The Trump Organization has announced that it will avoid entering into fresh agreements with foreign governments throughout Donald Trump’s next term as president. This approach mirrors what the company adopted when Trump assumed office the first time.
A revised ethics policy released on Friday affirms that Donald Trump will stay out of the day-to-day running of the Trump Organization while serving as president. The policy also mentions that any money paid by foreign governments to Trump-owned properties will be sent to the U.S. Treasury.
Eric Trump, who serves as executive vice president of the Trump Organization, shared during the announcement that the company is focused on maintaining ethical and legal discipline during Trump’s presidency.
He added that, like during the earlier term, the company has introduced strong ethical protocols and brought on board a respected legal expert to oversee its operations while Trump is in office.
Legal Oversight to Monitor Transactions
The legal professional tasked with advising the company on ethics matters is William A. Burck. He is a partner at Quinn Emanuel, a widely recognized law firm with a branch in Washington.
Burck will function as an outside adviser, reviewing major deals that exceed $10 million, any sales of company assets above that amount, and any business conducted with government entities at any level.
Criticism Over Gaps in Ethics Plan
However, experts who specialize in ethics have pointed out that Trump’s stated commitment does not meet existing standards. Richard Painter, who served as the ethics lawyer during President George W. Bush’s administration, mentioned that avoiding new transactions with foreign governments is not enough.
He explained that once Trump becomes president, the law requires that he not benefit from any foreign government financially. The emoluments clause in the U.S. Constitution forbids elected officials from accepting financial gifts or earnings from foreign governments. This rule was created to stop foreign states from gaining influence over American leadership.
Painter added that it’s highly unlikely that anyone will enforce the emoluments clause against Trump. During his first term in office, the former president was sued multiple times by Democrats and state attorneys general who argued he made money improperly while in the White House. None of those legal actions were successful before his term ended.
Former Ethics Official Rejects New Proposal
Walter Shaub, who once led the U.S. Office of Government Ethics but stepped down during Trump’s administration, was highly critical of the company’s new plan.
He argued that the proposal lacks the proper standards expected from public officials and claimed the only real solution would be for Trump to completely separate himself from any financial interests that conflict with his public duties.
While Trump was in office, several foreign governments and large companies used his properties. At the now-sold Trump International Hotel in Washington, foreign officials and Republican leaders regularly booked stays. That hotel was sold by the Trump Organization to CGI Merchant Group for $375 million, and the property now operates under the Waldorf-Astoria brand.
A report from the Wall Street Journal stated that the Trump Organization may be trying to repurchase that hotel, raising fresh concerns about future conflicts of interest if Trump returns to the White House. The Washington Post has not confirmed this information independently.
Since he departed from the presidency, Trump’s company has finalized international projects in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Vietnam, as shown by corporate announcements and Trump’s official disclosures.
