November 31, 2016
WASHINGTON – Member Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Finance Committee, Senator Ben Cardin has called on President elect, Donald J Trump to severe relationship with his private business before he is sworn in to avoid violation of the Constitution of the United States.
Ben Cardin who gave the advice in a resolution on the floor of the Senate, called on Trump to follow precedence by his predecessors by converting his assets to simple conflict-free holdings, and adopt a blinds trust managed by an independent trustee or take equivalent measure to ensure compliance with the United States Constitution.
He was supported by 22 other senators in the resolution.
According to him in the absence of such actions by the President-elect on assumption of office or without specific authorisation by Congress, the Congress will regard dealings by Trump owned companies with entity owned by any foreign governmental actor as potential violation of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.
According to him, Article 1, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S Constitution provides that no person holding any office of Profit or Trust under the U.S shall without the consent of the Congress, accept for any present emoluments, office or title of any kind, whatever from any King, Prince or foreign state’, he said.
He added that the American public has a right to know that the President of the United States is acting in their best interest and not because he or she has received some benefits or gift from a foreign government like Russia or China or any other foreign government entity.
“They need to know that President of the United States is making decisions about potential trade agreement, sending troops into war, and where we spend America’s great resources based on what is in the public interest and not because it would have advanced the President’s private interest. This resolution is intended to send a clear message to the President-elect that there is ample time to take appropriate action and avoid any potential conflict with the constitution”, Cardin said.
“Let us remember John Adam’s important word ‘we are a government of laws, not of men”, Cardin said.
Joined in the resolution are Senators, Patrick Leahy, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Barbara A. Mikulski, Barbara Boxer, Ron Wyden, Jack Reed, Tom Carper, Debbie Stabenow, Sheldon Whitehouse, Tom Udall, Jeff Merkley, Michael Bennet, Al Franken, Chris Coons, Tammy Baldwin, Chris Murphy, Mazie Hirono, Martin Heinrich, Elizabeth Warren, ED Markey and Cory Booker.
