies, so much deception. There has never been anything like it, and we're going to have a special prosecutor," Trump said in the October presidential debate.

Now: Since winning office, Trump has said he has no intention of pushing for an investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server as secretary of state or the workings of her family foundation. "It's just not something that I feel very strongly about," he told the New York Times.

"She went through a lot. And suffered greatly in many different ways," he said. "I'm not looking to hurt them."