"Wine and cider from President Donald Trump's personal brand are now being sold in Coast Guard-run stores, providing military members and their families with tax-free consumer goods. Forbes reported on the development on Friday, noting the apparent conflict of interest. While there's been no shortage of Trump's businesses capitalizing on the presidencyfrom using the presidential seal on golf markers at his courses to selling a $75 coffee table book showcasing pictures by his official White House photographerthese"
"Trump has long stirred controversy by selling Trump-branded merchandise while in the White House. During his first term, foreign officials would regularly stay at Trump's luxury Washington, DC, hotel, which critics argued was a violation of the Emoluments Clause in the U.S. Constitution, which bars federal officials from accepting benefits from foreign or state governments. Forbes spoke to Jordan Libowitz, a spokesperson for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, about the sale of Trump alcohol at military stores."
Wine and cider from President Donald Trump's personal brand are being sold in Coast Guard-run stores, offering tax-free goods to military members and their families. The sales raise optics and potential ethics concerns and generate questions about conflicts of interest when presidential business interests intersect with government-run retail. Trump-branded merchandise has previously benefited from presidential association, including use of the presidential seal at private properties and sales of a high-priced White House photographer coffee-table book. Foreign officials' stays at a Trump-owned Washington, DC hotel during the first term drew Emoluments Clause criticism. Whether the current sales violate the domestic emoluments clause depends on transaction details. The president and vice president remain largely exempt from most federal conflict-of-interest laws. The wine and cider are products of the Trump Organization, a private company owned by Trump.
Read at www.mediaite.com
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