Photo, above: Barack Hussein bowing before the Saudi king, and accepting what appears to be a gold Flava Flav Clock
By Thomas Madison
Maybe I’m mistaken, but I thought accepting lavish gifts as a government official was strictly forbidden.
In 2014 the Barack Hussein family accepted $1.2 million in gifts, much of it from the royal family of Saudi Arabia.
Conflict of interest, anyone? How about clear and blatant bribery? How about jail time if you or I or anyone other than a member of the Barack Hussein family accepts lavish gifts from foreign governments? There are clearly rules for the rest of us and, well, no rules at all for the Husseins.
Hussein’s official 2008 campaign slogan, “Hope and Change” has morphed into “Hypocrisy and Corruption!”
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From the United States Office of Government Ethics:
Gifts from Outside Sources
Executive branch employees are subject to restrictions on the gifts that they may accept from sources outside the Government. Unless an exception applies, executive branch employees may not accept gifts that are given because of their official positions or that come from certain interested sources (“prohibited sources”).
Definition of “Gift”
A “gift” is defined to mean anything of monetary value, and specifically includes “transportation, local travel, lodgings and meals, whether provided in-kind, by purchase of a ticket, payment in advance, or reimbursement after the expense has been incurred.
Definition of “Prohibited Source”
A prohibited source is a person (or an organization made up of such persons) who:
- is seeking official action by, is doing business or seeking to do business with, or is regulated by the employee’s agency, or
- has interests that may be substantially affected by performance or nonperformance of the employee’s official duties.
Exceptions to Gift Rule
There are a few exceptions to the prohibition on gifts from outside sources. These exceptions allow an employee to accept:
- a gift valued at $20 or less, provided that the total value of gifts from the same person is not more than $50 in a calendar year
- a gift motivated solely by a family relationship or personal friendship
- a gift based on an employee’s or his spouse’s outside business or employment relationships, including a gift customarily provided by a prospective employer as part of bona fide employment discussions
- a gift provided in connection with certain political activities
- gifts of free attendance at certain widely attended gatherings, provided that the agency has determined that attendance is in the interest of the agency