President Donald Trump is showing a “flagrant disregard of the Constitution” in the most “brazen of ways,” according to three former ethics attorneys in a New York Times guest essay.
Norman Eisen, Virginia Canter, and Richard W. Painter, served as ethics counsels in the Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama White Houses.
They aren’t just talking about the $400 million from Qatar. The three believe “his crypto entanglements are just as bad — perhaps even worse.”
First, they addressed the plane: “This arrangement has been blessed by his White House counsel, David Warrington, and his attorney general, Pam Bondi, on the theory that Mr. Trump is not getting the plane, the United States is.”
Claiming “Mr. Trump would be personally benefiting from the use of the plane while in office,” the ethics experts say, “this is a gift to him, notwithstanding the rationalizations offered by administration lawyers.”
Perhaps more concerning is “Trump’s other crypto ventures, like his Trump meme coin.” They said this move can “provide a virtually limitless opportunity for foreign governments to pump emoluments to Mr. Trump.”
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The venture makes it easy for any foreign government “to put cash in World Liberty Financial.” The cryptocurrency was founded by Trump 2024 and managed by Trump’s sons, Don Jr. and Eric.”
“This also runs afoul of the foreign emoluments clause,” the writers said. Later adding, “and it captures why we have these rules in the first place. The conflict of interest is clear. How can we trust someone who is in charge of regulating crypto if he could benefit from lax regulation?”
This isn’t their only crypto concern. “Stunts like giving the top buyers of his $Trump meme coin personal access to him at a private dinner” are also a reason for pause.
Lastly, the writers believe Trump has “put White House entry up for sale, with the very largest purchasers offered a tour.”
They do admit he's not the first president to give donors access to the White House. “Donor sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom during the Clinton administration come to mind,” they said.
“The American people should make their disgust known,” they concluded, “There is no room for this kind of flagrant disregard of the Constitution in the skies above or in digital wallets down below.”