Do you care if presidents are corrupt, take gifts, bribes or benefits for official acts? Think it’s no concern of yours? I’d like to convince you that presidential corruption can hit you very hard.
Needing to grease palms makes things more expensive or out of reach. If law enforcement is for sale, you’re competing against higher bidders, criminals and criminal gangs. Undermining dedication to the rule of law invites gangs of thieves.
For a law school exercise I was once assigned to defend a famous Mafia “bag man” who delivered bribes to public officials to protect his fellow Mafioso. Justice Arthur J. Goldberg presided.
Bribes to public officials undercut what government should do for you, and can undercut national security.
So what about Trump? Let’s start with the foreign stuff. Trump has business connections to foreign governments he’s supposed to protect us from. His refusal to put his assets in a blind trust means he’s open to corrupt foreign and domestic influence.
In 2020, Trump signed an executive order regarding the “national emergency” posed by TikTok, a Chinese-owned video-sharing platform. Once Trump amassed 15 million TikTok followers, he discovered “a warm spot” for the platform.
Foreigners can’t legally contribute to Mr. Trump’s campaign but can buy stock in his companies that push up its value.
Trump family enterprises raised nearly $4.5 billion from sovereign wealth funds of oil-rich Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Should that influence Middle-Eastern policy, our vulnerability to foreign terrorism, or what we do with the oil we produce here?
Sales of Trump merchandise and hotel space give foreigners and others another path to enrich and influence him.
The Trumps own millions in cryptocurrency and promotion contracts for a new crypto company. His appointees will design applicable regulations.
Special interests could buy shares in Trump Media & Technology Group to influence him. His media ownership enables him to shut off criticism like foreign dictators do. President Johnson relinquished control of media interests while serving as president.
Now let’s turn toward real bread and butter issues for most of us.
Businesses and billionaires want Trump to give them relief from regulations that save you money. Many regulations make businesses compete so they can’t charge monopoly prices. Those regs save you money.
Many regulations protect you from expensive injuries and illnesses. Some businesses dislike health regulations that save you money.
Other regulations protect workers – your customers, students, kids, friends, yourselves. I don’t want businesses to “save” me money by sickening people I need or care about. Their misbehavior won’t save me a penny and could cost a lot.
Three lawsuits were brought against Donald Trump during his first term in office for violating the emoluments clauses which were designed to prevent presidents from accepting gifts, payoffs or entanglements which could give the president reason to put American interests up for sale. Mr. Trump systematically avoided compliance. Based on technicalities, the Court refused to decide whether Trump was in violation.
Presidents like Johnson, Carter, and Reagan have been disentangling themselves from conflicts of interest. But Trump has left himself open to bribery and influence, both foreign and domestic.
Trump campaigned as savior to American workers, but his ties are to large interests that have little concern about protecting them. Trump’s MAGA supporters will suffer immeasurably.
Our country’s Founders expected presidents to promote the general welfare because the emoluments clauses barred them from other income. Corruption and financial ties by contrast undermine the loyalty of presidents’ to the general welfare of the United States. Trump?
Steve Gottlieb’s latest book is Unfit for Democracy: The Roberts Court and The Breakdown of American Politics. He is the Jay and Ruth Caplan Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Albany Law School, served on the New York Civil Liberties Union board, on the New York Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, and as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.