Bush ethics lawyer: Electors shouldn’t vote for Trump with current conflicts
Richard Painter says given current conditions, Trump should not be elected.
Click here for reuse options!CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Richard Painter, Bush’s chief White House ethics lawyer from 2005 to 2007, about the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C, whose building, the Old Post Office Pavilion, is leased from the federal government. That lease explicitly states elected officials may play no role in or benefit from the arrangement…
Painter on Friday said that, should Trump fail to address the legal hurdles presented by the Emoluments Clause, the Electoral College should take that into consideration when meeting to vote.
Tapper then pressed him to clarify whether electors should refuse to vote for Trump.
“Only the Constitutional issues I think rise to that level. And that is the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, the money that’s coming in from foreign governments. That’s prohibited,” he said, comparing violation of the clause to electing a non-citizen president. “You can’t have someone who’s receiving payments from foreign governments become president of the United States. And so that part of it does have to be addressed very quickly. It needs to be addressed before the Electoral College meets.”
Copyright 2016 Liberaland
6 responses to Bush ethics lawyer: Electors shouldn’t vote for Trump with current conflicts
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StoneyCurtisll December 2nd, 2016 at 19:06
Oh that pesky old constitution will not stand in the way of Trumpf…
There are rallies to be held and money to be made..
And besides, who is going to enforce the constitution?.
Certainly not the republican held congress.
mea_mark December 2nd, 2016 at 20:43
The fourth branch of government will, the people on the streets. The government only works when the fourth branch cooperates, without them the whole house of cards collapses.
robert December 2nd, 2016 at 19:29
Where were his thoughts during the debate’s, Are we talking about 2 Donald j Trump’s ?
mea_mark December 2nd, 2016 at 20:41
If this is not resolved and the electoral college elects the orange one president, then we should sue all the electors that voted for him in civil court for damages and ask the Attorney general to charge and prosecute them for treason. If those electors are willing to go against the constitution and ruin Americans lives, then their lives should also be ruined. At the very least, they should choose ‘none of the above’. Let the House decide, if they elect him, then we can hold them and their party accountable. If they don’t like the position they are in, then they can institute election reform. ASAP.
dewired4u December 2nd, 2016 at 21:13
Are E C members told of their purpose when they are appointed?
mea_mark December 2nd, 2016 at 21:43
Haha … probably, but in a deceptive way. There are unchallenged state laws on the books that say they have to vote a certain way. The constitution indicates most of these laws, enacted by political parties to remain in control, are probably not legal. The electors are probably being told their job is to follow the law, that is probably unconstitutional, but still there because it has never been challenged in court.
#HamiltonElectors