Separating the Trump Brand from Trump Politics (Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien)

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to leave his businesses in total, but ethics attorneys to former presidents say there are still problems if he leaves it all to his children. As the head of a business empire that spans at least 20 countries, Trump could be in violation of several conflict of interest rules, if he cannot separate the businessman from the president. It all has to do with the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which states the president cannot accept gifts or payments from foreign entities. Larry Noble, a lawyer serving both Republican and Democratic presidents, walks through the emoluments clause and other potential areas of conflict for the future president, including enforcement of those laws.

This piece was originally published on December 3, 2016 by Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien. Watch it here. 

Lawrence M. Noble is General Counsel of the Campaign Legal Center. Prior to joining the Campaign Legal Center, he served as President and CEO of Americans for Campaign Reform (ACR), practiced political law at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, was Executive Director and General Counsel of the Center for Responsive Politics and served as the General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission for 13 years. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School, where he teaches Campaign Finance Law, and consults on campaign finance, ethics and lobbying issues.