MONETIZING THE PRESIDENCY

Most Presidents monetize their presidency  but after they are president.  Ronald Reagan famously gave four speeches in Japan for $2 million (http://articles.latimes.com/1989-11-08/local/me-890_1_ronald-reagan).  The Clinton's too became wealthy for giving speeches for fees up to $500,000 for Bill.

President-Elect Donald Trump, however, plans to monetize his time in the White House and we had better either get used to it or eventually impeach him.  Of course, he is a big exception to those running for president all along in that he never released any of his taxes to the voters.

The latest word from President-Elect Donald Trump is that he plans to run his business after he is sworn in as President.  Yes, we will have a part-time president who will meld his business interests into his duties as president.  In spite of what he says, our President-elect will have severe conflict of interest problems and even constitutional violations though he claims a President can't have conflict of interest.*

Although the President, like all other federal officers and employees, is prohibited from receiving 
personal gifts from foreign governments and foreign officials without the consent of Congress 
(U.S. Const., art. I, §9, cl. 8), the President is generally free to accept unsolicited personal gifts 
from the American public.  Most of the restrictions on federal officials accepting gifts from “prohibited sources” (those doing business with, seeking action from, or regulated by one’s agency) are not applicable to the President of the United States (5 C.F.R. §2635.204(j)), although the President may not solicit gifts from such sources. The President, in a similar manner as other federal officials, may also receive unrestricted gifts from relatives and gifts that are given on the basis of personal friendship. When personal gifts accepted by the President or his immediatefamily exceed a certain amount, those gifts are required to be publicly disclosed in financial disclosure reports filed annually by the President. 5 U.S.C. app., §§101(f)(1), 102(a)(2). The President remains subject to the bribery and illegal gratuities law which prohibits the receipt of a gift or of anything of value when that receipt, or the agreement to receive such thing of value, is connected in some way to the performance (or nonperformance) of an official act. *

Trump may already be in congressional violation of soliciting gifts as he is already hawking his Washington, D.C. hotel to foreign diplomats:
About 100 foreign diplomats, from Brazil to Turkey, gathered at the Trump International Hotel this week to sip Trump-branded champagne, dine on sliders and hear a sales pitch about the U.S. president-elect’s newest hotel.**
....................................................................
Some attendees won raffle prizes — among them overnight stays at other Trump properties around the world — allowing them to become better acquainted with the business holdings of the new commander in chief.**

Trump also has already talked about his business partner in Turkey with the President of Turkey Erdogan,***

Of course Trump's daughter  Evanka sitting in with the meetings with the Japanese Pirme-Minister doesn't look good, nor does her hawking her mother's $11,800 duamond and gold bracelet for sale by her company don't look good either.****

* http://billmoyers.com/story/trump-conflict-interest-problem-no-white-house-candidate-ever/
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42662.pdf
** https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/2016/11/18/9da9c572-ad18-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html
***  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-turkey-business_us_5836188ae4b01ba68ac41d9f
**** http://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43660.pdf