Is Trump using Congress to further family business, interests? Ethics lawyers have a case

US President Donald Trump recently convened a meeting with people who hold key positions in the world of professional golf including the top executive at the PGA Tour Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of LIV Golf, the league that finds support from Saudi.

The purpose of this meeting was to push for a merger of the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a prospect that is currently being considered by the Justice Department. However, the discussion among the golf moguls has raised eyebrows with many ethics lawyers in America suspecting that Trump might be insistent on the joint venture for his own family’s financial gains.

Although Monahan said that the president was asked to be a part of the meeting for “the good of the game and the good of the country”, lawyers and Justice Department prosecutors think that the meeting was a conflict of interest.

Trump and LIV Golf’s ties

The Trump family and Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf go way back. The two are business partners with the Trump family having hosted the golf company at its venues. One such golfing event is planned for April which will be held at the Trump National Doral in Miami.

While presidents are exempt from the conflict of interest laws that apply to the rest of the government, Trump’s recent actions highlight his growing confidence in his second term.

Hui Chen, a former federal prosecutor told the New York Times, “None of this is very surprising unfortunately. The entire force and power of the United States government is now part of the business support structure for the Trump family.”

‘He who saves country does not violate any law’

The recent showdown that led to the dismissal of charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams is a classic example of how federal departments are losing their independence to Trump’s interests.

Last week, the Justice Department instructed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to drop charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams. While Trump has denied involvement in the decision, Adams oversees a large city bureaucracy where Trump’s private company owns multiple properties.

Meanwhile, POTUS has rejected claims that he has been using his position to violate ethics standards. “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law,” Trump said on Truth Social.