They never leave a penny on the sidewalk
by digby
They could avoid the appearance of conflict. But that would mean not having taxpayers put money in their pockets. So they won't:
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, flew to Canada for one of his regular visits to the Yukon mountains to hunt stone sheep with friends. He was accompanied by Secret Service agents on that August 2017 trip, just as he had been since his father was sworn in as president six months earlier.
The Secret Service frequented several Vancouver hotels: Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel, Pinnacle Hotel Vancouver Harbourfront and Lakeview Inn and Suites. But it spent the most money at the president’s hotel, the Trump International Hotel and Tower Vancouver, according to documents obtained by POLITICO.
The Secret Service is required to protect the president’s children, but the tendency of Trump and his family to funnel funds to their own properties has complicated what had been a routine practice. Critics say the Trumps are using the presidency to boost the president's businesses by forcing the federal government to spend taxpayer money at Trump properties.
Congress hasn’t launched a formal investigation into federal spending at Trump properties, but some House Democrats are eyeing it as a future area for congressional examination.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the House Oversight Committee, said lawmakers have focused on the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which forbids President Donald Trump from accepting gifts from foreign officials, even those who patronize his hotels. But Raskin said another clause in the Constitution is being flouted — one that bars Trump from receiving any money from the federal government aside from his annual salary. The president still profits from his properties despite leaving day-to-day management to his children.
"The presidency should not be a money-making operation," Raskin said. "The president is directing his subordinates in the executive branch of government ... to stay at Trump properties."
Meanwhile:
Donald Trump Jr., visiting Indonesia’s capital on Tuesday to promote two Trump-branded resorts, defended his father, President Trump, and their family’s company against allegations that their global business presented conflicts of interest for the president.
The president’s son, an executive vice president of the Trump Organization, said that the company had walked away from deals that could have made tens of millions of dollars so as not to create the appearance of any improprieties.
“We made a very conscious decision of the family not to do that right now,” he told reporters. “We have turned down a lot of deals.”
He also defended his father against any suggestions that the family’s international business interests could affect his foreign policy.
“He wouldn’t make decisions on a country based on a real estate deal,” Mr. Trump said. “I would like to shut down that nonsense right here.”
Well ok then. Since the Trumps are honest as the day is long there's no reason to be suspicious.
Mr. Trump was in Jakarta for a private event with wealthy prospective buyers to promote the sale of residential units at two planned luxury resorts in Indonesia that have yet to be built.
He and his billionaire business partner, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, chairman of the MNC Group, held a news conference to extol the virtues of the two Trump-branded resorts, one in Bali and the other at Lido, south of Jakarta. The resorts will include hotels, golf courses and residential units.
After Mr. Trump was elected president in 2016, he said in a Twitter post that he would embark on “no new deals.” But the Trump Organization said it was keeping the Indonesia projects because Mr. Trump had signed binding contracts with Mr. Hary in 2015.
Mr. Trump initially reported receiving between $2 million and $10 million for the projects. The agreement does not call for the Trump Organization to put up any money.
Sure, that's perfectly fine. I'm surprised he found the time to do this business what with all his political work for his father's re-election --- which he had promised he would not do.
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