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People Are Paying $5M and $1M to Dine with Donald Trump

13 points by westurner 2y ago

westurner 2y ago
Sleaziest thing I've ever heard! Isn't that illegal influence peddling? For the record, when Buffet auctions a meeting for pay it's for charity; and he's not on the clock as a public servant.
- westurner 2y ago
  For context, Change.org (2007) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change.org We The People (2009-01) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_People_(petitioning_system) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_People_(petitioning_sys... : > The right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" is guaranteed by the United States Constitution's First Amendment. [...] > Overview > Thresholds: Under the Obama administration's rules, a petition had to reach 150 signatures (Dunbar's Number) within 30 days to be searchable on WhiteHouse.gov, according to Tom Cochran, former director of digital technology. [8] It had to reach 100,000 signatures within 30 days to receive an official response. [9] The original threshold was set at 5,000 signatures on September 1, 2011,[10] was raised to 25,000 on October 3, 2011, [11] and raised again to 100,000 as of January 15, 2013. [12] The White House typically would not comment when a petition concerned an ongoing investigation. [13]
  - westurner 2y ago
    > Sleaziest Sorry, that's ad hominem (name calling) but not a valid argument. Is it civilly or criminally illegal for the standing president to do "sell the plate" fundraisers for PACs that aren't kickbacks? Where is the current record of such receipts? Kickback (bribery): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickback_(bribery) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickback_(bribery) Influence peddling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence_peddling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence_peddling US Constitution > Article II > Section 4: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/#article-2-section-4 https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/#ar... > The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Impeachment in the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_Stat... : > The Constitution limits grounds of impeachment to "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors", [2] but does not itself define "high crimes and misdemeanors". Presumably, Bribery needn't be defined in the Constitution because such laws and rules are the business of the Legislative and the Judicial branches, and such rules apply to all people.
- MattGaiser 2y ago
  Buffett is not a public servant in any way, on or off the clock. He is entirely a private citizen.
  - westurner 2y ago
    I agree. As a fund or holding company manager, Mr. Buffet has a fiduciary obligation to shareholders.
    - cmurf 2y ago
      The president has a fiduciary obligation to the country. https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-132/faithful-execution-and-article-ii/ https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-132/faithful-executio...
      - westurner 2y ago
        In terms of fiduciary and Constitutional - or Constitutional (including fiduciary) - obligations, is there any penalty for violating an Oath of Office? US Constitution > Article II.S1.C8.1 "Oath of Office for the Presidency": https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1-5/ALDE_00013936/ https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1... : > Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:– I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. US Constitution > Article II.S1.C8.1.5 "Violation of the Presidential Oath" https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1-5/ALDE_00013936/ https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1... Oath of office of the president of the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_president_of_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_presiden...
        cmurf 2y ago
        Impeachment, removal from office, being barred from ever holding office again. Those are separate but need to happen in order. That’s the limit of it, by design I think. The lack of criminality or even civil offense means the job is predicated on trust to achieve political goals. Once trust is lost, the individual must be removed from office or immense damage will ensue.
MaxSebasti 2y ago
The question is what are they getting in return?

13 points by westurner 2y ago

Sleaziest thing I've ever heard! Isn't that illegal influence peddling? For the record, when Buffet auctions a meeting for pay it's for charity; and he's not on the clock as a public servant.

westurner 2y ago
For context, Change.org (2007) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Change.org We The People (2009-01) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_People_(petitioning_system) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_the_People_(petitioning_sys... : > The right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" is guaranteed by the United States Constitution's First Amendment. [...] > Overview > Thresholds: Under the Obama administration's rules, a petition had to reach 150 signatures (Dunbar's Number) within 30 days to be searchable on WhiteHouse.gov, according to Tom Cochran, former director of digital technology. [8] It had to reach 100,000 signatures within 30 days to receive an official response. [9] The original threshold was set at 5,000 signatures on September 1, 2011,[10] was raised to 25,000 on October 3, 2011, [11] and raised again to 100,000 as of January 15, 2013. [12] The White House typically would not comment when a petition concerned an ongoing investigation. [13]
- westurner 2y ago
  > Sleaziest Sorry, that's ad hominem (name calling) but not a valid argument. Is it civilly or criminally illegal for the standing president to do "sell the plate" fundraisers for PACs that aren't kickbacks? Where is the current record of such receipts? Kickback (bribery): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickback_(bribery) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickback_(bribery) Influence peddling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence_peddling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influence_peddling US Constitution > Article II > Section 4: https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/#article-2-section-4 https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-2/#ar... > The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. Impeachment in the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_in_the_United_Stat... : > The Constitution limits grounds of impeachment to "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors", [2] but does not itself define "high crimes and misdemeanors". Presumably, Bribery needn't be defined in the Constitution because such laws and rules are the business of the Legislative and the Judicial branches, and such rules apply to all people.
MattGaiser 2y ago
Buffett is not a public servant in any way, on or off the clock. He is entirely a private citizen.
- westurner 2y ago
  I agree. As a fund or holding company manager, Mr. Buffet has a fiduciary obligation to shareholders.
  - cmurf 2y ago
    The president has a fiduciary obligation to the country. https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-132/faithful-execution-and-article-ii/ https://harvardlawreview.org/print/vol-132/faithful-executio...
    - westurner 2y ago
      In terms of fiduciary and Constitutional - or Constitutional (including fiduciary) - obligations, is there any penalty for violating an Oath of Office? US Constitution > Article II.S1.C8.1 "Oath of Office for the Presidency": https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1-5/ALDE_00013936/ https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1... : > Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:– I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. US Constitution > Article II.S1.C8.1.5 "Violation of the Presidential Oath" https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1-5/ALDE_00013936/ https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artII-S1-C8-1... Oath of office of the president of the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_president_of_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath_of_office_of_the_presiden...
      - cmurf 2y ago
        Impeachment, removal from office, being barred from ever holding office again. Those are separate but need to happen in order. That’s the limit of it, by design I think. The lack of criminality or even civil offense means the job is predicated on trust to achieve political goals. Once trust is lost, the individual must be removed from office or immense damage will ensue.

MaxSebasti 2y ago

The question is what are they getting in return?