The Inspector General’s report reveals that Trump’s DC hotel is unconstitutional, but the GSA ignored the Constitution and did not force Trump to divest himself of the hotel.
Read the full report:
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.politicususa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/JE19-002-OIG-EVALUATION-REPORT-GSAs-Management-Administration-of-OPO-Building-Lease_January-16-2019_Redacted.pdf” title=”JE19-002 OIG EVALUATION REPORT-GSA's Management & Administration of OPO Building Lease_January 16 2019_Redacted”]
The key finding:
We found that GSA recognized that the President’s business interest in the OPO lease raised issues under the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses that might cause a breach of the lease; however, GSA decided not to address those issues in connection with the management of the lease. We also found that the decision to exclude the emoluments issues from GSA’s consideration of the lease was improper because GSA, like all government agencies, has an obligation to uphold and enforce the Constitution; and because the lease, itself, requires that consideration.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
In addition, we found that GSA’s unwillingness to address the constitutional issues affected its analysis of Section 37.19 of the lease that led to GSA’s conclusion that Tenant’s business structure satisfied the terms and conditions of the lease. As a result, GSA foreclosed an early resolution of these issues, including a possible solution satisfactory to all parties; and the uncertainty over the remains unresolved.
The GSA came up with the flawed conclusion that Trump could keep his lease because they just decided to ignore the constitutional issues. Trump got to keep a hotel which in violation of the Constitution because the GSA did not want to make the incoming president give up his license to corrupt the presidency by openly engaging in graft and taking money from foreign governments.
The Emoluments lawsuit has not been going well for Trump. He is probably going to lose in court, but until he does, the president is violating the Emoluments Clause and jeopardizing national security, because the GSA ignored the Constitution.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
