That is why President Obama did not violate the Emoluments Clauses regardless of why any government customers purchased his books and indirectly paid him royalties.
I did not know that whataboutism is a legal precept.
I’ll just leave this here …
An amazingly weak argument from the DOJ. My guess is Trump political appointees (idiot hacks) wrote it. Career DOJ lawyers are smart enough to avoid cases that support bribery of a president.
Using “Whataboutism” is a clue the DOJ lawyers have no real argument.
the precise definition of “emolument” as rooted in its 18th century usage has become a quirky focal point of the case.
Are you fucking kidding me? It’s not the fucking 18th century anymore. People don’t do this with the 2nd amendment. The SCOTUS doesn’t restrict weapons ownership to muskets and flintlocks for the purpose of tracking down fugitive slaves. Maybe they should dig up some of the founders and examine their desiccated entrails for clues. It seems like going back to the 18th century is optional according to one’s point of view. This is fucking 21st century grift pure and simple. The constitution should be a living evolving guidance for governance. Why are we we being held hostage by the 18th fucking century?
I suppose if a foreign government purchased en masse tens of thousands of Obama’s books for the express purpose of currying favor, and not individual government employees voluntarily purchasing books for their own reading, or perhaps a government would purchase copies for their foreign affairs officials to better understand the US President, then the argument would be something other than embarrassingly dumb.
And the GRIFT GOES ON!
Either that, or the career DOJ lawyers that were furloughed for 35 days thanks to the trump shutdown decided to provide the trump administration with exactly the quality of response the administration desired.
If I may, I’d like to caption this picture as Dem Pres. waving at departed Trumps “Ya’ll don’t come back here, ya hear”.
“Come for the emoluments, stay for the nuclear power plants “
Trump Hotel brochure
Does it say that he can take money from foreign countries if its not for bribing? Last time i heard it was regardless of what its for, you just can’t do it.
I love that photo!
Three former Presidents, and a future one.
Hey, crack lawyers, watch me draw a line between these two things:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-president-trumps-hotel-in-new-york-revenue-went-up-this-spring--thanks-to-a-visit-from-big-spending-saudis/2018/08/03/58755392-9112-11e8-bcd5-9d911c784c38_story.html
Impossible? Actually it was quite easy.
Psssst
Wanna buy some Steaks?
How about some wine?
Exactly, when someone purchases a book the publisher doesn’t know who purchased each and every copy, unless that foreign government went directly to the publisher. The only comparison I could think of with hotel rooms is if a foreign country paid for rooms but their foreign affair officials never stayed there.
And here is your Friday musical accompaniment to your comment.
Because that’s when labor, women, darkies and jews knew their place.
I thought the DOJ worked for the American people, not as Trump’s private lawyers. The Department of Justice becomes the Department of Just Us.
You work with the cards you are dealt… If there’s not a strong case to make, but the bosses insist on making a case, you do what you can to please them, within the rules.