Carper, Coons Urge President-elect Trump to Comply with Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del) joined a resolution today to state the sense of Congress that President-elect Trump should follow the precedent established by prior presidents and convert his assets to simple, conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts managed by an independent trustees, or take other equivalent measures in order to ensure compliance with the United States Constitution.

The resolution notes that in the absence of such actions by the President-elect before he assumes office or without specific authorization by Congress, Congress will regard dealings by Trump-owned companies with any entity owned by a foreign governmental actor as potential violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.

Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution provides that “no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the United States], shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

Joining Senators Carper and Coons in introducing his resolution as original co-sponsors are Senators: Ben Cardin (D-Md.); Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.); Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.); Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.); Ron Wyden (D-Ore.); Jack Reed (D-R.I.); Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.); Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.); Tom Udall (D-N.M.); Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.); Michael Bennet (D-Colo.); Al Franken (D-Minn.); Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.); Chris Murphy (D-Conn.); Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii); Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.); Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.); Ed Markey (D-Mass.); and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).