Yesterday, the Maryland and District of Columbia Attorneys General jointly filed a lawsuit against President Trump, citing a violation of the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution.
First, to clear the air about emolument, the legal definition is: "the profit arising from office, employment or labor."
The clause referred to in our Constitution is toward the end of Article I. Section 9.: “No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”
Our Founding Fathers added this clause as they wanted to ensure that anyone holding a high office serving the people of these United States could not be bribed in order to grant favors to other nations or peoples. As Alexander Hamilton stated, "One of the weak sides of republics, among their numerous advantages, is that they afford too easy an inlet to foreign corruption."
There is quite a bit of absurdity regarding the charges filed by the two Democratic party Attorneys General against our president. The suit alleges that President Trump is "accepting foreign payments while in office."
A major hole in their legal standing is that the president is not the hotel where the payments are actually made to stay at the luxury hotel. Despite that distinction, regardless of the price of a room at Trump International Hotel in Washington DC, where it is alleged that foreign dignitaries now prefer to stay when visiting our nation's capitol, it is a drop in the bucket to his net worth (I.E., he could not possibly be bribed for a $1000 per night room stay, especially after all expenses are deducted).
Where were they when? If these two supposed stalwarts of the U.S. Constitution are so riled up about President Trump and some small amount of hotel income, where were they when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had millions flowing into hers and Bill's foundation, or into Bill's personal account (through half-million dollar pay-for-play speaking engagements)?
As people learn through the upcoming educational and highly entertaining movie, In Search of Liberty, the U.S. Constitution was created by the Framers to be the Law of the Land and that it is up to "We the People" to ensure that our elected representatives adhere to it. As such that means that all citizens are to be held accountable.
It is strongly suggested that, if the DC and MD Attorneys General decide to continue their lawsuit against #45, that they file suit against Bill and Hillary Clinton. If they do not also go after the Clintons then this lawsuit can be seen for what it is, another politically motivated attack against the sitting president.
Know your rights! Protect your rights!
by Scott D. Welch, Patriot
Direct descendant of 8 Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War
Cousin of Patrick Henry
The entertaining and informative In Search of Liberty movie is a great refresher (if it's been a while) or educational tool (for those who know very little) about our U.S. Constitution, and is a movie that All Americans should watch.
