{"slug":"trump-emoluments-violations","title":"Emoluments Violations: Profiting from Foreign and Domestic Governments While President","date":"2017-01-20","lastUpdated":"2021-01-20","description":"The U.S. Constitution prohibits the president from accepting payments from foreign or domestic governments without congressional consent. Trump refused to divest from his businesses upon taking office, creating continuous constitutional violations as foreign governments, federal agencies, and state governments directed payments to Trump-owned properties in hopes of influencing policy.","summary":"Unlike every president in modern history, Trump refused to divest from his businesses, instead placing them in a trust managed by his sons. Foreign governments and domestic government agencies spent millions at Trump properties during his presidency. Courts dismissed emoluments cases on procedural grounds rather than merits; a House investigation documented over $750,000 in government spending at Trump properties through 2020.","category":"corruption","severity":"major","ongoing":false,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/11/us/politics/trump-organization-conflicts.html","title":"Trump's Businesses and the Presidency: A Guide to the Conflicts","publisher":"The New York Times"},{"url":"https://oversight.house.gov/sites/democrats.oversight.house.gov/files/documents/2020-12-01.EOP%20Emoluments%20Report.pdf","title":"White House and Federal Agencies Spent at Least $750,000 at Trump Properties","publisher":"House Committee on Oversight and Reform"},{"url":"https://www.propublica.org/article/foreign-governments-have-paid-trump-org-more-than-7-5-million-since-2016-report-says","title":"Foreign Governments Have Paid Trump Org More Than $7.5 Million Since 2016","publisher":"ProPublica"},{"url":"https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/17/trump-wanted-host-g7-summit-his-private-florida-resort-here-are-reasons-that-raised-red-flags/","title":"Trump wanted to host the G7 at his private Florida resort. Here are the reasons that raised red flags.","publisher":"The Washington Post"},{"url":"https://citizensforresponsibility.org/reports/emoluments-tracker/","title":"Presidential Emoluments Tracker","publisher":"Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)"}],"draft":false,"status":"published","tags":["emoluments","corruption","conflicts-of-interest","first-term","Constitution","self-dealing","Mar-a-Lago"],"relatedEntries":[],"timeline":[{"date":"2017-01-11","title":"Trump announces he will not divest","summary":"At a press conference, Trump announces he will not sell his businesses but will transfer management to his sons, arguing this is sufficient to avoid conflicts of interest. Every major ethics law expert disagrees; former White House ethics attorneys from both parties call the arrangement inadequate."},{"date":"2017-01-20","title":"Emoluments violations begin at inauguration","summary":"On Trump's first day in office, the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC — leased from the federal government — begins hosting foreign diplomats and officials, creating a direct financial benefit to Trump from foreign governments."},{"date":"2017-06-12","title":"CREW files emoluments lawsuit","summary":"Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington files the first of several emoluments lawsuits. Similar suits follow from Democratic AGs and members of Congress."},{"date":"2017-09-01","title":"Saudi Arabia books Trump DC hotel","summary":"Saudi lobbyists book multiple floors of the Trump International Hotel in Washington for weeks, with the hotel later reporting a significant revenue increase from Saudi business during periods of active U.S.-Saudi policy discussions."},{"date":"2019-10-17","title":"Trump announces — then backtracks — G7 at Doral","summary":"Trump's acting chief of staff announces the 2020 G7 summit will be held at Trump's Doral golf resort, which had been losing money. After bipartisan outrage and ethics complaints, Trump reverses course, calling himself 'very honorable' for abandoning the plan he had floated."},{"date":"2020-12-01","title":"House report: $750,000+ in federal spending at Trump properties","summary":"The House Oversight Committee releases a report documenting over $750,000 in federal agency spending at Trump properties, including Secret Service and military stays at Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower, and Bedminster — directly enriching Trump's businesses at public expense."},{"date":"2021-01-20","title":"Emoluments cases dismissed as moot after Trump leaves office","summary":"Multiple emoluments lawsuits are dismissed as moot after Trump leaves office, without any court reaching the merits of the constitutional question. The constitutional violations are never adjudicated."}],"location":{"name":"Washington, DC / Mar-a-Lago / Trump Tower","lat":38.9072,"lng":-77.0369},"custom":{"era":"first-term","posture":"reported","warCrimeClassification":"enabling","internationalLaw":[{"statute":"International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights","article":"Article 25","provision":"Right to vote and have access to public service on equal terms — corruption undermining democratic governance violates this right"},{"statute":"UN Convention Against Corruption","article":"Article 18","provision":"Trading in influence — using official position to obtain undue advantages"}],"iccRelevance":false,"perpetrators":"President Donald Trump (refused to divest; directed government business to his properties); Trump Organization","structuredPerpetrators":[{"name":"Donald Trump","role":"President of the United States","institution":"White House / Trump Organization"}],"updateLog":[{"date":"2021-01-20","summary":"Updated with dismissal of emoluments cases as moot."},{"date":"2020-12-01","summary":"Updated with House Oversight Committee report."}]}}