1. United States
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  3. Letter

Trump Conflicts of Interest We Can’t Ignore !

To: Sen. Grassley, Rep. Nunn, Sen. Ernst

From: A constituent in Des Moines, IA

June 18

I’m writing to demand action regarding President Donald Trump’s use of the presidency to expand and enrich his private business empire during his second term in office. Since taking power again, Trump has launched or revived multiple for-profit ventures directly tied to his political identity: • A Trump-branded cell phone and mobile network (“Trump Mobile”), promoted using presidential messaging. • Crypto coins ($Trump and $Melania), with clear ties to his media company and campaign promotion. • A $500,000-a-head private club in Washington, D.C. called “The Executive Branch,” built around access to his political orbit. • Ongoing golf outings and policy meetings hosted at his own resorts, including venues that receive foreign money and government contracts. There is no firewall between his public duties and private profit. He has not divested from his businesses. He continues to market his name, collect payments, and negotiate deals using the office of the presidency as a branding engine. This violates basic democratic norms and likely violates the Constitution. The Foreign Emoluments Clause (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) prohibits the president from accepting profits or gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval. The Domestic Emoluments Clause (Article II, Section 1, Clause 7) forbids the president from receiving money or benefits from the federal or state governments outside of a fixed salary. By profiting off government-related access, events, contracts, and political capital tied to his presidency, Trump has built a model of governance that is indistinguishable from a business enterprise—and a deeply corrupt one at that. The presidency is not a product. It is not a platform for hustles, memberships, or coin launches. It is your duty as a member of Congress—regardless of party—to hold the executive branch accountable when it’s being used for personal financial gain. This isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now. And it threatens public trust in every institution. I’m asking you to: 1. Publicly acknowledge these violations and their seriousness. 2. Support legislation requiring the president to divest fully or place all holdings in a federally monitored blind trust. 3. Call for hearings and investigations into Trump’s ongoing business activity during office. 4. Enforce the Emoluments Clauses and constitutional accountability mechanisms—up to and including impeachment if necessary. Do your job. Uphold the rule of law. Protect the public from being exploited by a presidency run like a racket.

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