GOP, Campaigns, PACs Spent $3.2 Million At Trump Properties In Midterm Cycle: Repo

https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-campaigns-pacs-spent-3-042209717.html

Mary Papenfuss
HuffPost
November 10, 2018


The Republican Party, campaigns and political action committees spent at least $3.2 million at properties owned or licensed by President Donald Trump’s companies, according to an analysis by CNN of Federal Election Commission records.

The Center for Responsive Politics has come up with a higher figure of $3.9 million for this election cycle.

The Republican National Committee spent at least $1.2 million at the properties since the start of 2017, CNN reported Saturday.

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The emoluments clause of the Constitution prohibits federal officials from accepting gifts or benefits from foreign leaders or governments to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Trump is the target of a lawsuit by Maryland and the District of Columbia accusing him of violating the emoluments clause by profiting from expenditures by foreign governments and officials at his Washington hotel. He’s also being sued over the same issue by Democratic senators and representatives.

Trump is also banned under the emoluments clause of accepting benefits from domestic governments beyond his legal compensation. An analysis by the Constitutional Accountability Center noted that the clause could also be interpreted to include such things as tax benefits or foreign worker visas granted to Trump properties (where campaign dollars are spent).

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In 2015 and 2016 Trump properties collected $3.7 million from the GOP, campaigns and PACs. The Trump campaign spent just over $2 million at Trump properties during the presidential election cycle, according to CNN.