Moving beyond Mueller, Democrats focus on Trump’s properties

Casting their Trump nets beyond the special counsel’s Russia report, House Democrats are demanding information about the spending of taxpayer money at the president’s hotels and properties. They’re seeing violations of the US Constitution that some think could bolster the case for his impeachment.

The Democrats describe Pence’s visit and the possibility that next year’s Group of Seven summit will be held at Trump’s Miami-area Doral golf resort, as corrupting the presidency. Payments from foreign officials are particularly troubling, they say, considering the emoluments clause in the Constitution that bans the president from taking gifts from other governments.

The Democrats insist they are not pivoting their investigations away from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia report, which did not exonerate the president of the obstruction of justice. But with many of their subpoenas bogged down in court, and Mueller’s findings fading in the public’s attention, a soft reboot is clearly underway, with a new focus on other allegations of possible wrongdoing by the president that lawmakers feel may resonate even more with the public.

Aside from reviewing his use of his properties, the Judiciary panel is also expected to investigate hush-money payments that Trump paid to kill potentially embarrassing stories, and has subpoenaed the Department of Homeland Security to explore whether the president offered pre-emptive pardons for lawbreaking. More subpoenas are likely.

Looming over it all is the decision that has dogged Democrats since the 2016 elections: whether to move forward with Trump’s impeachment, a step many on the left argue is long overdue but Pelosi has resisted. Other Democrats argue that impeachment is a process without a payoff because the Republican-led Senate would never remove the president from office.

Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

German Finance Minister Scholz vows to respect any SPD decision to quit Merkel’s coalitionBERLIN - German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Thursday he would respect any decision by his center-left Social Democrats (SPD) to quit conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition.
Source: manilabulletin - 🏆 25. / 51 Read more »

Trump to meet with USDA, EPA officials about biofuels plan: sourcesUS President Donald Trump is expected to meet with Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency officials late Thursday to consider a plan that would include boosting biofuels requirements for 2020 by 1 billion gallons, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
Source: manilabulletin - 🏆 25. / 51 Read more »

Trump presents Medal of Freedom to NBA's Jerry West - The Manila TimesWASHINGTON,D.C.: NBA Legend Jerry West was honored on Thursday with the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Source: TheManilaTimes - 🏆 2. / 92 Read more »

Canada accepts nomination of new China envoy as dispute ragesOTTAWA- Canada has accepted the nomination of a new Chinese ambassador, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters on Thursday, describing the move as a step forward amid a major dispute between the two nations.
Source: manilabulletin - 🏆 25. / 51 Read more »

Owner of dive boat where 34 died seeks to head off lawsuitsLOS ANGELES — The owners of the dive boat where 34 people perished in a fire off Southern California filed a lawsuit Thursday to head off potentially costly litigation, a move condemned by some observers as disrespectful to the families of the dead.
Source: manilabulletin - 🏆 25. / 51 Read more »

US voices concern over Myanmar army’s lawsuit against religious leaderWASHINGTON - The United States said on Thursday it was deeply concerned about the Myanmar army’s filing of a lawsuit against a religious leader who told President Donald Trump the military oppressed Christians in the Buddhist-majority country.
Source: manilabulletin - 🏆 25. / 51 Read more »