Former chief ethics lawyers to President Obama and Bush made it very on ABC's THIS WEEK earlier today, saying as it stands now, Donald Trump will be in "violation of the Constitution" because of the Emoluments Clause when he takes the oath of office on Friday.
ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked if Trump has done enough by putting his sons in charge of his company, refusing new foreign business and donating hotel profits to the treasury.
Former George W. Bush chief ethics lawyer Richard Painter replied, "Some of the conflict of interest laws do apply to the president, particularly The Emoluments Clause to 'The Constitution,' which prohibits any type of benefit from a foreign government.
He continued, "And merely taking the profits from the hotels and putting those aside is not enough. They need to look at bank loans. They need to look at foreign banks leasing space in the Trump Tower."
The ABC host asked do you believe he is going to be in violation of "The Constitution" when he takes that oath on Friday?
Painter replied, "I believe yes, if he doesn't make sure that all the foreign government payments -- and this includes banks and other corporations owned by foreign governments and sovereign wealth funds, that all of that money is not out of the Trump organization by Friday, when he takes the oath, he will be in violation of "The Constitution."
The ABC host then turned to Norm Eisen, Obama's main ethics lawyer and said, "I see you nodding your head in agreement."
He was angry that Rep. Chaffetz threatened to investigate the OGE's Walter Shaub instead and said, "What about the golf courses? What about the huge foreign bank loans? What about the condos and the apartments that they sell, the promoting and the trademarks?"
He continued, "Mr. Chaffetz should be investigating the president-elect's impeding violation of the constitution, not this poor government official who is just trying to do his job. And Mr. Chaffetz has endorsed that unconstitutional plan."
Trump is willfully spitting the face of the American people, the Constitution and hundreds of years of precedence when the forefathers understood that foreign interests could try to undermine our best interests.
Many people believe it has already happened.
