Congressman Smith Statement on President-Elect Trump’s Continued Alarming Conflicts of Interest
Prior to the election of Donald Trump, Presidents have historically removed themselves from business dealings to avoid even the appearance of conflicts of interest. President-elect Trump’s lack of concern for real or perceived conflicts of interest through the business he inherited is unprecedented and deeply troubling. Following his election, Donald Trump said he would separate himself from his business. He has failed to do so. His decision has raised immediate ethical and legal issues that will only serve to distract from his responsibilities as the President of the United States.
Our country deserves to know how the President-elect will handle his business conflicts. Unfortunately, because the President-elect has not released his taxes, as promised, we don’t fully know the extent to which his business dealings could impact his Presidency. By choosing to postpone a Press Conference originally planned for December 15th, the President-elect has shown he is unwilling to face very legitimate questions about how he will lead our country without the danger posed by conflicts of interest.
Before his inauguration, Trump must prove his commitment to transparency, and explain how he plans to completely separate himself from his business dealings. Trump has assured the American people that he will cut ties with his businesses because ‘the Presidency is a far more important task,’ and I plan to do everything that I can to hold him to that promise.”