1. United States
2. Iowa
3. Letter

I’m writing with urgency and outrage regarding credible reports that former President Donald Trump accepted millions of dollars from the government of Qatar—while still in office and afterward—through deals involving his private businesses and foreign-controlled investment funds. Let’s call this what it is: a bribe. These payments directly violate multiple U.S. laws and constitutional provisions meant to safeguard our nation from foreign influence and personal profiteering by elected officials. Which laws were likely violated? • Foreign Emoluments Clause (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 9): Bars any federal officeholder from accepting gifts or payments from foreign governments without congressional approval. • Domestic Emoluments Clause (Article II, Section 1): Prohibits the President from receiving any personal benefit outside their salary while in office. • 18 U.S. Code § 201 (Bribery of Public Officials): Makes it a crime for any official to accept anything of value in exchange for influence over official acts. • Honest Services Fraud & Ethics in Government Act: Prevents public servants from using their office for personal enrichment. Let me be very clear: Do you believe the President of the United States should be allowed to accept bribes from foreign governments? Do you think that improves the image of the presidency—or of the United States? If the answer is no, then where is your voice? Here’s what I expect you to do now: • Make a public statement condemning any president—past or present—who accepts foreign money or gifts while in office. • Demand a full Congressional investigation into Trump’s financial arrangements with Qatar and other foreign interests. • Refer these acts to the Department of Justice for criminal review under federal bribery and emoluments statutes. • Co-sponsor legislation to ban any future president from using their office to solicit or accept foreign business deals—directly or indirectly. • Hold hearings to expose the damage this behavior has done to our national integrity. You do not get to be silent. If you stay quiet now, you are complicit in the normalization of presidential corruption. We need answers—and we need them now.