Trump family deal spree could open door for future presidents to profit from office

submitted by MicroWave to politics 242 points | 55 comments https://apnews.com/article/trump-organization-crypto-conflict-eric-deals-863d8850f536df291391e949ba1bc00e For decades, presidents avoided even the appearance of profiting from their office. Harry Truman refused to lend his name to any business, even in retirement. Richard Nixon so feared a brother might profit off their ties, he had his phone tapped. And George W. Bush dumped his individual stock holdings before taking office. Donald Trump is taking a different approach. The family real estate business is undergoing the fastest overseas expansion since its founding a century ago, each deal potentially shaping everything from tariffs to military aid. Led by Eric, and his brother, Donald Jr., the family business has expanded into cryptocurrencies with ventures that brought in billions of dollars but raised questions about whether some big investors received favorable treatment in return.