TRUMP BUSINESS: “Federal officials who leased the Old Post Office Building to President Donald Trump were aware of constitutional provisions that could breach the lease, but ‘decided not to address those issues,’ according to a government watchdog report Wednesday [1-16-19]. The lease for the Trump International Hotel a few blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House remains contentious both because foreigners stay at the hotel, which enriches the president, and because Trump oversees the agency that holds his lease. A 47-page report released Wednesday by Inspector General Carol Ochoa found ‘serious shortcomings’ at the General Services Administration, which manages federal property, for not asking the Office of Legal Counsel to study constitutional issues related to the lease. GSA selected Trump to convert the 1890s building into a 260-room hotel in February 2012. The lease calls for at least $3 million in rent per year. The Trump International Hotel officially opened Oct. 26, 2016 – days before he was elected president. The crux of the problem outlined by the inspector general for GSA is a set of provisions in the Constitution called emoluments clauses, which basically prohibit the president from profiting from foreigners or from getting additional compensation during his term in office.”
–Bart Jansen, “Watchdog: Federal property managers ignored whether Trump hotel lease violated Constitution,” USA Today, January 16, 2019 5:49 pm