Liz Wahl
Inside The Fight To Uncover Trump's Financial Conflicts Of Interest
Attorney generals are taking on Trump's conflicts of interest because they say Congress isn't doing its job as a check on the president.
LEARN MOREIvanka Trump is first daughter, an adviser to the president and still a global businesswoman who profits from international deals. And that presents some serious conflicts of interest.
"Go buy Ivanka's stuff is what I would tell you," White House adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News earlier this year. "I'm just going to give a free commercial here. Go buy it today everybody you can find it online."
The president's daughter has her own office in the West Wing. She controversially sat in for her father at the G-20 meeting with world leaders in Germany. And on the same day she sat next to the Chinese president at her father's resort, China approved three trademarks for her clothing and jewelry company.
The New York Times reports that she and her husband, also a top adviser to the president, have a business empire worth $761 million. They continue to profit while serving in the White House. Ivanka's brand has raked in at least $12.6 million since early 2016.
She's also getting millions from her stake in the Trump Organization and the Trump International Hotel. Ethics and legal experts argue the hotel, just blocks from the White House, is a conflict of interest for the family.
"There's no doubt that there are facts and evidence that exist that foreign governments have been frequenting his businesses, including the hotel and its restaurant, for the purpose of currying favor to the president of the United States," said Mark Zaid, an attorney representing a local D.C. business suing the president's hotel over unfair competition.
There are several lawsuits underway, including from the attorney general of D.C., alleging President Trump is engaging in unfair competition and violating the emoluments clause of the Constitution.
"It's the first anti-corruption law that actually appears in the U.S Constitution," D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said. "It bars any federal office holder from receiving monies from foreign nations."
A San Francisco clothing business is suing Ivanka for unfair competition. But only her father is facing lawsuits for violating the emoluments clause.
