FILE PHOTO: U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler speaks at a news conference held by Democrats on the state of voting rights in America the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S., June 25, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis
House Judiciary Democrats have announced that they are investigating as part of their impeachment probe Trump’s plan to host the G7 at his Doral golf club.
House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:
The President’s personal financial interests are clearly shaping decisions about official U.S. government activities, and this is precisely the type of risk that the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses were intended to prevent. This week’s revelation about efforts to select the Trump National Doral Miami as the site of the 46th G7 summit is only the latest in a troubling pattern of corruption and self-dealing by the President.
Hosting the G7 Summit at Doral implicates both the Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses, because it would entail both foreign and U.S. government spending to benefit the President, the latter potentially including both federal and state expenditures. More importantly, the Doral decision reflects perhaps the first publicly known instance in which foreign governments would be required to pay President Trump’s private businesses in order to conduct business with the United States.
The Constitution demands that President Trump’s private interests and official conduct remain separate, and this latest announcement demands scrutiny by Congress. The House Judiciary Committee is examining allegations of obstruction of justice, public corruption, and other abuses of power by the President as part of its impeachment investigation. Potential violations of the Foreign and Domestic Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution are of significant interest and grave concern to the Committee as it considers whether to recommend articles of impeachment. The Committee will broaden its ongoing investigation to include these latest revelations and will take further investigative steps, including scheduling hearings and requesting additional documents from the White House.
If Trump follows through on hosting the G7 at his golf club, it could become part of the articles of impeachment against this president. By holding the G7 at his golf club, Trump would be forcing the US and foreign governments to spend money at his private business. The G7 could and should be held at Camp David. The facility has hosted major diplomatic events before and could easily do so again. Camp David would cost taxpayers nothing, and be more convenient for foreign government than traveling to Trump’s out of the way golf course.
An investigation is a good start, but the House must pass legislation blocking the use of any federal funds for a G7 hosted at a Trump property.
Trump’s cash grab off of the G7 may end up getting him impeached.
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