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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTeam Trump lied about Rockefeller at "press conference"
http://www.vox.com/2017/1/11/14238592/trump-nelson-rockefeller..."Sheri Dillon, the lead attorney hired by Donald Trump to help advise him on his financial conflicts of interest, decided to offhandedly say something false about former Vice President Nelson Rockefeller.
Rockefeller, a longtime governor of New York and leader of the Republican Partys moderate wing, became vice president under unusual circumstances. Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace, which elevated Gerald Ford to the presidency and created a vacancy, which Rockefeller filled.
Rockefeller was very rich, an heir to the famous Rockefeller fortune which posed some potential financial conflicts of interest. Dillon characterized the similarity between the situations this way: You know, the business empire built by President-elect Trump over the years is massive, not dissimilar to the fortunes of Nelson Rockefeller when he became vice president. But at that time, no one was so concerned.
It is simply not true that no one was so concerned. On the contrary, in a September 1974 article, Linda Charlton reported for the New York Times: Rockefeller Vows Full Cooperation.
Vice President‐designate Nelson A. Rockefeller, arriving for the start, tomorrow morning of his confirmation hearing, said again today that he would be delighted to do whatever Congress asked to resolve any potential conflict of interestincluding placing his holdings in a blind trust.".......
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)hey, howcum she didn't mention Kennedy-- who was actually President.
Or either Roosevelt, both of whom went into office with a few bucks.
erpowers
(9,350 posts)Much of Trump's fortune was inherited. Donald's dad started the Trump organization and Donald eventually inherited the company. Yes, Donald continued to grow the company, but he mainly just built upon what his dad started. How would it be any harder to put Trump's assets in a bling trust than it was to put Rockefeller's assets in a trust?
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)active companies, international trade, buildings, etc. And not a lot of debt.
Trump's deals are complicated-- he doesn't even own his own building. He does own a few, with huge mortgages, but most of the time he owns part of the lease, part of the building (or golf course), part of the lot the building is on... and much of that is overseas. It would not be easy to unravel all that, cash out, and put it in a blind trust.
JFK, Both Roosevelt's, and both Bushes were in the same place as Rocky-- they had big bucks, but most of the money was in stocks, bonds, and trusts, so it was easy to put in trust, or at least watch it.
erpowers
(9,350 posts)Nelson Rockefeller was going to be Vice President during an era when the Vice President still did not have much power. Back then, Vice Presidents were just Presidents in waiting. They did not have major roles in government. Donald Trump will be President. His role puts him in a position where he will have to make decisions and he will be able to push for certain people and/or companies to get certain jobs and certain contracts.