The Trump Organization said Sunday that it had donated the company’s 2018 profits from its business with foreign governments to the U.S. Treasury, the second year in a row that President Trump’s company has made such a move in an attempt to avoid running afoul of an anti-corruption provision of the Constitution.
The donation was for $191,538, up from last year’s donation of $151,470, according to a check dated Feb. 20 and made out to the Treasury, a copy of which the company provided. The check was signed by the president’s eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who are running the company while their father is in office.
“This voluntary donation fulfills our pledge to donate profits from foreign government patronage at our hotels and similar businesses during our father’s term in office,” Eric Trump said in a statement.
Although the Trump Organization and its legal and ethics advisers argue that the company is not legally required to make such a donation, the company has said the move should fend off any questions about whether Trump is violating the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, which bars the president from accepting gifts or payments from foreign governments.
However, the Trump Organization’s annual donation has not stopped legal challenges arguing that Trump is violating the foreign emoluments clause. The president and his company are contending with two lawsuits on that issue moving through the federal courts.
Arguments in one case, brought by the Democratic attorneys general of the District and Maryland, are scheduled to resume March 19 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond.
Huh. Now why would they do that if Trump is "donating" all his profits to the government?
Critics note that the Trump Organization does not explain how it calculates its foreign profits, identify its foreign customers or say how much those customers spent at the company’s properties.
Oh come on now. The President and his company are known for their integrity and commitment to the truth. Surely, we can take their word for it that the president isn't influenced by any foreign countries lining his pockets? And they would never lie about such a thing.
This is the guy who said:
This seems like yet another thing for the Congress to investigate if you ask me. The inauguration investigation shows that they were padding their invoices. I have little doubt that what they call their "costs" is wildly inflated. And that includes all the spending at the golf courses and other properties where Trump makes his personal appearances nearly every weekend.
