Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he had “problems” with his opponent former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden actions.
Host Jake Tapper asked, “Do you think it’s acceptable for the child of a president or vice president to be sitting on the board of a foreign company while their parent is conducting foreign policy?”
Booker said, “Look, I have a lot of beliefs about ethics rules and the needs for our government of the United States to go far further in the rules that we have. But the fact that the Republicans right now are trying to use this and distract from the president of the United States and his own actions is to me incredible. And so, yeah, I have problems with the way things happen. I have problems with congresspeople coming in and leaving their office and walking right out the door and going to work for lobbying firms. There are a lot of things I see in Washington that need changing, and I intend to bring a whole new suite of ethics laws to the White House when I get there.”
Tapper asked, “It sounds like your suggesting that in a Booker administration the child of a president or vice president, it would not be okay for them to be joining foreign boards while the president or vice president is conducting foreign policy as required by the law. Am I hearing you incorrectly or hearing you correctly?”
Booker added, “Look, I’m watching what’s going on with the Trump family right now, and Trump properties and I just find that deeply offensive to just any kind of independent sense of what’s honorable, ethical, not to mention inconsistent with the Emoluments Clause. I just don’t think children of presidents, vice presidents during the administration should be out there doing that.”
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