Sunday, July 30, 2017

Strengthen Presidential Conflict-of-interest Laws


A president with so many financial entanglements is a recipe for disaster -- tell Congress to prevent clear conflicts of interest from corrupting our values.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Without being able to track Donald Trump's financial position, we won't know if he has a stake in the decisions he makes as president. He or his associates could even be profiting off the presidency. The potential for corruption is unprecedented. Both sides in Congress get this. Tell your members of Congress to prevent presidential conflicts of interest.

Bills to ban presidential conflicts of interest introduced in both chambers of Congress! One quarter of Congress is now cosponsoring the legislation.

This week, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joined 23 of her colleagues to introduce the Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act. In the House. Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) reintroduced her companion bill from last year, this time with 102 cosponsors.

These pieces of legislation are vital to protect the republic, and we're glad to see so many members of Congress taking it serious. That being said, we need to more than double the support they have to have a good chance at bringing them up for a vote and pass before Donald Trump takes office.

Contact your members of Congress and sign the following petition.

Rein in presidential conflicts of interest -- pass S.65 and H.R.371

The president has broad influence over national policy and government contracts. Foreign governments and corporations would pay a hefty price to sway those decisions.

Donald Trump has refused to release his taxes, exploited tax loopholes, misappropriated charitable donations, and spent campaign money on his own businesses. His children -- who are reportedly advising him on strategic decisions -- are managing his company instead of a blind trust.

Congress must enact strong checks and balances like S. 65 and H.R. 371 to ensure that the White House cannot enrich business interests, engage in nepotism, or pilfer the national treasury. Apply ethics and conflict-of-interest rules to the president and vice president and require them to release their taxes, divest from investments that could benefit from decisions they make in office, close any offshore accounts, and turn the rest of their assets over to blind trusts.

- Seirra Rise

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