Under political pressure, Kuwait cancels major event at Four Seasons, switches to Trumps D.C. hotel

[deminks]

https://thinkprogress.org/under-political-pressure-kuwait-cancels-major-event-at-four-seasons-switches-to-trumps-d-c-1f204315d513#.ldp6n6lg6

The Embassy of Kuwait allegedly cancelled a contract with a Washington, D.C. hotel days after the presidential election, citing political pressure to hold its National Day celebration at the Trump International Hotel instead.

A source tells ThinkProgress that the Kuwaiti embassy, which has regularly held the event at the Four Seasons in Georgetown, abruptly canceled its reservation after members of the Trump Organization pressured the ambassador to hold the event at the hotel owned by the president-elect. The source, who has direct knowledge of the arrangements between the hotels and the embassy, spoke to ThinkProgress on the condition of anonymity because the individual was not authorized to speak publicly. ThinkProgress was also able to review documentary evidence confirming the source’s account.

In the early fall, the Kuwaiti Embassy signed a contract with the Four Seasons. But after the election, members of the Trump Organization contacted the Ambassador of Kuwait, Salem Al-Sabah, and encouraged him to move his event to Trump’s D.C. hotel, the source said.

(snip)

One looms large over the apparent hotel deal with the Kuwaitis: The Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prohibits the president from receiving money from a foreign government or head of state.

According to Democratic and Republican legal experts, such a payment is not only unconstitutional, it’s an impeachable offense.

(end snip)

[TubbersUK]

1. K & R n/t

[Vinca]

2. Ka-ching, ka-ching. This will be Don the Con's biggest caper.

[smirkymonkey]

3. He is so out of line.

This is bullshit. Someone - or many people - in power need to crack down on him. He is just going to keep pushing the envelope until someone does.

[riversedge]

4. Trumps Brownhirts at work.

[Fast Walker 52]

5. so incredibly fucked up!!!!

[Brother Buzz]

6. To drive the effort to draw in business from embassies...

the Trump Hotel poached a manager from the Four Seasons to be the "director of diplomatic sales."

[anarch]

7. I expect federal funds will also be funneled to the shitgibbon's business interests

to the degree practicable. As far as I can tell, he shows no sign of any intention to mitigate conflicts of interest--I expect this incoming administration will take the concept of kleptocracy to new, previously unimaginable heights. Much like his mentor, Vlad, except it's more shocking to see it happen here in what was once the United States.

[annabanana]

24. already HAVE been. . . n/t

[Crash2Parties]

55. Yeah, next thing you know he'll be renting vacant property to the Secret Service

[turbinetree]

8. And just think he has now got total access to the following

"The United States is the world's largest national economy in nominal terms and second largest according to purchasing power parity (PPP), representing 22% of nominal global GDP and 17% of gross world product (GWP). The United States' GDP was estimated to be $17.914 trillion as of Q2 2015."


Let that sink in,

This fraud serial predator now has access to $17.914 TRILLION dollars, what do think it will be worth in two year tops, after we crash and burn again 1929 style--------------it is going to happen. The stock market went up how many points into the ponzi scheme as of late?

[octoberlib]

9. So corrupt!

[spanone]

10. and so it begins.....

[calimary]

45. Indeed. I suspected this from the beginning.

I told my husband more than a year ago that the only reason I thought trump was interested in the Presidency was so he could slap the Presidential Seal on his hotels and golf courses and make money off merch sales.

The Donald isn't interested in ANYTHING that doesn't involve lining his pockets. It has always been thus. That's his one and only motivation - EVER.

[Docreed2003]

11. Where the f*ck is the press, not to mention our leaders???

How in the hell can anyone with half a brain cell approve of this when it is in clear opposition to our constitution? This is what we have to put up with for the next four to eight years? A man who only serves his own self interests and our side refuses to push back even in the face of obvious corruption and constitutional shredding??? Jesus, the GOP has long proven that they care more for party and power than they do Country but I never thought I'd see the day where obvious unconstitutional antics would be condoned and ignored.

[narnian60]

22. Well said.

[justhanginon]

25. Don't know where our leaders are but it seems our media

are having cocktails and sandwiches at Mara-Lago down in Palm Beach. At least Judas, as the story goes, got 30 pieces of silver for his sell out. These invited titans of the news media sell their soul for a little booze, a ham sandwich and private access to his lordship.None of it on the record of course. Of Course!

Knee pads and Chap Stick for all invitees.

[Docreed2003]

28. One has to wonder....

How is it that a life long con-man who has zero redeeming qualities, was able to make the media bend to his every wish? It's amazing to me.

[YOHABLO]

56. At least Lindsey and John could chime in on this. You know they can't stand him

[aggiesal]

12. Want to know how corrupt this is?

Nothing will happen!

[FuzzyRabbit]

14. I am afraid you're right.

After all, IOKIYAR.

[sdfernando]

13. Anyone, most espeicially foreign goverments and officials who opt to stay at

Captain Carotene's DC digs should assume every room is bugged and all of their conversations are being recorded!

[KamaAina]

20. "Captain Carotene" FTW!

[sdfernando]

40. Can't take credit for that

picked it up from someone else here on DU.

[calimary]

46. Captain Carotene! OMG!!!

GOOD one, sdfernando!

No. I take that back. It's not "good." It's FUCKING GREAT!!!

[MontanaMama]

15. None of this surprises me in the least.

What DOES surprise me, and probably shouldn't, is the Dem leadership saying nothing about this. Their silence is deafening. They are going to roll with this while the gropenfuhur tanks our economy again. We are screwed.

[Ilsa]

16. Co-Owner Bill Gates should speak up, as well as co-owner

Kingdom Holding Company, a Saudi investment firm.

[KamaAina]

21. Aha! So that's why Gates was cozying up to Captain Carotene the other day!

[niyad]

43. that explains his toadying the other day. even more disappointed in him now.

[spooky3]

17. and, I hope the Four Seasons sues, but I'm sure that they won't.

Suing would call more attention to this.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. tRump will eventually learn how to spell "impeachment". . . nt

[progressoid]

19. "impeachable offense"

That's hilarious. Who's gonna do that?

[LeftishBrit]

23. Oh great, sounds seriously corrupt.

[Turbineguy]

26. Maybe the Kuwaitis

are about to thank us for a favor.

[Initech]

27. Grifters gonna grift!

[MineralMan]

29. Blatant and illegal.

Wow!

[lpbk2713]

30. I think we'll be hearing a lot about the Emoluments Clause

over the next four years. Trump will be giving the finger to all of us.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

31. "In the early fall, the Kuwaiti Embassy signed a contract with the Four Seasons."

Contract law.

Tortious interference?

Tortious interference, also known as intentional interference with contractual relations, in the common law of torts, occurs when a person intentionally damages the plaintiff's contractual or other business relationships. This tort is broadly divided into two categories, one specific to contractual relationships (irrespective of whether they involve business), and the other specific to business relationships or activities (irrespective of whether they involve a contract). There is also a tort of negligent such interference.

See you in court, maybe. Depends on the details of the contract.

On the other hand: "That's a nice hotel, you have here, Mr. Four Seasons. Be a shame to see something happen to it."

<sfx: glass breaking>

<voiceover, Walter Winchell>

"And with Capone out of the way, Nitti, no longer worried about competition, was able to take over the South Side of Chicago."

Full disclosure: IANAL.

[Cha]

32. Greedy assholes.. poor trump.. he has to pressure to get people to

stay at his damn jinxed hotel.

[Raven123]

33. Unless there is proof

of pressure by the Trump Organization, this goes nowhere. I assume the documentation referred to is that of the cancellation, and rescheduling at the Trump Hotel only.


I don't disagree with the issues raised by others, but they are going to have to get people on record for there to be any consequences.

[calimary]

47. Welcome to DU, Raven123.

Yeah, proof will be needed to get anything done on this. The suspicions are glaring as hell! The 2+2 here absolutely add up to 4 but more is needed. Particularly considering that whoever would prosecute this or usher it through the House or Senate would be a GOPer. And they are loathe to rock the boat now that they "own it all." It would have to reek SOOOO bad that people could barely breathe before something was done.

But if I understand that Emoluments Clause, this is indeed an impeachable offense.

[nycbos]

34. I am SHOCKED SHOCKED to find gambling going on here.

[dlk]

35. Even If Trump's Impeached, We're Still Stuck with Mike Pence

Given Trump's erratic personality, he will no doubt be impeached at some point. However, that still leaves the country with the likes of Mike Pence who, in many ways, is much worse.

[greymattermom]

44. I don't think Mike Pence is very strong

and he doesn't have the destructive ability that Trump has.

[Bohunk68]

49. Tell that to the GLBT community.

[calimary]

48. Welcome to DU, dlk.

Yeah, that is indeed a problem. You're not the only one who's said a President Mike Pence would be much worse. He'd do everything he could to impose a Christian Sharia Law, everywhere. Women's rights would be in big trouble. Gay rights and marriage equality would be in even bigger trouble. And I'm sure, if he were given enough time, he'd get around to screwing other interest groups, too. ANYTHING to roll time back to the 1950s... or maybe farther back, all the way to the Old Testament era. Whaddya think? 1000 BC? 2000 BC?

[Jacob Boehme]

36. The Big Shakedown....

Josh Marshall over at "Talking Points Memo" had this zinger on the subject...

"This latest is an almost comical instance of the flagrant corruption that will fill the next four years, or however long the Trump family holds on to the White House. Trump Organization staffers shook down the Kuwaiti Embassy to get it to move its business from the Four Seasons' to the new Trump Hotel.

We're learning a simple, structural reality of our government. The President runs the government. The Congress oversees the President. With carte blanche from Congress, the President can do virtually anything."

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-big-shakedown

[calimary]

52. Welcome to DU, Jacob Boehme!

Sounds like flat-out EXTORTION to me. And this do-nothing Congress will continue to do nothing. They did nothing to help President Obama, and they'll do nothing to impede or contain The Donald.

No one will be more surprised than I will be - if they wind up impeaching him for repeated and flagrant violations of the Emoluments Clause (at the very least). I'd be shocked, actually.

[TeamPooka]

37. Nice little country you got here. Be a shame if something happened to it.....

[IronLionZion]

38. So he wants to be impeached before he even takes office?

Maybe we'll have our very own Russian-style oligarchy right here in America! This is how we make America great again. Putin managed to become a fabulous billionaire somehow as a humble public servant.

It really seems like he's doing increasingly outrageous things trying to see how much he can get away with and America surprises him every time.



Remember Trump voters. He's smart and successful and strong. You can be wealthy too if you do what he says. Learn all about it at Trump University.

[pangaia]

39. Contact your agreeable representatives, your local media.

post on FB. whatever.. anything....

Out reps and the media won't do it without a hatchet over their heads..


GO GET'EM !!!!!

[forgotmylogin]

41. Hope they enjoy the food! (n/t)

[heaven05]

50. 4 long years

of this shit....fuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[democratisphere]

51. The Quaffmeister milking and bilking our system

for his family's personal gain.

[Paladin]

53. I want this trashy monetizing of the presidency stopped. Right fucking now.

If our current crew of Democrats don't have the guts to put an end to this humiliating behavior, then let's replace them with some who do.

[Initech]

54. Most corrupt politician ever!!!!!

By the way, how's that whole "draining the swamp" thing going for ya, Donald?

[JonLP24]

57. Oh great

A whole bunch of Kuwaiti spies at the Trump hotel.

[Nitram]

58. Dump is going to do permanent famage to the office of the president...

and the nation itself. The man is a nightmare, and he isn't even in office yet.