Trump might find himself in an illegal position from this combination where being inaugurated might be illegal which also could result in his impeachment from breaking various laws regarding conflict of interest and receiving gifts from other countries. The complexity of his foundations and businesses might be his undoing that he didn't deal with all this before.
Most presidential candidates prepare for this sort of thing. That Trump is caught like this with his "Pants down" means likely he never expected to be elected president. However, this also might be his undoing. The result from this might be President Pence with Trump impeached for illegal activities stemming from not dealing with all this sooner. However, anything is possible I guess.
AG: Trump can't shut foundation yet
Trump says he'll dissolve foundation
Story highlights
- The foundation has been the subject of much criticism
- The foundation is under investigation by the New York State Attorney General's office
West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN)President-elect
Donald Trump said Saturday he will dissolve the Trump Foundation, the
charitable foundation in his name, as part of efforts to untangle
himself of conflicts of interest in the weeks before he is sworn into
office.
Trump said in a
statement he was dismantling the foundation "to avoid even the
appearance of any conflict with my role as President." He has also said
recently that he will announce steps next month to separate himself from
his business, the Trump Organization, to avoid conflicts of interest as
president of the United States, even though he has repeatedly suggested
such steps are unnecessary.
Trump's
decision suggests the President-elect is prepared to take some steps to
avoid potential conflicts of interest, but offers little indication
into whether he will employ a similar approach to the
multi-billion-dollar company he has spent decades building.
Trump
on Saturday touted the money the foundation has donated over the years
to veterans, law enforcement and children's groups and said that he
intends to pursue his "strong interest in philanthropy in other ways,"
though he had not donated to the foundation since 2008, according to the
foundation's tax records.
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump speaks to members of the media at Trump Tower in New York on December 6.
Hide Caption
11 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump visits the Carrier air-conditioning company in Indianapolis on Thursday, December 1. Carrier announced
that it had reached a deal with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike
Pence, who is currently governor of Indiana, to keep about 1,000 of
1,400 jobs at its Indianapolis plant rather than move them to Mexico.
The Carrier plant had been a theme of Trump's campaign promise to
prevent more jobs from being outsourced to other countries.
Hide Caption
12 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump, left, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney share a meal in New York on Tuesday, November 29. Romney was reportedly in the running for secretary of state.
Hide Caption
13 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump
waves to a crowd at The New York Times building after meeting with some
of the newspaper's reporters, editors and columnists on Tuesday,
November 22. Six takeaways from the meeting
Hide Caption
14 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump is flanked by Pence, left, and Romney after a meeting in Bedminster Township, New Jersey, on Saturday, November 19.
Hide Caption
15 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
"60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl interviews Trump and his family at his New York home on Friday, November 11. It was Trump's first television interview since the election.
Hide Caption
16 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
House Speaker Paul Ryan shows Trump and his wife, Melania, the Speaker's Balcony at the US Capitol on Thursday, November 10.
Hide Caption
17 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Ryan listens as Trump speaks to the press at the US Capitol on November 10. Trump talked about his eagerness to join forces with Ryan to begin implementing new policies.
Hide Caption
18 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump walks with his wife and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after a meeting at the US Capitol on November 10.
Hide Caption
19 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump shakes hands with President Barack Obama following a meeting in the Oval Office
on November 10. Obama told his successor that he wanted him to succeed
and would do everything he could to ensure a smooth transition.
Hide Caption
20 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump
delivers his acceptance speech during his election night event at the
New York Hilton Midtown hotel on Wednesday, November 9.
Hide Caption
21 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
President-elect Donald Trump, right, meets with technology executives
in New York on Wednesday, December 14. From left are Jeff Bezos, chief
executive officer of Amazon; Larry Page, chief executive officer of
Google's parent company Alphabet; Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating
officer of Facebook; and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. The three main
areas discussed were jobs, immigration and China, according to a source
briefed on the meeting.
Hide Caption
1 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Three of Trump's children -- from left, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric -- attend the meeting with tech leaders on December 14.
Hide Caption
2 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump,
Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan wave during an event in West Allis,
Wisconsin, on Tuesday, December 13. "He's like a fine wine," Trump said
of Ryan at the rally,
which was part of his "thank you" tour to states that helped him win
the election. "Every day that goes by, I get to appreciate his genius
more and more."
Hide Caption
3 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump and rapper Kanye West speak to the press after meeting at Trump Tower
in New York on December 13. Trump called West a "good man" and told
journalists that they have been "friends for a long time." West later
tweeted that he met with Trump to discuss "multicultural issues."
Hide Caption
4 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump selected
former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, right, to be his nominee for energy
secretary, which would make Perry the head of an agency he once
suggested he would eliminate. Trump and his transition team are in the process of filling high-level positions for the new administration.
Hide Caption
5 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump has tapped ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as secretary of state,
the transition team announced December 13. Tillerson, seen here at a
conference in 2015, has no formal foreign-policy experience, but he has
built close relationships with many world leaders by closing massive
deals across Eurasia and the Middle East on behalf of the world's
largest energy company.
Hide Caption
6 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump waves during the Army-Navy football game, which was played in Baltimore on Saturday, December 10.
Hide Caption
7 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Betsy DeVos, Trump's pick for education secretary, speaks during an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, December 9.
Hide Caption
8 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump shakes hands with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad at an event in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, December 8. Trump re-introduced Branstad as his pick for US ambassador to China.
Hide Caption
9 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump greets retired Marine Gen. James Mattis at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Tuesday, December 6. Trump said he will nominate Mattis as his defense secretary.
Hide Caption
10 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump speaks to members of the media at Trump Tower in New York on December 6.
Hide Caption
11 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump visits the Carrier air-conditioning company in Indianapolis on Thursday, December 1. Carrier announced
that it had reached a deal with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike
Pence, who is currently governor of Indiana, to keep about 1,000 of
1,400 jobs at its Indianapolis plant rather than move them to Mexico.
The Carrier plant had been a theme of Trump's campaign promise to
prevent more jobs from being outsourced to other countries.
Hide Caption
12 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump, left, and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney share a meal in New York on Tuesday, November 29. Romney was reportedly in the running for secretary of state.
Hide Caption
13 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump
waves to a crowd at The New York Times building after meeting with some
of the newspaper's reporters, editors and columnists on Tuesday,
November 22. Six takeaways from the meeting
Hide Caption
14 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump is flanked by Pence, left, and Romney after a meeting in Bedminster Township, New Jersey, on Saturday, November 19.
Hide Caption
15 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
"60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl interviews Trump and his family at his New York home on Friday, November 11. It was Trump's first television interview since the election.
Hide Caption
16 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
House Speaker Paul Ryan shows Trump and his wife, Melania, the Speaker's Balcony at the US Capitol on Thursday, November 10.
Hide Caption
17 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Ryan listens as Trump speaks to the press at the US Capitol on November 10. Trump talked about his eagerness to join forces with Ryan to begin implementing new policies.
Hide Caption
18 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump walks with his wife and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after a meeting at the US Capitol on November 10.
Hide Caption
19 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump shakes hands with President Barack Obama following a meeting in the Oval Office
on November 10. Obama told his successor that he wanted him to succeed
and would do everything he could to ensure a smooth transition.
Hide Caption
20 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump
delivers his acceptance speech during his election night event at the
New York Hilton Midtown hotel on Wednesday, November 9.
Hide Caption
21 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
President-elect Donald Trump, right, meets with technology executives
in New York on Wednesday, December 14. From left are Jeff Bezos, chief
executive officer of Amazon; Larry Page, chief executive officer of
Google's parent company Alphabet; Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating
officer of Facebook; and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. The three main
areas discussed were jobs, immigration and China, according to a source
briefed on the meeting.
Hide Caption
1 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Three of Trump's children -- from left, Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric -- attend the meeting with tech leaders on December 14.
Hide Caption
2 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump,
Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan wave during an event in West Allis,
Wisconsin, on Tuesday, December 13. "He's like a fine wine," Trump said
of Ryan at the rally,
which was part of his "thank you" tour to states that helped him win
the election. "Every day that goes by, I get to appreciate his genius
more and more."
Hide Caption
3 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump and rapper Kanye West speak to the press after meeting at Trump Tower
in New York on December 13. Trump called West a "good man" and told
journalists that they have been "friends for a long time." West later
tweeted that he met with Trump to discuss "multicultural issues."
Hide Caption
4 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump selected
former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, right, to be his nominee for energy
secretary, which would make Perry the head of an agency he once
suggested he would eliminate. Trump and his transition team are in the process of filling high-level positions for the new administration.
Hide Caption
5 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump has tapped ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as secretary of state,
the transition team announced December 13. Tillerson, seen here at a
conference in 2015, has no formal foreign-policy experience, but he has
built close relationships with many world leaders by closing massive
deals across Eurasia and the Middle East on behalf of the world's
largest energy company.
Hide Caption
6 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump waves during the Army-Navy football game, which was played in Baltimore on Saturday, December 10.
Hide Caption
7 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Betsy DeVos, Trump's pick for education secretary, speaks during an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Friday, December 9.
Hide Caption
8 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump shakes hands with Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad at an event in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, December 8. Trump re-introduced Branstad as his pick for US ambassador to China.
Hide Caption
9 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump greets retired Marine Gen. James Mattis at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Tuesday, December 6. Trump said he will nominate Mattis as his defense secretary.
Hide Caption
10 of 21
Photos: In transition: President-elect Trump
Trump speaks to members of the media at Trump Tower in New York on December 6.
Hide Caption
11 of 21
The
Trump transition said Trump directed his counsel to take the necessary
steps to dissolve the foundation, which has no employees or active
fundraising operation. The foundation also was forced to stop
fundraising in New York State after New York Attorney General Eric
Schneiderman issued a cease-and-desist order in October citing the
foundation's failure to properly register with the state.
And
an ongoing investigation launched by Schneiderman over allegations
Trump used the charity to settle private legal disputes in which he was
involved may prevent Trump from shuttering the foundation.
"The
Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot
legally dissolve until that investigation is complete," Amy Spitalnick,
the attorney general's press secretary, said in an email. She also
confirmed the foundation's fundraising activities "remain suspended."
Saturday's
announcement also comes days after Trump's son, Eric, announced he
would suspend all operations of his foundation, The Eric Trump
Foundation, to prevent wealthy donors from seeking access to Trump once
he is sworn into office by donating to his son's foundation.
Foundation subject of criticism
Trump Foundation admits violations 01:45
Shuttering
the Trump Foundation also could allow the President-elect to steer
clear of further legal troubles tied to the foundation.
The
foundation has been the subject of much criticism, and has admitted to
violating IRS rules by improperly giving money to someone close to the
organization, according to a recent federal income tax filing.
The Trump Foundation reported assets of $1.12 million in its 2015 tax returns.
Although
Trump touted the philanthropic efforts of his foundation, he has
largely filled the charity's coffers with other people's money, according to a CNN review
of the Trump Foundation's tax records in September. It is unclear if
Trump has donated money to charitable causes outside of the foundation
as he has refused to release his tax returns, which would shed light on
his charitable contributions.
Alan
Garten, the Trump Organization's general counsel, said earlier Saturday
that attorneys and executives at the president-elect's company are
"continuing to reevaluate various transactions that we're involved in"
and said that "measures are being taken to sort of comply with all the
conflict laws."
"It's being actively worked on, that's for sure," he said.
"Trump's
announcement today is a wilted fig leaf to cover up his remaining
conflicts of interest and his pitiful record of charitable giving," said
Eric Walker, deputy communications director of the Democratic National
Committee.
"There is something
richly symbolic about Donald Trump choosing Christmas Eve to shutter the
one part of his financial empire that could in theory have a positive
impact on people's lives, if it were being used in the right way,"
Walker added. "He still has not taken any concrete steps to divest from
his business, which currently allows him to profit off of the presidency
while leaving him susceptible to foreign influence."
Trump
has resisted calls to liquidate his company's assets and place them in a
blind trust, and announced instead that he planned to hand over control
of his company to his two adult sons, Eric and Donald Jr., and other
top executives. Still, both Eric and Donald Jr. continue to serve on
Trump's transition team.
Instead,
he said "no new deals will be done during my term(s) in office" and has
suggested he is already turning down potentially lucrative deals to
avoid conflicts of interest.
Still,
his company's multi-billion-dollar international footprint will likely
continue to raise questions about Trump's motives as he is sworn in and
begins to direct US foreign policy.
No comments:
Post a Comment