Emoluments Clause
Emoluments Clause
President Trump is defying warnings from Republican and Democratic ethics experts and refusing to do what every previous president has done for decades — divest himself of his ownership interests, liquidate his business assets, and place them in a truly blind trust operated by an independent entity. As a result, Chairman Cummings conducted oversight to protect against violations of the Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the President from obtaining any benefit of any kind from foreign governments or affiliated entities "without the consent of Congress."
Potential Emoluments Clause violations could include foreign government officials who buy up entire floors of hotel rooms, pay higher rents at Trump Tower, lower interest rates on loans, speed up permits for development projects, or take all kinds of other inappropriate actions to ingratiate themselves with the new Administration.
More on Emoluments Clause
Republicans Block 13 More Subpoena Motions—
Including for White House Security Clearance Docs
Total of 32 Subpoenas Have Now Been Rejected by
Oversight Committee Since Trump Became President
MUST SEE:
New "Sunshine Week" Video on the
Trump Administration's Unprecedented
Cloud of Secrecy
Cummings Launches "Sunshine Week" With
Broad Review of Trump Administration Secrecy
Sends First Set of Letters This Week—
To Trump Organization and Trump Foundation
GOP Blocks 13 More Subpoena Motions
For a Total of 19 Subpoenas Rejected
By Oversight Committee
Democrats Seek Votes on 13 Subpoena Motions
at Tuesday's Oversight Committee Markup
Oversight Dems Insist That Gowdy Finally Start Investigating President's Compliance with Emoluments Clause of U.S. Constitution
Request for Subpoena Comes on One-Year Anniversary of
President Trump's Press Conference
Cummings Raises Grave Concerns About President's Refusal to Comply with Emoluments Clause of Constitution
Releases New Document from Trump Organization
Oversight Committee Requests Documents on Trump Organization's Treatment of Foreign Government Payments
Republicans Vote Against Amendment Prohibiting Bills That Directly Benefit President Trump and His Businesses
Washington D.C. (Jan. 13, 2016)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, issued the following statement after Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz publicly attacked the head of the Office of Government Ethics rather than investigating President-Elect Donald Trump's refusal to divest: