How the Trump Organization's Foreign Business Ties Could Upend U.S. National Security
Source: Newsweek
If Donald Trump is elected president, will he and his family permanently sever all connections to the Trump Organization, a sprawling business empire that has spread a secretive financial web across the world? Or will Trump instead choose to be the most conflicted president in American history, one whose business interests will constantly jeopardize the security of the United States?
Throughout this campaign, the Trump Organization, which pumps potentially hundreds of millions of dollars into the Trump familys bank accounts each year, has been largely ignored. As a private enterprise, its businesses, partners and investors are hidden from public view, even though they are the very people who could be enriched byor will further enrichTrump and his family if he wins the presidency.
A close examination by Newsweek of the Trump Organization, including confidential interviews with business executives and some of its international partners, reveals an enterprise with deep ties to global financiers, foreign politicians and even criminals, although there is no evidence the Trump Organization has engaged in any illegal activities. It also reveals a web of contractual entanglements that could not be just canceled. If Trump moves into the White House and his family continues to receive any benefit from the company, during or even after his presidency, almost every foreign policy decision he makes will raise serious conflicts of interest and ethical quagmires.
The Mumbai Shuffle
The Trump Organization is not like the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the charitable enterprise that has been the subject of intense scrutiny about possible conflicts for the Democratic presidential nominee. There are allegations that Hillary Clinton bestowed benefits on contributors to the foundation in some sort of pay to play scandal when she was secretary of state, but that makes no sense because there was no pay. Money contributed to the foundation was publicly disclosed and went to charitable efforts, such as fighting neglected tropical diseases that infect as many as a billion people. The financials audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the global independent accounting company, and the foundations tax filings show that about 90 percent of the money it raised went to its charitable programs. (Trump surrogates have falsely claimed that it was only 10 percent and that the rest was used as a Clinton slush fund.) No member of the Clinton family received any cash from the foundation, nor did it finance any political campaigns. In fact, like the Clintons, almost the entire board of directors works for free.
Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/23/donald-trump-foreign-business-deals-national-security-498081.html
EricMaundry
(1,619 posts)The dealings of the Trump Organization reach into so many countries that it is impossible to detail all the conflicts they present in a single issue of this magazine, but a Newsweek examination of the company has also found deep connections in China, Brazil, Bulgaria, Argentina, Canada, France, Germany and other countries.
Never before has an American candidate for president had so many financial ties with American allies and enemies, and never before has a business posed such a threat to the United States. If Donald Trump wins this election and his company is not immediately shut down or forever severed from the Trump family, the foreign policy of the United States of America could well be for sale.
KewlKat
(5,624 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Of Trumps.
ffr
(22,672 posts)Whenever he opens his mouth about someone else's scandalous behavior, it's because he is doing that exact same scandalous behavior. To him, if he does it, everybody else must be doing it too. Which comes back to haunt him and his campaign as potentially the most dangerous ever to afflict our nation. He'll be all to eager to plunge our nation's foreign policy into whatever endeavors the profit him the most.
wishstar
(5,271 posts)Finally someone explains that about 90% of Clinton Foundation contributions went to charitable efforts such as fighting neglected tropical diseases and no "pay for play" in Clinton Foundation.
KewlKat
(5,624 posts)besides being an incompetent boob. I can see him sitting there wetting his lips waiting to take over the world thru his power of our presidency and his hidden, backdoor business dealings.
lastlib
(23,303 posts)Your comments are SPOT ON, too!
We CANNOT allow this shit-nugget to gain that power!
KewlKat
(5,624 posts)I tuned in briefly to MJ and am now watching CNN
KewlKat
(5,624 posts)With Middle Eastern business partners and American allies turning on him, Trump lashed out. Prince Alwaleed bin Talalthe billionaire who aided Trump during his corporate bankruptcies in the 1990s by purchasing his yacht, which provided him with desperately needed cashsent out a tweet amid the outcry in Dubai, calling the Republican candidate a disgrace. (Alwaleed is a prodigious tweeter and Twitters second largest shareholder.) Trump responded with an attack on the princea member of the ruling Saudi royal familywith a childish tweet, saying, Dopey Prince @Alwaleed_Talal wants to control our U.S. politicians with daddys money. Cant do it when I get elected. #Trump2016.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)titaniumsalute
(4,742 posts)BECAUSE THE MEDIA DOESN'T ask Trump the hard questions!! They enable him to survive this horserace.
KewlKat
(5,624 posts)author on CNN this AM with a 5 minute segment.
barbtries
(28,811 posts)it should be huge and it should make a lot of people really think twice about his candidacy.
FailureToCommunicate
(14,023 posts)it won't. Conflicts of interest, money stuff, not scandalous enough for them.
tanyev
(42,622 posts)About effing time. I don't understand why Cruz, Rubio, or Kasich never brought this up.
barbtries
(28,811 posts)my bet is trump thinks being president is just another way to make money. i mean he fantasized out loud about how when he's president he'll make it easy to sue journalists and "ruin them" if they write something he doesn't like (ie, the truth). just as with every other aspect of his life, it's all about him. i don't think anything can change that. it is pathological. this man could not possibly care less about the country or its people.
turbinetree
(24,720 posts)and as Lawrence O"Donnell has been saying for over fifteen months and basically for over five years, when he called out the dumpster on the birther issue. the dumpster is a f***ing liar, and his "tax returns will show exactly what this "guy" and his "organization" is all about end of story, show us that letter from the IRS. The media has no clue, they just keep doing the same old BS with this "guy", they don't want to do there job, they had better, because this "guy" is banning some of them from his deplorable events, with his deplorable supporters and his bigoted vice-presidential choice.
Show the people the "letter" that you are being audited dumpster.
O"Donnell is right, show us the letter, and the media needs to ask for that audit letter because when you do this, this is what happens------------------this F***ing emperor has no clothes its a scam and he is a con artist and liar, and his campaign manager is beside her self, listen to the beginning and how it goes down from there when good old Kellyanne has to stop and ask, if the dumpster is a liar, well yeah ------------------duh, he is a F***ing liar, where is the audit letter prove it, and then good old Kellyanne tries to get back on script
http://wonkette.com/606525/trump-campaign-manager-kellyanne-conway-has-had-it-with-you-media-scum