Blumenthal Presses Barrett on Constitutional Protections Against Corrupt, Foreign Influence: No Person Is Above the Law
Blumenthal led more than 200 of his Congressional colleagues filing a lawsuit against President Trump for his violations of the Foreign Emoluments Clause
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) pressed Judge Barrett on the need to hold presidents accountable in cases of corruption, pointing to President Donald Trump’s repeated violations of the Constitution’s Foreign Emolument’s Clause.
The Foreign Emoluments Clause requires that all elected officials, including the president, seek the “consent of the Congress” before receiving any gifts, payments, or benefits from foreign governments. Recent reports show that Trump has received at least $73 million from foreign sources, including India, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Thailand, and more.
“I hope that you will keep in mind the danger of corruption and the need to give citizens standing to enforce laws that prohibit corruption. Nobody is above the law,” said Blumenthal.
In June 2017, Blumenthal led more than 200 Members of Congress filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against Trump for his ongoing violation of the Foreign Emoluments Clause. The Constitution’s Framers included the Foreign Emoluments Clause to protect against foreign influence on U.S. officials, and to ensure that those officials act in the national interest, instead of their own. Yesterday, the Supreme Court declined to hear the lawmakers’ appeal of a February D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling, which stated that the case lacked legal standing. The ruling did not address the merits of the case.
More information about Blumenthal, Nadler, et al. v. Trump is available here.
-30-