Trump can now tap money from his business, raising ethics concerns

Trump can now tap money from his business, raising ethics concerns

President Donald Trump can withdraw money from his businesses without immediately disclosing it, raising new concerns about the separation between Mr. Trump and his numerous holdings.

The investigative website ProPublica on Monday revealed a change to the trust document intended to keep a barrier between the president and the family-owned Trump Organization: Mr. Trump can now withdraw money from the trust for just about any purpose. When Mr. Trump announced the trust’s formation in January, his lawyer said that there was a “wall that we are building” between him and his company.

But the revised version of the trust agreement, signed Feb. 10, allows its two trustees -- the president’s oldest son Donald Jr. and the firm’s chief financial officer, Allen Weissenberg -- to deliver income or principal from the company to the president at his request.

Mr. Trump does not have to divulge any such transactions at once.

Translation: Trump can now request that his son and his CFO deliver income (or principal) from his properties directly to him. So each of his (almost) weekly golfing trips to Mar-A-Lago -- funded by us, the taxpayers - goes directly into his pocket.

Apparently the Executive Order that he signed to cut government costs doesn't apply to him. As is noted many places, what we taxpayers are shelling out for him and his family could fund a number of the government programs he's cut. In fact, we could do better if he'd just stayed at home and left those cuts alone.

...but that would mean he couldn't go to Mar-A-Lago and couldn't go golfing.

a reply to: Byrd

Good he can use that money to pay for his wife and those unnecessary trips to Florida. Seriously though what would he need the money for? Paying for votes maybe?

a reply to: Byrd

A man can use his own money he makes off his own companies? That is not very fair in my opinion. He needs to go on welfare

a reply to: Byrd

You you prefer he tapped money from the public purse instead?

a reply to: Byrd

You mean, he can use his money from his businesses that he built? That he receives the profits from anyways? Oh the humanity!! Next you're going to want to use your money from your accounts to.

That would not be any different than getting royalties from a book, money out of the Stock Market, or income payments out of a business you own. I am sure that other presidents did that, look at Bush, look at Obama. Obama got royalties out of a book they wrote.

What is wrong with that, how would Trump pay for things if he did not have income, they must want him to start taking the government paycheck. He said he did not need that, now some people want him to be completely broke?

I think the Dems are going hulu, if this kind of crap is all that they have they might as well say nothing at all.

of all the trump complaints, this is the flimsiest.


Im not a fan of his vacations given his harsh critique of presidents leaving the white house....but had he not mentioned it i'd have cared much less.

a reply to: Byrd

Ethics concerns. So now all we elect for President are paupers and family elitists?

So we have the Clintons worth somewhere between 200 and 250 million and never held jobs. Obama is worth around 55 million on a four hundred thousand per year salary?

Now we have a Billionaire who needs no money and there are ethics concerns. I want off this rock.

Wow. The complains are getting ridicilous. I'm done with taking this bs seriously. I just laugh and shrug it off now. He is using his own money omg the horror. It's pretty telling how people are still clinging to the idea that he must be evil. Well i expect a lot of apologies when the truth comes out.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Hey Byrd, running out of ideas for a hit piece?

This is just plain silly.

Silly is as silly does.

P

a reply to: Byrd

I can't believe we've reached such a collective pause in critical thought that people don't understand why this is a problem. Trump can literally run the nation according to the best interests of his businesses.

originally posted by: Kali74
a reply to: Byrd

I can't believe we've reached such a collective pause in critical thought that people don't understand why this is a problem. Trump can literally run the nation according to the best interests of his businesses.

OR he is free to not be influenced as virtually every other President has been influenced.

a reply to: Byrd

Smart business is as smart business does.

a reply to: Kali74

Hes already set for life. Doesnt really need to run the nation to benefit his businesses. He could prob live on ivankas income and be set for life. You might be right. This whole running for president may be for the sole purpose of getting super dooper uber rich, but i dont really see it. My spidey-senses dont light up when i hear that statement. My b.s. meter starts flashing though

Irony Alert

Obama had "Business Income" on his tax returns while he was President !

Look it up.

a reply to: Kali74

No he can't.

originally posted by: nwtrucker
a reply to: Byrd

Ethics concerns. So now all we elect for President are paupers and family elitists?

Yea. Cant trust a guy thats not used his office for gain......or couldn't really do much else.

I would only go to the White House when I wanted my enemies to hear my words and activities. I cannot be convinced that it is swept clean, because we have a deep state
problem. I would be surprised if it is safe to sleep there because there are now technological means available to harm one in one's bed. I didn't want to point this out in your last thread about Trump's avoiding the White House, Byrd, because I thought it best to not mention it.
However, as you persist in your proletariat war cry, it seems to be a good time to bring up the obvious.

If I were Trump I would probably keep moving, and keep close tabs on my closest, trusted friends. This is more important than you can know about, because your head is in the pitchfork gutter, as evidenced by this thread.

I don't suppose you would care to address how the Clinton's became worth hundreds of millions, on a $400,000 per year salary? Or how Obama managed to sock away 55 millions on 400K per year? This would be a good time to start a thread on it, in fairness. Better late than never.

# 740

a reply to: Kali74

He CAN.

But slippery slope thinking is a fallacy. The fact is, he HASN'T. If he does, i fully support legislation that can keep the oval office at least appearing ethical. But what is happening is here people are using his money against him. His success, being used against him. And for the life of me i can't figure out why. Should a successful business person be pre-empted from the office just because they will be asked to tank their lifes work or not take office?

I get it completely. But its not a scenario really deserving the chicken little treatment. At least, not until he actually DOES something. While i'd never tell anyone what to focus on, it does seem logical to focus on the reality and leave the theory for more boring times.

How can you guys not see the issue here???

His business dealings are supposed to be in a blind trust remember??? His sons are supposed to be in charge of the Trump business now and Trump isn't supposed to be in charge of it at all.

It's a conflict of interest for The President to be handling his private business affairs while he's serving as President. He's not working for himself anymore remember??? He's working for the American People now.

FFS. Use you GD heads for once. This is yet one more lie on top of how many f*cking lies now???

When President Donald Trump placed his businesses in a trust upon entering the White House, he put his sons in charge and claimed to distance himself from his sprawling empire. “I hope at the end of eight years I’ll come back and say, ‘Oh you did a good job,’” Trump said at a Jan. 11 press conference. Trump’s lawyer explained that the president “was completely isolating himself from his business interests.”

LIES, LIES, LIES!!!!!