Kara Sears
President Donald Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter could amount to an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen. This could be a violation of federal law, which states it is illegal to knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation. However, some sources suggest that Trump's request may not have broken any laws.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Federal law | It is illegal to "knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation |
| Trump's request | Not for campaign cash, but for an "in kind" contribution that would be of more value |
| Example | Damaging information that could be weaponized against Biden, a potential 2020 rival |
| Impoundment Control Act of 1974 | A Nixon-era federal law that requires the president to get permission from Congress to withhold discretionary spending |
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What You'll Learn
- Trump's Ukraine call could violate campaign finance laws
- Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could be an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen
- Trump could refuse to spend the agency's foreign-aid funds, but this would likely conflict with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974
- Trump's legal team would argue that the Constitution gives the President a right to impound funds
- The Trump Administration might be planning to ask Congress to pass legislation to dissolve USAID
Trump's Ukraine call could violate campaign finance laws
President Donald Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son could amount to an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen. Federal law states it is illegal to “knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation”. Trump’s request was not for campaign cash, but what’s referred to as an “in kind” contribution that would arguably be of more value — damaging information that could be weaponized against Biden, a potential 2020 rival.
Trump's request to Ukraine could be seen as a violation of campaign finance laws. The former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, spearheaded Trump’s effort to obtain information on Biden and his son Hunter, who did work for a Ukrainian gas company while his father was vice president. House Democrats are pursuing an impeachment inquiry into efforts by Trump and Giuliani.
Trump could refuse to spend the agency’s foreign-aid funds, but doing so would likely conflict with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, a Nixon-era federal law that requires the president to get permission from Congress to withhold discretionary spending. It may ultimately set up a Supreme Court battle over the President’s authority to withhold funds appropriated by Congress.
It is not clear whether Trump's request to Ukraine breaks any laws. The Justice Department has already opined in the context of the request, and it is seen as a solicitation of information.
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Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could be an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen
President Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine could be an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen. Federal law states it is illegal to "knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation". Although Trump's request was not for campaign cash, it was for an "in kind" contribution that would arguably be of more value – damaging information that could be weaponized against Biden, a potential 2020 rival.
Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could be seen as a solicitation of a foreign leader to investigate a potential political rival. This could be seen as a violation of campaign finance laws. However, the Justice Department has opined that the request does not break any laws.
Trump's legal team might argue that the Constitution gives the President the right to impound funds. They could cite Thomas Jefferson's halting of funding for gunboats to patrol the Mississippi River as a precedent. However, refusing to spend the agency's foreign-aid funds would likely conflict with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, a Nixon-era federal law that requires the President to get permission from Congress to withhold discretionary spending.
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Trump could refuse to spend the agency's foreign-aid funds, but this would likely conflict with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974
Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son could amount to an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen.
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Trump's legal team would argue that the Constitution gives the President a right to impound funds
Trump's request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was not for campaign cash, but for an "in-kind" contribution that would arguably be of more value — damaging information that could be weaponized against Biden, a potential 2020 rival. This could amount to an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen, which is prohibited by federal law.
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The Trump Administration might be planning to ask Congress to pass legislation to dissolve USAID
It is unclear whether Trump broke any laws by asking foreign leaders to investigate his political rivals. However, his request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine could be seen as soliciting an "in kind" contribution that would be of more value than a cash donation. This could violate federal law, which states it is illegal to "knowingly solicit, accept, or receive from a foreign national any contribution or donation".
Trump's legal team could argue that the "Constitution gives the President a right to impound funds", and cite Thomas Jefferson's decision to halt funding for gunboats to patrol the Mississippi River. However, if Trump refuses to spend the agency's foreign-aid funds, he may conflict with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which requires the president to get permission from Congress to withhold discretionary spending. This could set up a Supreme Court battle over the President's authority to withhold funds appropriated by Congress.
To avoid this conflict, the Trump Administration might be planning to ask Congress to pass legislation to dissolve USAID. However, it would be difficult for such a bill to get the necessary support from 60 Senators to overcome an all-but-certain filibuster.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the Justice Department has opined in the context of the request. However, if he were to refuse to spend the agency's foreign-aid funds, this would likely conflict with the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, a Nixon-era federal law that requires the president to get permission from Congress to withhold discretionary spending.
No, the Justice Department has opined in the context of the request. However, his request to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could be seen as an illegal request for a campaign contribution from a foreign citizen.
A Nixon-era federal law that requires the president to get permission from Congress to withhold discretionary spending.
They would argue that the "Constitution gives the President a right to impound funds" and cite how Thomas Jefferson halted funding for gunboats to patrol the Mississippi River.
Congress could pass legislation to dissolve USAID, though it would be difficult for such a bill to get the necessary support from 60 Senators to overcome an all-but-certain filibuster.
