John -
We need an investigation.
Yesterday, we filed a request for investigation with the State Department’s Office of Inspector General, asking them to investigate possible corruption in connection with President Trump’s announcement that next year’s G-7 Summit would likely be held at his Doral golf resort.
Not only is this arrangement unethical, it is likely illegal. It could violate federal contracting laws, and payments to the resort would violate the U.S. Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause, which prohibits the president from receiving payments other than salary from federal or state governments. It could also lead to violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause because foreign government officials in attendance would almost certainly spend at the resort as part of the summit.
Read CREW’s complaint here, and then share on Facebook, Twitter, or by forwarding this email.
It would normally be unimaginable for a president to use a critical international summit to prop up his struggling business at the expense of American taxpayers, but with this president, we’re constantly hitting a new low. It appears there is no principle or ethical norm President Trump will not violate in the interest of turning a profit.
The president’s announcement that he prefers to host the G-7 at his own property clearly puts pressure on the employees who are making final contracting decisions. The State Department Inspector General should investigate because it is not normal and not okay for the president to lean on the government to support his businesses.
Here at CREW, we’re never going to stop calling out corruption when we see it. President Trump’s failure to divest from his business interests has led to countless conflicts of interest. We’ve been tracking them and working to hold him accountable at every step. This latest example is even more brazen than we’ve seen before, which is why it is so important that we work to put a stop to Trump’s ridiculous and corrupt profiteering.
Thank you for your support,
Noah Bookbinder
Executive Director, CREW
