UH-OH

Obama Ethics Official: Trump Violated the Emoluments Clause

After China reportedly lent $500m to a Trump-linked project in Indonesia.

The top ethics official under President Obama tweeted Monday that President Trump has violated the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution after a report surfaced that the Chinese government gave a project in Indonesia featuring Trump-branded hotels and golf courses $500 million in loans. “This is a violation of the Emoluments Clause. A big one. See you in court Mr. Trump,” Norm Eisen wrote on Twitter. Over the weekend, Trump wrote in a tweet that he would be helping Chinese President Xi Jinping get the ailing Chinese phone company ZTE “back into business, fast.” The project in Indonesia involves a theme park featuring “Trump-branded hotels, residences, and a golf course,” according to South China Morning Post. According to HuffPost, the deal for the loans was signed Thursday, and Trump’s ZTE announcement was made Sunday. Trump has been under fire for not divesting from his businesses, which include licensing his name out to different projects globally.