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Eric Lipton

👤 Person
627 total appearances

Appearances Over Time

Podcast Appearances

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

I mean, in fact, that is true. The President of the United States and the Vice President are the only two members of the executive branch that are exempt from a federal criminal law that makes it a crime to take an action that brings you or your family direct financial benefit. I mean, so that's a criminal offense.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

I mean, in fact, that is true. The President of the United States and the Vice President are the only two members of the executive branch that are exempt from a federal criminal law that makes it a crime to take an action that brings you or your family direct financial benefit. I mean, so that's a criminal offense.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

If you do that, if you are an employee of the federal government and you take an action that specifically benefits your family, that's a federal crime and you could go to jail for that. And the president is exempt from that because the president's powers are so broad, I guess the presumption is that you can't prevent the president from doing something that might benefit his family financially.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

If you do that, if you are an employee of the federal government and you take an action that specifically benefits your family, that's a federal crime and you could go to jail for that. And the president is exempt from that because the president's powers are so broad, I guess the presumption is that you can't prevent the president from doing something that might benefit his family financially.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

If you do that, if you are an employee of the federal government and you take an action that specifically benefits your family, that's a federal crime and you could go to jail for that. And the president is exempt from that because the president's powers are so broad, I guess the presumption is that you can't prevent the president from doing something that might benefit his family financially.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

But historically, despite that exemption, presidents from both parties have – taken steps to avoid conflicts of interest by either selling off assets, putting assets into a blind trust in which they don't have any control, or trying to avoid, you know, their family being involved in financial efforts that create obvious conflicts of interest.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

But historically, despite that exemption, presidents from both parties have – taken steps to avoid conflicts of interest by either selling off assets, putting assets into a blind trust in which they don't have any control, or trying to avoid, you know, their family being involved in financial efforts that create obvious conflicts of interest.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

But historically, despite that exemption, presidents from both parties have – taken steps to avoid conflicts of interest by either selling off assets, putting assets into a blind trust in which they don't have any control, or trying to avoid, you know, their family being involved in financial efforts that create obvious conflicts of interest.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

Now, there have been throughout history relatives of presidents that have drawn attention because of their business activities. I mean, Billy Carter, the brother of Jimmy Carter, Neil Bush, the brother of George W. Bush, obviously Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, have been engaged in business activities that have drawn assertions of conflicts of interest.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

Now, there have been throughout history relatives of presidents that have drawn attention because of their business activities. I mean, Billy Carter, the brother of Jimmy Carter, Neil Bush, the brother of George W. Bush, obviously Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, have been engaged in business activities that have drawn assertions of conflicts of interest.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

Now, there have been throughout history relatives of presidents that have drawn attention because of their business activities. I mean, Billy Carter, the brother of Jimmy Carter, Neil Bush, the brother of George W. Bush, obviously Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, have been engaged in business activities that have drawn assertions of conflicts of interest.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

And in many cases, they were well substantiated. But when I speak with various historians who have examined these things, and as a reporter, I've looked at them myself, I've never seen so many simultaneous activities as we're seeing now with the Trump sons and President Trump himself through his financial benefits, as they're playing out right now before us.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

And in many cases, they were well substantiated. But when I speak with various historians who have examined these things, and as a reporter, I've looked at them myself, I've never seen so many simultaneous activities as we're seeing now with the Trump sons and President Trump himself through his financial benefits, as they're playing out right now before us.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

And in many cases, they were well substantiated. But when I speak with various historians who have examined these things, and as a reporter, I've looked at them myself, I've never seen so many simultaneous activities as we're seeing now with the Trump sons and President Trump himself through his financial benefits, as they're playing out right now before us.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

Yeah. I mean, the thing that really is problematic is when they are doing deals that involve government entities. So, for example, they have a business partner in the Middle East called Dar Global, and they now have six ongoing real estate projects with them, most of them in the Middle East.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

Yeah. I mean, the thing that really is problematic is when they are doing deals that involve government entities. So, for example, they have a business partner in the Middle East called Dar Global, and they now have six ongoing real estate projects with them, most of them in the Middle East.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

Yeah. I mean, the thing that really is problematic is when they are doing deals that involve government entities. So, for example, they have a business partner in the Middle East called Dar Global, and they now have six ongoing real estate projects with them, most of them in the Middle East.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

But Dar Global, along with Eric Trump, the president of Dar Global, was in Qatar on Wednesday of last week. And there they signed a deal that was financed by the government of Qatar and its sovereign wealth fund.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

But Dar Global, along with Eric Trump, the president of Dar Global, was in Qatar on Wednesday of last week. And there they signed a deal that was financed by the government of Qatar and its sovereign wealth fund.

Fresh Air
President Trump's Conflicts Of Interest

But Dar Global, along with Eric Trump, the president of Dar Global, was in Qatar on Wednesday of last week. And there they signed a deal that was financed by the government of Qatar and its sovereign wealth fund.