Hosting G-7 Summit at Trump Doral is Corruption Pure and Simple

Date
Issues
Ethics

WASHINGTON – The White House announced Thursday that they intend to hold the G-7 summit at the Trump Doral golf resort, a property which President Trump owns and is currently operated by the Trump Organization.

Campaign Legal Center (CLC) President Trevor Potter released the following statement:

“Trump’s decision to hold the G-7 conference at his own resort raises serious questions about the use of public office for personal profit. This has been the concern from the start of the Trump Administration – that the president would use his public service to promote his personal brand, and line his and his family’s pockets because he failed to divest ownership of his businesses.

For the past 40 years, every president has placed his personal investments and assets in a blind trust while in the White House, or has sold everything and held cash equivalents. We are now seeing the natural and very serious consequences of his decision to maintain ownership of his various business enterprises. The G-7 decision fits a pattern of this White House being unable to distinguish between operating the functions of government – like foreign policy – from President Trump’s personal interests. This massive contract, which President Trump awarded to his businesses, means that both U.S. taxpayer money and foreign government funds will flow into the Trump family bank accounts.

Foreign leaders already routinely decide to spend money at Trump properties, seemingly as a way to curry favor with the president, but this is the first time Trump will effectively force foreign leaders to do so. President Trump is currently involved in lawsuits alleging violations of the constitutional ban on receiving emoluments from foreign governments. His decision to host the G-7 at his resort adds to the specter of those violations.”

During the presidential transition, Potter authored an op-ed in The Washington Post, warning about the consequences of a failure to divest: ‘How President Trump could use the White House to enrich himself and his family.’