Trump properties profit from public service
WASHINGTON — For political campaigns, special interest groups and even foreign governments, the path to influence with the Trump administration — and to profits for Trump and his family — often goes through Trumpowned private properties.
Since Trump launched his presidential campaign, Trump properties have brought in more than $5 million from political PACs, congressional campaigns and other political groups, according to a report by the Center for Responsive Politics. While the brunt of the intake was during Trump’s campaign, since the president has taken office more than $1 million has continued to roll in to Trump hotels, restaurants, golf courses and other Trump businesses.
Trump’s own campaign committee and supporting PACs are the biggest patrons, but the Republican National Committee as well as the campaigns of Republican House and Senate candidates and lawmakers — even outspoken GOP Trump critic U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee — have helped boost the Trump family businesses’ bottom lines.
And because we’ve never in history had a situation in which a president stood to gain financially in such a direct way from the office he holds, there are few rules in place to stop it.
“Trump has refused to do as his predecessors have done: sever ties to the companies or financial interests that may pose, or present the appearance of, a conflict of interest,” the report stated. “By keeping his assets in a family-managed trust, which he can revoke at any time, Trump and his family are in the unique position to profit directly from his public service.”
Trump’s profiting isn’t limited to American actors. Last week Trump withstood a legal challenge by an ethics group and others claiming that foreign officials’ patronage of Trump hotels and other businesses in order to curry favor with the president violates the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.
A federal judge in New York tossed the lawsuit, citing among his reasons that the case presents a “political question” that “should be resolved between Congress and the President,” not by the courts. Given the slim likelihood Trump or Republican lawmakers — many of whom have spent their own campaigns’ cash at Trump properties — will do anything to address the problem, the welcome mat will remain rolled out for foreign actors to line the president’s pockets, too.