Editorial Note: The following Article describes an attempt by some in Congress to layout the groundwork for a possible impeachment effort based upon Trump’s unwillingness to arrange his finances so he doesn’t directly enrich himself and abuse his office. While this is a legitimate desire, what will not appear legitimate to the public is anything involving the word “impeachment” prior to trump taking office. While this website may put out articles regarding various possibilities, because it is the topic of this website, it is quite another thing for a congressperson to put forward such a bill. The majority of Americans will see any mention of impeachment by politician at this point as being politically motivated. In other words, it will be perceived as a stunt. And indeed, in this case the legislation is not substantive. It is already unconstitutional for the president to enrich himself in this way. So, this legislation is political theater, and will further degrade how people view the constitutional tool of impeachment. Congresspeople should wait until Trump takes office, and then watch him like a hawk for the inevitable impeachable offenses, and only then pursue the matter in a serious and somber way. Any other approach to impeachment will actually doom all later attempts, as the public will have already decided that the impeachment attempts are illegitimate.
VanityFair – On Thursday, five Democratic senators announced a bill they plan to release next month that would require Trump to divest assets that could pose a conflict of interest, according to Politico. The bill, put forward by Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, Chris Coons, Ben Cardin, and Jeff Merkley, would require the president-elect to put the proceeds of the sale in a blind trust (the true definition of which does not mean merely handing “business operations” to one’s children, despite what Trump has said). The legislation would symbolically make violations of federal conflict-of-interest rules “a high crime or misdemeanor under the impeachment clause of the U.S. Constitution.”
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