Tag

#Mar-a-Lago

5 incidents

Updated July 15, 2024 Rule of Law
Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern Ongoing

Mar-a-Lago Classified Documents: Indicted on 37 Federal Counts for Obstruction and Mishandling

The indictment alleged that Trump had shown classified documents to people without security clearances, directed his staff to move boxes to avoid document review, and directed his attorney to falsely certify that all subpoenaed materials had been returned — when they had not. Trump's valet Walt Nauta was indicted as a co-conspirator. The case was assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee; she dismissed the case in July 2024 on the grounds that the Special Counsel's appointment was unconstitutional. The Justice Department appealed.

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classified-documentsMar-a-Lagoindictmentpost-presidencyobstruction
Updated September 1, 2018 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Major Abuse of Power

Veterans Affairs: Mar-a-Lago Members Shaped Policy, VA Secretary Firing

The ProPublica investigation documented a 'shadow VA' in which the three Mar-a-Lago members — who paid $200,000 entry fees — exchanged hundreds of calls and emails with VA officials, reviewed candidates for top positions, influenced multimillion-dollar contract decisions including a $10 billion electronic health records contract, and shaped the VA's strategic direction without any official appointment. VA Secretary Shulkin had cooperated with the arrangements. He was fired amid internal feuding; Trump nominated his personal physician Ronny Jackson as replacement; Jackson withdrew after Senate investigators documented allegations of drunk driving, overprescribing, and creating a 'toxic work environment.'

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4
veteransVAMar-a-Lagocorruptionfirst-term
Updated January 20, 2021 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Major Abuse of Power

Emoluments: Foreign and Domestic Payments to Trump Properties Throughout Presidency

Trump retained ownership of his business empire throughout his presidency, rejecting the divestment that every modern president had undertaken. The Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C. — in the old Post Office Pavilion leased from the General Services Administration — was particularly notable: foreign governments and diplomatic delegations booked the hotel, and the GSA was both the landlord and a federal agency under presidential authority. Three lawsuits were filed against Trump under the Emoluments Clauses; all were ultimately dismissed without reaching the merits after Trump left office. Congressional oversight requests for information about foreign payments were resisted throughout.

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4
emolumentscorruptionTrump-hotelforeign-governmentsfirst-term
Updated January 20, 2021 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Major Abuse of Power

Emoluments Violations: Profiting from Foreign and Domestic Governments While President

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.

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5
emolumentscorruptionconflicts-of-interestfirst-termConstitution
Updated January 20, 2021 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Presidential Conflicts of Interest: Trump Refused to Divest from Business Empire

Prior presidents had either sold their business assets or placed them in blind trusts managed by independent trustees. Trump placed his holdings in a revocable trust managed by his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, with Trump retaining the ability to revoke the trust at any time and receiving financial reports about the businesses. The Office of Government Ethics stated the arrangement was insufficient to prevent conflicts. The Trump International Hotel in Washington, housed in a federally-owned building under a lease Trump's own government administered, became a center of lobbying activity, with foreign governments and domestic interest groups booking events and rooms to seek favorable treatment. Saudi Arabia spent more than $270,000 at the hotel in a single year.

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4
conflicts-of-interestemolumentsfirst-termcorruptionTrump-International-Hotel