Electoral College could prevent constitutional crisis due to Trump conflicts of interest

[mnhtnbb]

by appointing Hillary.

Constitutional lawyers and White House ethics counsellors from Democratic and Republican administrations have warned Donald Trump his presidency might be blocked by the electoral college if he does not give up ownership of at least some of his business empire.

Number of international business interests claimed by Donald Trump’s real estate, management and branding empire


https://interactive.guim.co.uk/charts/embed/nov/2016-11-26T15:45:25/embed.html

“Trump was totally wrong when he said the conflict of interest doesn’t apply to me,” said Norman Eisen, a former ethics counsellor to the Obama administration. “It shows he doesn’t know the constitution.

“The most fundamental conflict clause in the US constitution is the prohibition on emoluments on payments, presents or other things of value being given to American political officials including the president.”

Eisen, now a fellow at the Brookings Institution, added: “Because of [Trump’s] international investments he gets these payments, presents and things of value and he’ll be in violation of the constitution by the moment he takes the oath of office.”

Harvard constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe said in an email that the “electors who are to cast their votes for president on 19 December not as automatons but in light of constitutional constraints and principles cannot in good conscience vote for Donald Trump as president of the United States unless he fully divests himself of economic interests dependent on the fortunes, for good or ill, of the private Trump empire”.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/27/donald-trump-conflicts-interest-constitutional-crisis



The pressure is building on the Electoral College to appoint Hillary--not only due to her lead in the popular vote--but also because of the conflicts of interest which Trump seems totally unwilling to address that will become the basis for nothing but scandal and lawsuits from the moment Trump takes office.

The entire Guardian article is definitely worth the read. Do click on the link for the embed chart (I couldn't figure out a way to copy the chart) which identifies all the countries where Trump has interests. We're not talking about one or two countries, but 18 countries on the list!

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1. The House and Senate get final say... it would kill the electoral college though