LAWSUITS/TRUMP BUSINESS: “The Constitution prohibits the president from accepting payments from foreign and domestic governments. President Trump owns hotels and other properties that are frequented by foreign and domestic government officials. These facts, claim plaintiffs in two lawsuits that have cleared several hurdles, add up to repeated and multiple violations of the Constitution by the president. Didn’t Trump say he was distancing himself from his business? Yes, days before his inauguration, Mr. Trump resigned his role and turned over management of the Trump Organization to his two eldest sons and a longtime company executive through a trust. Past presidents have used a blind trust, in which an independent trustee reported to them on the value of the trust but not what was in it. But Mr. Trump’s trust is controlled by his family and a close associate and he receives updates about his business. He remains its sole beneficiary.”
–Karen Yourish and Larry Buchanan, “Trump Still Makes Money From His Properties. Is This Constitutional?,” The New York Times online, December 17, 2018