Professor Zephyr Teachout was quoted in the Village Voice where she voiced her concern regarding President-elect Trump’s decision to let his children run his business empire.
Teachout, who has written a book on government corruption, noted that Trump isn’t simply violating a “law” by refusing to put his assets in a blind trust — he’s violating the Constitution.
She noted, “It’s like, corruption 101 to give it to his kids,” who have been involved to an unprecedented degree in his transition to the White House.
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“There’s a fundamental conflict between what is best for the Trump organization and what’s best for the country,” she said, adding that foreign interests like Russia and China, who will be chomping at the bit to exploit it, pose a particularly grave threat. “That’s why understanding it as a national security risk is so important. They’re going to leverage that power they have over Trump organizations.”
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“The constitution very overtly says that he can’t be taking foreign payments,” Teachout said. “And so he will be violating the constitution the day he takes office.”
In addition to this obvious conflict, Teachout says that Trump’s hotels present a glaring national security risk. “Every Trump hotel abroad becomes a target,” she said. “It’s creating incredible vulnerabilities for corruption and violence.”
