Trump's businesses could trip insider-trading law

[highplainsdem]

Source: Politico

Democrats are exploring a new strategy to pressure Donald Trump over his business conflicts of interest, arguing that an insider trading law would make it a crime for him to profit on information he learns as president.

The STOCK Act, adopted in 2012, was designed to restrict insider trading by members of Congress and their staff. But ethics lawyers say it also applies to the president and might extend to private holdings like Trump’s real estate ventures.

Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York, who wrote the law, is having her staff meet with outside experts and Democrats on the House oversight committee this week to study how the law could apply to Trump’s White House. Of particular interest is how Trump might violate the law if he told his children information that they acted on or invited them to participate in a government meeting where they learned something and used the information to make money.

“Donald Trump is not above the law, and I will be working with my colleagues in Congress over the coming weeks and months to ensure this law is enforced as strongly as possible,” Slaughter said, “so we can hold him accountable for any ethical or legal transgressions.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trumps-businesses-insider-trading-232660

[greymattermom]

1. He will ignore everything

how can he be held accountable?

[Midnight Writer]

2. Exactly. Congress, Courts, rich establishment, corporations are all in his pocket

[lark]

8. Sue him!

Take it to the SCOTUS before he gets his weasley, Russia loving, democracy hating pick on it. Roberts has shown the ability to think over his party's actions and go against them if they don't make sense. Don't think he will take kindly to Drumpf breaking the law with inside trader information. The hotel in DC is a prime example where he will be breaking the law on day 1. Sue him over it, force his hand. See what Drumpf does with the independent judiciary, should be very, very interesting.

[world wide wally]

3. I think we need to pursue every act he commits with constant moves for impeachment until the people

are so sick of hearing about it, they finally open their fucking eyes… and hope it registers with their brains.
Trump fatigue can't be hard to reach.

[no_hypocrisy]

4. A law is meaningless without enforcement.

Will the Republicans in the House and the Senate go after Trump when he breaks the law once, twice, ad infinitum?

[Vinca]

5. I suggested to my husband that I might try some day trading during the Trump years.

He tweets about a company, it tanks. Next day it's back up. He's already tweeting about another company and it's taking a nose dive. I figure if you stuck to a rule of holding no more than 18 hours and then selling, you might profit off of Trump's tiny, little fingers and twitter obsession.

[DK504]

6. "Could" trip?

It already has tripped the side to the Illegitimate Putin Puppet. He is actively courting any one that may have business with his "administration" / crime organization to stay in his hotels and resorts.

Congress needs to be all over this. I kept hearing crickets from DC.

[treestar]

7. problem is how to prosecute him for it

if the prosecution has to begin in his own cabinet.

[lindysalsagal]

9. People who know this stuff can probably dig up loads of real violations

And I certainly hope they will, and that our side supports them.

There's been too much forgiveness in the past. No more Mr. Nice Guy: They're not going to work with us so we have nothing to lose.