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[johnsmith]

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/amp/trump-failing-track-foreign-cash-his-hotels-n764061

Just before taking office, President Donald Trump promised to donate all profits earned from foreign governments back to the U.S. Treasury.

But MSNBC has learned the Trump Organization is not tracking all possible payments it receives from foreign governments, according to new admissions by Trump representatives. By failing to track foreign payments it receives, the company will be hard-pressed to meet Trump's pledge to donate foreign profits and could even increase its legal exposure.

The Trump Organization does not "attempt to identify individual travelers who have not specifically identified themselves as being a representative of a foreign government entity," according to a new company pamphlet. The policy suggests that it is up to foreign governments, not Trump hotels, to determine whether they self-report their business.

That policy matches what several sources told MSNBC — Trump Organization employees are not soliciting information about whether reservations or business is from a foreign government.

The U.S. Constitution bars foreign gifts to the president. In January, Trump pledged to track and donate all profits at his companies from foreign government travel and commerce.

Sheri Dillon, an attorney for the Trump organization, said during a January news conference the president-elect had directed that hotel profits from foreign governments would be donated to the U.S. Treasury because "he wants to do more than what the Constitution requires."

"President-elect Trump has decided, and we are announcing today, that he is going to voluntarily donate all profits from foreign government payments to his hotels to the United States Treasury," she said.

An open federal case in New York alleges the Trump Organization is in violation of that Emoluments Clause in the Constitution that bars foreign gifts to the president.

The company pamphlet also states that the Trump Organization does not plan to calculate foreign government profits, but rather to estimate them. "To attempt to individually track and distinctly attribute certain business-related costs as specifically identifiable to a particular customer group is not practical," the pamphlet states.

Trump continues to wipe his ass with the constitution.

 

[CHC]

How convenient!

So refreshing to have a president that dispatches with all that needless and cumbersome bureaucracy. He's a real businessman - getting things done!

 

[ChemicalCutthroat]

Yeah, such horse shit.

You could take three people, have them go over any transactions done at Drumpf businesses, and line those up to the times when foreign governments are staying at said places. I'm pretty sure they get a fucking tab labeled with who/what they are.

Naturally, that means plenty of people looking to influence President Orange just have to stay at his businesses while 'not on official business' and just funnel him money that way.

What a goddamn joke.

 

[Ocara]

Sounds like "Actually figuring out all that meddlesome accounting would be too much work, so we're just going to guess!" How they manage to get away with that legally is beyond me. Seems its going to bite their ass now that forgoing the tracking ofthat information will directly butt heads with the constitution, but i have little faith those in power are even beholden to the law anymore.

 

[sturgboski]

But Hillary secretly sold uranium to Russia and killed Ben.

 

[Lord Fagan]

More and more each day I'm thinking the dude wants to be impeached and removed from office.

Probably the only escape hatch left, because only loozuhs resign.

 

[smokeandmirrors]

*insert trump tweet accusing the Clinton foundation doing the same thing here*

 

[Afrikan]

Donald must be loving this. The Ultimate con man.

He is doing this right in front of everyone's faces.

Hope he has gone too far (legally) with his cocky ass, and all this shit locks him up. But I just have this small feeling that he has an out somewhere.

It's like we've all seen this movie/episode before... he finds a way. He's been getting away with shit for so long. Surreal to think justice could eventually finally happen. :/

 

[MetroidPrimeRib]

Well that's good. We all know this administration follows a very strict bushido code. The ultimate in honor.

 

[Greigor The Fellhand]

If they aren't tracking foreign profits, how are they paying taxes?

 

[boiled goose]

Clear violation of emoluments clause. Lock him the fuck up.

 

[Steejee]

I'm expecting them to report that they're just so popular with Americans that gosh darn it foreign corporations/governments just aren't able to do business with them anymore and they have no foreign profits to report.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

If they aren't tracking foreign profits, how are they paying taxes?

Presumably they are tracking general revenue and profits, they just aren't specifically earmarking revenue and profits that were earned from foreign governments.

 

[rjinaz]

Donald must be loving this. The Ultimate con man.

He is doing this right in front of everyone's faces.

Hope he has gone too far (legally) with his cocky ass, and all this shit locks him up. But I just have this small feeling that he has an out somewhere.

It's like we've all seen this movie/episode before... he finds a way. He's been getting away with shit for so long. Surreal to think justice could eventually finally happen. :/

Yep he really played the American public for the fools that they are (Trump voters). You just got to tap into the hate, and it's like all logic goes out the window. Say what you want about Trump but he knows how to play the con game. Though let's be honest, most of his supporters admire that about him and don't give two shits. Burn it all down they'll say.

 

[NullPointer]

Trump is the death of honor systems.

 

[cameron]

The company pamphlet also states that the Trump Organization does not plan to calculate foreign government profits, but rather to estimate them. "To attempt to individually track and distinctly attribute certain business-related costs as specifically identifiable to a particular customer group is not practical," the pamphlet states.

"You can't possibly expect us to keep track of anything!"

This is the Trump administration's weaselly excuse for everything, from conversations with foreign nationals, to White House visitors, to ethics waiver disclosures, to info about Flynn payments, and to this shit.

 

[SwiftDeath]

The Trump Organization does not "attempt to identify individual travelers who have not specifically identified themselves as being a representative of a foreign government entity,"

Flynn does probably travel a lot, this checks out

 

[yanipheonu]

Reminds me of Spoony's Terl from Battlefield Earth bit on Nostalgia Critic.

"We figured humans operate by the honor system."
"But you don't even work by the honor system."
"I know! And that's why we always win!"

 

[Apdiddy]

Gotta remember that "we don't know, we'll just guess" is how Trump does his personal income taxes.

 

[AndyD]

This is entirely not surprising.

 

[Particle Physicist]

Like anyone is actually going to give a shit.

 

[Occam]

Too bad they have no honor.

 

[Oersted]

Complying with the Constitution is hard

Lets just not do it

 

[.JayZii]

Complying with the Constitution is hard

Lets just not do it

No one knew it would be this hard, believe me.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

TMHS (that makes him smart)

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Trump

honor

 

[gabbo]

How does one spin this in their favour?

 

[danm999]

How does one spin this in their favour?

SETH RICH

 

[TetraGenesis]

These people can just do whatever they damn well please, right in the open, and they continue get away with it.

I won't believe, until he's in an orange jumpsuit, that justice is possible.

 

[PandaPandaPanda]

How does one spin this in their favour?

hillary clinton wouldn't have done this so let's do the opposite?

/s

 

[Slayer-33]

Topic title is making me laugh like a maniac

 

[MisterHero]

can't this be tax evasion

 

[Chained Prometheus]

Reminds me of Spoony's Terl from Battlefield Earth bit on Nostalgia Critic.

"We figured humans operate by the honor system."
"But you don't even work by the honor system."
"I know! And that's why we always win!"

Heh, that's a good comparison actually. Although Trump lacks the hammy charm Spoony gave to his Terl.

 

[Paz]

Carter couldn't keep his families peanut farm but Trump is out there laundering foreign government money though his businesses.

Maybe he really is the greatest deal maker of all time, the deal he made with the republicans to fuck america 6 ways from Sunday seems pretty heavily skewed in his favor.