Source: https://takecareblog.com/conflicts-of-interest/conflicts-of-interest
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 23:16:25+00:00

Document:
According to President Trump, “The President can’t have a conflict of interest.” That is incorrect.
On Friday, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled that the plaintiffs in Blumenthal, Nadler, et al. v. Trump have standing to sue the President for violating the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause.
Yesterday, CREW again amended its complaint alleging that President Trump has violated the Domestic and Foreign Emoluments Clauses of the U.S. Constitution. Notably, CREW added another plaintiff: Eric Goode, the owner of several famous hotels, restaurants, bars and event spaces in New York.
The most remarkable thing about DOJ’s brief is that its conclusion doesn't follow from its own explanation of the meaning of the term “emolument,” nor, for that matter, from any of DOJ’s analysis. To the contrary, DOJ’s account of the Clause, and of the meaning of the term “emolument,” actually demonstrates that the President is violating the Foreign Emoluments Clause, at least with respect to some of the conduct alleged in the CREW complaint.
Versus Trump: I Want Out!
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, Charlie and Easha discuss the cases against Trump University, the global settlement that was reached, and whether the pending challenge by a lone objector can—or should—alter the result. Listen now!
Education Secretary Betsy DeDos has jettisoned memos that hold student loan services accountable for past performance. That hurts everyone except her buddies in the loan servicing industry.
On Tuesday, we and 18 other law professors submitted an amicus brief in federal district court arguing that the District of Columbia and Maryland have standing to pursue their constitutional claims.
On September 23, Harvard Law School will host a one-day conference about populist plutocrats, a label many apply to President Trump.
There’s Unquestionably Standing in the CREW Case. Here’s Why.
The additional plaintiffs in the CREW case unquestionably have standing.
A major new white paper shows why the Domestic Emoluments Clause is a critically important provision in our Constitution.
An updated quarterly report on instances in which there are credible allegations of President Trump, his family, and his close associates exploiting their public power for private gain.
On a new episode of Versus Trump, Take Care's podcast, Easha, Jason, and Charlie discuss a lawsuit against the President that's been brought by a D.C. gadfly who claims that Trump did not provide sufficient detail on the financial disclosure form he submitted as a candidate. Then, Easha talks with Leah Litman about the status of the Muslim ban litigation and the role of oral advocacy in this and other high-profile cases. Listen now!
Today, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Representative John Conyers, and 194 other members of Congress have gone to federal court seeking to put an end to the President’s willful violations of the Constitution.
In a new lawsuit, Maryland and D.C. allege that the President's violations of the Emoluments Clauses harm their sovereign, quasi-sovereign, and proprietary interests. Those interests get special solicitude in federal court.
We offer a few quick reactions to yesterday's opinion dismissing one of the emoluments cases on standing grounds.
It is perfectly consistent to think the House lacks standing in House v. Price, but that members of Congress have standing to sue for Foreign Emoluments Clause violations.
If recent events are any sign, the public will not stand idly by as Trump turns our nation into a banana republic.
For good reason, nearly everyone agrees that the Foreign Emoluments Clause applies to the President. And the main contrary argument rests on a misreading of the historical record.
Late last night, the plaintiffs in CREW v. Trump filed their brief opposing President Trump's motion to dismiss the case.
I did not expect that a federal district judge would simply fail to apply the law that currently binds him. Yet that's more or less what Judge Daniels did in dismissing the CREW emoluments case.
President Trump and a number of his associates have established legal defense funds (LDFs) in connection with various Congressional investigations. What rules govern these LDFs?
The last week saw important developments with respect to Donald Trump's ongoing confrontation with the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause.
Separation of powers principles strongly support standing in the Foreign Emoluments Clause suit filed by Members of Congress.
On a new episode of Versus Trump, Easha, Jason, and Charlie do a near-live episode about Stormy Daniels' lawsuit against David Dennison—we mean, Donald Trump. Listen now!
The government's motion to dismiss alternately characterizes CREW's lawsuit as a case involving "official action" and a case involving solely a private "business venture." The different descriptions go to the core of CREW's lawsuit, which is that given the President's business affairs, we don't know when he's acting as President or as a businessman.
The amicus brief filed by Seth Barrett Tillman and Josh Blackman has some serious problems with how it represents its historical sources.
Zachary Clopton offers a new spin on questions of standing and justiciability at the heart of recent emoluments litigation.
Simon Stern explains why DOJ's interpretation of "emolument" doesn't make sense as a matter of text or purpose.
Last week, Brianne Gorod strongly refuted the claim that Alexander Hamilton thought presidents are free to accept foreign emoluments. Her post sparked a bout of criticism on Twitter. But that criticism is weak even on its own limited terms—and should not obscure Brianne's vital contribution to a debate of surpassing national importance.
James Comey’s firing threatens more than just the rule-of-law norm against self-investigation. It also threatens the rule-of-law norm against politically motivated policing and prosecutions.
John Mikhail demonstrates that "DOJ’s historical definition of 'emolument' is inaccurate, unrepresentative, and misleading."
Why Does DHS Need a Corporate Headhunter?
The LA Times has reported on a $300M deal between the Department of Homeland Security and Accenture. This is a major development.
The recent DC/Maryland emoluments case reflects a truth known to the Framers: jurisdictions geographically closer to the national capital would have a different relationship with federal power.
Matthew Stephenson (Harvard Law School) analyzes CREW's emoluments clause lawsuit against President Trump, discussing the recent addition of two plaintiffs and the likely course ahead.
A trip to the National Archives turned up some fascinating evidence about Alexander Hamilton and foreign emoluments.
Even if Trump fired Comey because Trump knows himself to be innocent of Russia-related wrongdoing, that would still be unacceptable.
George Washington’s effort to keep some of his land dealings quiet at least suggests he understood they were politically, legally, and maybe constitutionally problematic.
Many states are considering bills requiring future federal presidential candidates to release tax returns, or comparable information, in order to be listed on the ballot. Such requirements are good policy and should be upheld under the Constitution.
Take Care presents an organized guide to our coverage of the Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses.
Critics of the standing arguments in CREW v. Trump are defining the new plaintiffs’ injury in the wrong way.
CREW has amended its complaint in the widely-watched emoluments case. The addition of two new plaintiffs should make the lawsuit bulletproof on standing grounds.
Trump's widely-touted plan to comply with the Foreign Emoluments Clause has always been inadequate and riddled with tough questions. Now we have answers to some of those questions—and they confirm that Trump's hotel-related violations will persist unabated.
Versus Trump: "What About Congress? + Steven Wu"
On a new episode of Versus Trump, Take Care's podcast, Easha, Jason, and Charlie discuss Congress's role and powers in investigations of the Executive. Then, Jason talks with Steven Wu, a Deputy Solicitor General in the Office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, about the case against Trump University, the active role of states in recent years, and other issues in which New York is adverse to the President. Listen now!
Trump has needlessly created many reasons to look skeptically on DOJ's justified, important lawsuit to prevent AT&T and Times Warner from merging.
Eric Segall explains why the emoluments suit by 196 Members of Congress must be decided on the merits.
On this week’s episode of Versus Trump, Charlie and Jason discuss a recently-passed bill awaiting the signature of California Governor Jerry Brown that, if signed into law, would require presidential candidates to disclose five years of federal of tax returns in order to appear on the ballot in California. Jason and Charlie ask each other whether California has the constitutional power to do that, and, if so, whether it's a good idea. Listen now!
The various ways that standing skeptics have distinguished cases supporting standing in CREW are unpersuasive.
The recent opinion allowing the plaintiffs' emoluments claims to go forward comports with recent suggestions about separating this President from the office of the Presidency.
Yesterday's Other Story: Republican Knowledge of Russian Interference?
Yesterday, a Washington Post story indicated that Republican House leadership may have known that Russia had hacked the DNC and was delivering the contents of the hack to the Trump campaign.
Updated on a case against the President for his violations of the Constitution's Emoluments Clauses.
If the President cannot be trusted to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,” then that obligation falls on “We the People."
Will Trump’s Lawyers Rewrite and Invert the Emoluments Clause?
NYT has leaked one of DOJ's theories in the emoluments clause case: that this is a "political question." Any such argument, however, would be exceptionally weak as a matter of text, precedent, and purpose, and would completely invert the basic operation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause.
The constitutional arguments supporting state standing in this landmark Emoluments Clause case are exceptionally powerful.
Here’s a brief note on two things that struck me on a quick read of the government’s motion to dismiss in CREW v. Trump, filed yesterday. The first is about Mississippi v. Johnson, which the government cites as limiting the power of courts to grant injunctions against the President. The second is about the government’s more general claim that the only proper relief for an emoluments violation is political rather than judicial.
Versus Trump Live: Fairweather Federalism?
On this week's special live episode of Versus Trump, Easha, Charlie, and Jason share the stage at the ACS National Convention in Washington, DC with Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh and Stanford Law's Pamela Karlan. They discussed several important cases brought by states against the Trump Administration as well as the broader federalism issues presented by Democratic Attorneys General being involved in so many lawsuits against the federal government. Listen now!
This week, Leah Litman continued her series of posts on "standing" in the CREW emoluments lawsuit. Further conflicts of interests drew attention as the Trump Administration announced its tax plan.
President Trump is ushering in a kleptocracy, that's why he's being sued. So argues Joshua Matz in Take Care as the cases against President Trump's violations of the foreign and domestic emoluments clauses mount.
CREW added another plaintiff to its Emoluments Clause lawsuit, potentially strengthening the case for standing.
Allegations of impropriety under the Emoluments Clause continue to swirl around President Trump, particularly in response to recent announcements of new America-themed Trump hotels.
The CREW Emoluments Clause lawsuit added a New York hotel owner, and law professors argue that Blackstone interpreted "emolument" broadly.
The DOJ could argue that the Foreign Emoluments Clause does not apply to elected officials such as the president. Arguments in CREW v. Trump, a challenge to President Trump's receipt of emoluments, began in the Southern District of New York.
President Trump has pledged to donate his first quarter salary to the National Park Service. States are considering regulating access to ballots based on financial disclosure.
President Trump and his administration continue to run into potential conflicts of interest.
Trump's decision to end DACA spurs a flurry of legal challenges; his election fraud commission gets into more trouble; and the Supreme Court stays the Ninth Circuit's latest trvel ban ruling.
The President’s allies are seeing lucrative benefits for their support. Meanwhile, the Secret Service has already exhausted the agency’s budget for protecting the President’s extensive circle of family and aides.
As Ivanka Trump expands her role in the White House, Senators call to ensure she complies with all ethics laws. President Trump's nominee to lead the FDA has reported receiving millions of dollars from large drug makers in recent years.
The President orders an end to DACA and has Attorney General Jeff Sessions announce the change; Trump Jr.'s June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer undergoes more scrutiny; Trump's 16 nominations to the federal judiciary spur challenges and concern.
The plaintiffs in the Emoluments cases must clear several hurdles to get an adjudication on the merits.
Controversy continued over senior administration officials' use of private aircraft at taxpayers' expense. Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch's speech at the Trump International Hotel sparked backlash.
While Judge Neil Gorsuch did not reveal his views on President Trump and the Emoluments Clause this week, we saw analysis both of President Trump's domestic emoluments and of former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and the Foreign Emoluments Clause.
President Trump's business ties raise questions about his domestic and foreign policies.
Conflicts of interest occupied the spotlight this week as watchdog groups raised concerns about Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Former Trump campaign staffers are using their positions to attract foreign lobbying contracts.
The House passes its version of a tax bill that would dramatically alter the tax code as President Trump faces trouble over the diversity of his federal judicial nominees and the fitness of his appointees to office, some of whom have alleged conflicts of interest.
Legal commentary continued over whether the Foreign Emoluments Clause applies to the President. The DOJ offered a new, narrower definition of an "emolument."
Jared Kushner's sister's comments at an event in China offering visas in return for investments raised eyebrows this week. A member of Congress has requested information regarding Kellyanne Conway's business relationships.
The Administration's hiring of Lynne Patton, a former wedding planner for the Trump family, raises conflict of interest concerns.
The Government Accountability Office opened an investigation into conflicts of interests during President Trump's transition.
The Government Services Agency sided with Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. on allegations that it was in violation of its lease. Meanwhile, President Trump's nominees and advisors face conflicts criticism of their own.
Commentary continued on the application of the Foreign Emoluments Clause to the President.
Commentary continues on President Trump's possible violations of the Domestic and Foreign Emoluments Clauses.
Jared Kushner has current business ties with Goldman Sachs, George Soros, and Peter Thiel.
Reports revealed that a political donation to the New York District Attorney may have thwarted a 2012 felony fraud indictment against Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. Controversy continued to rage over administration officials' use of private and military aircraft.
Historians corrected an amicus brief in the SDNY Emoluments Clause case and issued an apology for the error.
People across the country have protested demanding to see President Trump's tax returns. The CREW's emoluments suit has progressed with the addition of two new plaintiffs who have made the case stronger.
The Trump Administration had a strained relationship with Walter Shaub, former head of the Office of Government Ethics. This is unsurprising given the President's and other administration officials' investments.
D.C. and Maryland are uniquely positioned in their suit against the President for his violations of the Emoluments Clause.
President Trump pledged to donate his first quarter salary to the National Park Service. Questions have arisen over whether states can regulate access to ballots based on financial disclosure.
The former director of the Office of Government Ethics called for significant ethics reforms. Bank regulators are reviewing loans President Trump received from Deutsche Bank.
President Trump’s brand is in decline following his sharply criticized remarks on violence in Charlottesville. Senator Blumenthal’s emoluments suit may suffer from too broad a reading of prohibited emoluments.
Jared Kushner's company used a federal loan program intended to subsidize low-income housing to build a luxury residential building, and the Administration released its ethics waivers online.
President Trump will likely violate the Domestic Emoluments Clause, if he hasn't already. And a construction a lawyer in West Palm Beach, Florida has filed another emoluments clause suit against the president.
The Office of Government Ethics plans to investigate the waivers granted to lobbyists and industry officials to enable them to work at the Trump White House.
As the GOP attempts tax reform, the Mueller investigation keeps heating up, as does Trump's rhetoric on North Korea.
President Trump's personal and family business connections continue to raise the specter of unconstitutional corruption.
While some argue that the President may accept gifts without running afoul of the Foreign Emoluments Clause, critics view this reading as inaccurate and ahistorical. Dismissing the Emoluments Clause litigation for lack of standing would deviate from separation-of-powers principles.
President Trump stands to gain from the tax bill, despite claims to the contrary. The Administration's handling of the CFPB draws criticism.
The Trump Organization may have rescinded the President's "no new deals" pledge.
Commentary continued on the President's alleged violations of the Domestic Emoluments Clause.
The Director of the Office of Government Ethics resigned this week. The Trump Organization renewed domain names for prospective Russian business ventures.
President Trump's financial disclosure forms have garnered a lot of criticism. Jared Kushner's role in the White House and his relationship with Chinese officials has also been the subject of scrutiny.
More than half of Senate-confirmed appointees in the Trump Administration have a notable conflict of interest. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross's filings raise new questions about conflicts of interest.
Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Jared Kushner. The latest episode of Versus Trump podcast discusses President Trump's violations of the Ethics In Government Act.
Simon Stern, on Take Care, argues that the Administration's interpretation of "emolument" conflicts with the Founders' vision.
Considerable controversy ensued over a $300 million contract to repair Puerto Rico's power grid awarded to a tiny for-profit company based in Interior Secretary Zinke's small Montana hometown.

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