Trump Organization Using the Presidential Seal

[DonViejo]

March 5, 2018 at 8:52 am EST By Taegan Goddard

ProPublica: “In recent weeks, the Trump Organization has ordered the manufacture of new tee markers for golf courses that are emblazoned with the seal of the President of the United States. Under federal law, the seal’s use is permitted only for official government business. Misuse can be a crime.”

“Ethics experts have long been on the lookout for signs that the Trump Organization would exploit the office of the presidency for commercial gain. Several said that using the presidential seal on the company’s golf courses would fall into this category.”


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https://politicalwire.com/2018/03/05/trump-organization-using-presidential-seal/

[Maeve]

1. Took him this long, huh?

[Zoonart]

2. WTFF?

When does the Emoluments clause kick in; when he starts branding the money he's minting at his hotels?

[pangaia]

10. Surely you jest. republicans are in charge, remember? :))))

[Zoonart]

13. Silly me.

[underpants]

3. When I worked on a golf course we used to bet on spinning tee markers

Literally for sodas

We'd compete on flipping them so they'd land with the spikes down. It's all in the wrist.

[Buns_of_Fire]

4. One could also wonder when he'll stop using the Presidential Seal

and replace it with a big, beautiful, gold "T" instead.

We pledge allegiance to the King of the United States of America...

[pangaia]

11. NOT a joke...

[SummerSnow]

5. Nothing will happen

[malaise]

6. Lock him up

please!

[AlexSFCA]

7. without enforcement the laws mean nothing

[pangaia]

12. Right. And everybody jokes about everything.

Nothing funny about any of it.

In 2 years nobody will be laughing any more, except the fascist gangsters.

[Yonnie3]

8. It's OK with me if

they cover it with the "no symbol," as in NOT presidential.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_symbol

[backtoblue]

9. My wtf button just broke.

Last edited Mon Mar 5, 2018, 06:22 PM - Edit history (1)

Lock him up!

[RandomAccess]

17. Why are you using that term?

Do you know what succubus means?

If not, you need to look it up. It's WILDLY out of place here, and just about anywhere else you can name unless you're talking about Medieval times.

[backtoblue]

18. I'll edit. sorry. On a rant

[RandomAccess]

19. Okay

Sorry to be --- well, whatever I was being. Internet hall monitor or something. Thanks.

[Mr.Bill]

14. When Reagan was president

I had a friend who had gotten to ride on Air Force 1. He snagged a souvenir which he showed me. It was a pack of cigarettes in a white package with a gold presidential seal on the front. Although no other brand name appeared on the pack, he was told they were Marlboros.

[HipChick]

15. Who's going to stop him? the corrupt Rethug party?

[C Moon]

16. 'Misuse can be a crime.' That word 'can' says it all.

[onenote]

20. The law is muddy.

18 USC 713(a) and (b) state the following:

...

(b) Whoever, except as authorized under regulations promulgated by the President and published in the Federal Register, knowingly manufactures, reproduces, sells, or purchases for resale, either separately or appended to any article manufactured or sold, any likeness of the seals of the President or Vice President, or any substantial part thereof, except for manufacture or sale of the article for the official use of the Government of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.


Executive Order 11649 (issued in 1972) as amended by Executive Order 11916 (issued in 1976) states:

Section 1.

Except as otherwise provided by law, the knowing manufacture, reproduction, sale, or purchase for resale of the Seals or Coats of Arms of the President or the Vice President of the United States, or any likeness or substantial part thereof, shall be permitted only for the following uses:
(a) Use by the President or Vice President of the United States

I would argue that it Trump wants to put the Presidential seal on golf tees and hand them out, that is a use by him and covered by the Executive Order. But if they're being given out by a golf club, not by him, then they are not being "used" by him and it should not be okay.

[VOX]

21. Tacky as all hell, although the various presidential libraries sell merch with the Presidential Seal

For example, the JFK Library sells mugs, throws, etc. that bear the presidential seal. Not sure how the legality is handled in those cases.

I DESPISE #45, even if it's legal, he should somehow be prohibited from using the seal. Just dreaming...

[mr_lebowski]

26. Who gets the profit from the sales of that merch, though?

Not to mention, a Presidential Library is a far cry from a privately owned Golf Club, as is the library of a long-deceased POTUS, not one currently in office, profiting DIRECTLY from the likeness.

[VOX]

29. Interesting question. I did notice on the JFK Library site...

That the mugs, lap robes, etc. bore what they said was the “official Presidential seal.”

Contrast that with what I saw on the Reagan Library site— that the merch is emblazoned with the “Presidential Library Seal.”

So clearly, there must be some sort of permission or fee that accompanies the use of the Presidential Seal on any stuff that might generate a personal profit for the officeholder himself.

On edit: Like Trump would do. That cretin would destroy the world if he could.

[Blue Owl]

22. Works extra great with those Nazi golf balls at his Scotland course

n/t

[EllieBC]

23. Isn't this illegal somehow????

Congress? Hello? Are you paying any attention???

[GallopingGhost]

24. From the moment

he was successfully installed by Russia, he fully intended to use the power of the office to financially enrich himself, his crime family and his crime acquaintances.

Something else nobody should be laughing about-his admiration for dictators and his statement about becoming President for life. He wasn't joking.

[ecstatic]

25. And yet, nobody will stop him

Add this to an already long list of shit that trump continues to get away with. I had no idea how fragile/ flimsy our system was.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

27. Just when you think he can't degrade the office of the President any further, he does.

I thought Dubya's putting the Presidential Seal on his cowboy boots was the low point of presidential history, but IQ45 has beat him by 1,000%.

Come to think of it, Nixon's uniforms for the White House guards tops the cake for presidential ego trips.



All this will be exceeded when Trump holds his parade.

[MFM008]

28. He drags everything

Down to his level.