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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump's DC hotel lease becomes illegal upon his inauguration
The Post Office Lease differs from many of Mr. Trumps other business arrangements. Thats because, in writing the contract, the federal and D.C. governments determined, in advance, that elected officials could play no role in this lease arrangement. The contract language is clear: No ... elected official of the Government of the United States ... shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom...
The language could not be any more specific or clear. Donald Trump will breach the contract on Jan. 20, when, while continuing to benefit from the lease, he will become an elected official of the Government of the United States.
The lease agreement, like many government contracts, is a lengthy document. Yet this clause represents a material (that is, significant) contractual term. While we recognize that some of the statutory ethics rules that generally apply to federal officials exempt the president and vice president, the prohibition on benefiting from the Old Post Office Pavilion lease does not exempt Mr. Trump. The terms of the contract were freely agreed to by the Trump Organization. Had President Obama or Vice President Biden (or any other elected official of the U.S. Government) attempted to participate in the original lease agreement in 2013, we are confident that GSA would have rejected their proposal. The leases plain language (a term favored by the late Justice Antonin Scalia) makes clear that Mr. Trump will be violating the leases terms when he becomes an elected official on Inauguration Day.
http://m.govexec.com/excellence/promising-practices/2016/11/gsas-trump-hotel-lease-debacle/133424/?oref=ge-iphone-interstitial-continue&oref=ge-iphone-interstitial-continue
Via Talking Points Memo
no_hypocrisy
(46,010 posts)as nobody seems interested in making them apply.
Cosmocat
(14,558 posts)to have someone tuned into where things are in America, 2016.
People have to get over fixating on Trump.
Ain't no one who voted for him who does not know full well what he is, and what we hate about him they LOVE about him, and the people who didn't vote Hillary are willing to accept it.
More of them in total than us ...
And, us telling them how horrible he is only makes them dig their heels in more.
They have to figure it out on their own.
The battle has to be with congress.
People don't get that while Trump is going to do a lot of bad and crazy things, CONGRESS is where we are going to royally fucked.
niyad
(113,029 posts)Cosmocat
(14,558 posts)The number of people who voted for Trump PLUS the number of people who did not vote Hillary (who voted Johnson, Stein or did not cast a vote for POTUS is more than the number who voted for Hillary, and that does not even factor in another 90 million or who did not vote at all, who clearly are willing to accept Trump as POTUS.
Sorry, but only 1/3 or so of this country sees Trump as the threat he is ...
wordpix
(18,652 posts)it's the Electoral College that's preventing her from being pres, not the vote.
Cosmocat
(14,558 posts)Of the house of Representatives? The Senate? The most governorships? State houses? State Senate's? Municipal governments?
And my point stands relative to Trump. Everyone knows what he is. The only people who are not willing to accept him as POTUS are those who voted for Hillary, and we are only about a third of the country.
But, sure just think it is about the ec while they go hog wild the next 4 years.
WhiteTara
(29,692 posts)or law or order is being overturned in Congress and in the Courts.
Vinca
(50,236 posts)Ford_Prefect
(7,868 posts)atreides1
(16,064 posts)Isn't that what happened in Toronto? A Russian businessman purchased the Trump hotel and four years later it's bankrupt!
So, if the same scenario takes place here, by the time his term is up...the hotel here in D.C. will be in the same state, bankrupt!!!
James48
(4,426 posts)because Mr. Trump DOES NOT OWN the building-
He is LEASING the building.
He cannot sell his lease. ONLY the GSA can lease the building to someone else.
And if the President attempts to influence whom the lease is given to, then he would be interfering in the GSA contracting process-
also a criminal violation.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)So, can an elected official rent a room there?
wordpix
(18,652 posts)As long as the Con didn't gut all the architectural wonders of the place, we're good.
Jersey Devil
(9,873 posts)he has no ownership interest. So what's "illegal" then?
cstanleytech
(26,222 posts)since he wasnt even in office at the time it was signed thus he is not breaking the No ... elected official of the Government of the United States ... shall be admitted to any share or part of this Lease, or to any benefit that may arise therefrom... clause?
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)If Trump wanted that lease, and another businessperson was in the situation Trump is in now, Trump would be screaming bloody murder about the violation of the contract, so he could take it lock, stock and barrel.
cstanleytech
(26,222 posts)for a current office holder not someone that might have just won an election.
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)I get a dog after I move in, that still breaks the lease.
cstanleytech
(26,222 posts)wordpix
(18,652 posts)and not wait for some constitutional crisis
cstanleytech
(26,222 posts)rather a citizen has to file a lawsuit or a DA does and even then there is a chance for it to be dismissed.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)LittleGirl
(8,277 posts)dumbcat
(2,120 posts)may be their out. He's already in the lease.
cstanleytech
(26,222 posts)ehrnst
(32,640 posts)I just asked them if they were going to allow Trump to break the terms of his lease on the Old Post Office building, and included the link in the OP.
http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/136438
BSdetect
(8,994 posts)Expect the worst president ever to rule with a twisted fist. His lawyers will drag any issue to courts for years.
elleng
(130,714 posts)It's personal; my office of 20 years was across the street from the Old Post Office Pavilion, used to eat in the food court, took my daughters to olde candy shop, and bought shoes for my wedding at a little shoe shop there. To say I'm SAD about the 'hotel' is a serious understatement. THIS I love: 'The leases plain language (a term favored by the late Justice Antonin Scalia) makes clear that Mr. Trump will be violating the leases terms when he becomes an elected official on Inauguration Day.'
Sen. Walter Sobchak
(8,692 posts)We're supposed to stay at Starwood properties but Trump was quite a bit cheaper since he shit all over his brand.
wordpix
(18,652 posts)I think Don believed the laws and contracts could be bent to his will once he became pres, which was very doubtful before the election. Now he's coming up against the reality of Rule of Law and Gov. Contracts. He needs to decide. He could concede to Hillary and go back to his previous life if he doesn't want to play by the rules.
Maru Kitteh
(28,313 posts)Tarheel_Dem
(31,220 posts)ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Warpy
(111,123 posts)The rooms are small, the ceilings lower than 2 stories, and all that old furniture instead of shiny new reproduction furniture with all the gold leaf intact! Plus he's allergic to anything but gold and white, all that color is going to be far too dark and depressing.
Expect that to be his first big fight.
malaise
(268,664 posts)actually discussed this last night