Trump gets millions from golf members. CEOs and lobbyists get access to president https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...and-lobbyists-get-access-president/632505001/ Dozens of lobbyists, contractors and others who make their living influencing the government pay President Trump’s companies for membership in his private golf clubs, a status that can put them in close contact with the president, a USA TODAY investigation found. Members of the clubs Trump has visited most often as president — in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia — include at least 50 executives whose companies hold federal contracts and 21 lobbyists and trade group officials. Two-thirds played on one of the 58 days the president was there, according to scores they posted online. Among Trump club members are top executives of defense contractors, a lobbyist for the South Korean government, a lawyer helping Saudi Arabia fight claims over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the leader of a pesticide trade group that sought successfully to persuade the Trump administration not to ban an insecticide government scientists linked to health risks. The review shows that, for the first time in U.S. history, wealthy people with interests before the government have a chance for close and confidential access to the president as a result of payments that enrich him personally. .....ethics experts questioned whether it’s appropriate for a sitting president to collect money from lobbyists and others who spend their days trying to shape federal policy or win government business. “I think we’re all in new territory,” said Walter Shaub, who recently resigned as director of the Office of Government Ethics after repeated clashes with the White House. “We never thought we’d see anyone push the outer limits in this way.”
Question is @GiantDuckFan did they belong to the clubs before Trump ran, was nominated and elected or join after? Like his hotels, the clubs are high end facilities that have attracted executives. I don't see how he can be held accountable for that. Now if he or his people are campaigning for these companies and executives to join for access to him or his people that is wrong.
don't know and Trump's not saying,.. but I'm sure we don't have anything to worry about,.. if we can't trust Donald Trump, who can we trust?
You think that using the presidency as a means to further his brand and businesses while he holds the office is an ethical thing to do?
no more than hosting major campaign contributors in the Lincoln bedroom for $100k a pop. However that's not exactly what I was getting at. My point is that if the business from hotel rentals and club memberships was pre-existing to his run & election it's a much more clouded an issue. Should he not rent to them or kick them out of his clubs just because he won? He was supposed to divest himself from his business interests but honestly he is his business so it's hard to separate the two. Likewise hosting foreign dignitaries at Mar-a-Lago is not intrinsically bad. It's in his comfort zone and likely out of theirs. How it's paid for etc is an interesting question. Finally as I said if he's using his office to actively promote new business then that's a fairly clear problem.
