Attorneys General Believe They Have Standing | Morning Joe

>>> THE ATTORNEYS GENERAL OF MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, D.C.
ARE SUING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, CLAIMING HE HAS
FAILED TO COMPLETELY SEPARATE HIMSELF FROM HIS VAST BUSINESS
EMPIRE. AT THE CENTER OF IT IS THE
LITTLE-KNOWN PIECE OF LAW KNOWN AS THE EMOLUMENTS CLAUSE.
>> WE HAD JN THAN TURLEY ON EARLIER THIS MORNING.
HE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT STANDING.
DO YOU HAVE STANDING? >> WE BELIEVE WE HAVE STANDING
ON TWO BASES, FIRST SOVEREIGN STANDING, THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
ATTORNEY GENERALS TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF THEIR RESIDENTS.
IF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS VIOLATING THE
FUNDAMENT ALAN TIE CORRUPTION LAW KNOWN AS THE EMOLUNTS CLAUSE
TA GIVES US STANDING TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE.
YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT, JOE. THERE IS A NO DOUBT THAT THEY
HAVE A ROLE IN THE EMOLUMENTS CLAUSE.
HE WOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING CHECKS AND BALANCES, THE
PRESIDENT CHECKING HIMSELF, THEN THE STAFF CHECKING THE PRESIDENT
THEN THE REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED CONGRESS CHECKING THE PRESIDENT.
WE KNOW THAT'S NOT HAPPENING. IT'S THE PRESS, THE DEMOCRATIC
ATTORNEY GENERALS AND OTHERS WHO ARE INVOKING THE CONSTITUTION
AND TAKING THESE THINGS TO COURT.
>> ALL RIGHT. HAROLD?
>> GENERAL FROSH, HAROLD FORD. AT THE END OF HIS ANSWER HE SAID
THIS IS A POLITICALLY MOTIVATED LAWSUIT BY TWO ATTORNEYS GENERAL
WHO THE MAJORITY OF THEIR RESIDENTS DIDN'T SUPPORT DONALD
TRUMP AND THEY PERSONALLY DON'T SUPPORT HIM.
NUMBER ONE, HOW DO YOU REACT TO THAT?
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BUILD ON GENERAL RACINE'S POINT,
PLEASE DO. >> FIRST OF ALL, WE'RE WORKING
WITH THE ETHICS ADVISER TO THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND GEORGE
W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION. THE EMOLUMENTS CLAUSE IS THE KEY
ANTI-CORRUPTION CLAUSE IN THE CONSTITUTION.
IT PROTECTS EVERY AMERICAN FROM THE PRESIDENT PUTTING HIS
INTERESTS ABOVE THOSE OF ALL OF THE REST OF US.
I THINK EVERY AMERICAN NEEDS TO KNOW THAT WHEN THE PRESIDENT
SENDS OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS INTO HARM'S WAY HE'S NOT DOING
IT BECAUSE OF HIS BUSINESS INTERESTS.
WE NODE TO KNOW THAT WHEN HE MAKES A DEAL WITH ANOTHER NATION
HE'S NOT DOING IT BECAUSE HE HAS A GOLF COURSE THERE.
THIS IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE. THIS IS AN ISSUE ABOUT
PRESIDENTIAL HONESTY AND THE AVOIDANCE OF CORRUPTION.
>> BRIAN, DOES IT CONCERN YOU AT ALL WHEN PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT THIS
SUIT OR READ ABOUT THIS SUIT THAT THERE'S A GENERAL KNOWLEDGE
THAT THERE IS A BIG LEAGUE INVESTIGATION OF THE PRESIDENT
GOING ON IN BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE AND AS A MAJOR LEAGUER
BOB MUELLER CONDUCTING HIS OWN INVESTIGATION AND THAT PEOPLE
WOULD THINK, MAN, THIS IS JUST NOW ALL POLITICS?
THEY'RE JUST JUMPING ON THIS POOR GUY BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS
DIVIDED AND A LOT OF TRUMP SUPPORTERS WILL REFUSE TO
BELIEVE ALMOST ANYTHING SAID OR FILED AGAINST HIM.
DOES THAT CONCERN YOU AT ALL? >> WHAT CONCERNS ME IS YOU HAVE
A PRESIDENT WHO IS DOING SO MANY THINGS THAT VIOLATE HIS OATH OF
OATH OF OFFICE. SPECIFICALLY, THE EMOLUMENTS
CLAUSE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PROTECTIONS WE HAVE IN
THE CONSTITUTION. MUELLER MAY BE LOOKING AT THINGS
THAT RELATE TO THAT. THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION MAY
UNVEIL SOME PAYMENTS THAT HE'S RECEIVED, TREATMENT HE'S
RECEIVED FROM RUSSIA THAT AFFECT HIS CONDUCT, BUT OUR LAWSUIT IS
ABOUT THINGS THAT WE KNOW HAVE HAPPENED.
WE KNOW HE'S RECEIVING PAYMENTS FROM CHINA.
WE KNOW HE'S RECEIVING PAYMENTS FROM SAUDI ARABIA, FROM QATAR,
FROM AFGHANISTAN, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTRIES.
AND WE KNOW HE'S MARKETING HIS PROPERTIES ADDITION.
>> SO, LET ME INTERRUPT YOU. WOULDN'T YOU HAVE TO PROVE HE'S
GETTING MORE THAN MARKET VALUE OR MAYBE, PERHAPS, THOSE
PAYMENTS HAVE INCREASED EXPONENTIALLY SINCE HE BECAME
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES? >> WELL, HE'S PROVED THAT
HIMSELF. I MEAN, HE GOT ELECTED
PRESIDENT. HE DOUBLED THE FEES AT
MAR-A-LAGO, THAT'S HIS FLORIDA RESORT, FROM $100,000 TO
$200,000. HE DOUBLED THE PRICE OF THE
ROOMS AT THE TRUMP HOTEL IN WASHINGTON.
AND HE HE BRAGS ABOUT WHAT A GREAT NEGOTIATOR HE IS, THAT
CHINA IS ONE OF HIS BIGGEST TENANTS.
HE HIMSELF HAS TESTIMONY -- >> BUT HE BRAGGED ABOUT CHINA
BEING ONE OF HIS BIGGEST TENANTS DURING THE CAMPAIGN.
I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING, IF YOU GO BEFORE THE COURT, DOESN'T
JANUARY 20th HAVE TO BE THE CUTOFF DATE AND YOU SHOW THERE'S
BEEN AN INCREASE EXPONENTIALLY FROM FOREIGN POWERS IN MONEY
THAT'S GONE TO THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION?
>> JOE, INC. YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.
JANUARY 20th IS THE KEY DATE. THAT'S THE DATE ON WHICH THE
PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO PUT IN A CREDIBLE
DIVESTMENT PLAN. THE FACT HE HASN'T, THE FACT
HE'S SO WILLING ENTHUSIASTICALLY ACCEPT MONEY FROM FOREIGN
COUNTRY WHO IS CLEARLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN INFLUENCING AMERICAN
POLICY IS WHY WE'RE FILING THIS LAWSUIT.
>> STEVE RATTNER. >> HE INCREASED THOSE FEES AT
MAR-A-LAGO SHORTLY BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED, NOT AFTER.
THE PRESIDENT CAN BE SUED CIVILLY.
SEE YOU'RE GOING TO SUBPOENA HIS TAX RECORDS AND OTHER
INTERESTING DOCUG DOCUMENTS. WHAT DO YOU SEE THE TIMELINE FOR
THIS CASE? WHEN DO YOU THINK THIS WILL BE
IN COURT IN A WAY WHERE WITH WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON
WITH THE PRESIDENT, HIS GUESTS, HIS TAXES AND BUSINESSES?
>> THIS WILL BE AN EXTEND THE CIVIL LITIGATION.
PRESIDENT HAS 60 DAYS TO ANSWER TO OUR COMPLAINT.
WE EXPECT THE PRESIDENT AND THE DEPARTMENT TO FILE A MOTION TO
DISMISS. I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT A
PERIOD OF MONTHS. DURING THAT TIME FRAME, WE WILL
BE SEEKING DISCOVERY. >>

Attorneys General Believe They Have Standing | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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