President-elect Donald Trump’s team insisted Wednesday that his sons aren’t involved in an inauguration-themed event that appeared to promise access in exchange for charitable donations — but even his allies are saying Mr. Trump needs to get a handle on potential conflicts of interest. Fully divorcing from his vast real estate empire will be difficult for the billionaire businessman, said Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House and a Trump backer. But he said the Trump team must quickly figure out what steps it can take. “The longer they wait, the greater the irritation will be and the more concerned people will be,” he said in an interview with NPR published Wednesday. “So it’s not to their advantage to get to the inaugural without having sorted this out.” Please click to read the rest of the story byDavid Sherfinski – The Washington Times
Trump scrambles to untangle business ties as conflict of interest issues loom
Truck crashes into market in Berlin
There has been a truck that has crashed into a market in Berlin. One person has been killed and several injured. This is being treated as a possible terrorist attack. Follow franklincounty-news.com for further updates. There will be a full news story posted as soon as one is available.
Electoral College meeting as we speak
In what is usually a rubber stamp, but the Electoral College is meeting as we speak in the state legislatures in the 50 states. Here is a summary of the events that have happened over the few weeks.
Electors in states that Donald Trump won in the general election have been swayed by supporters of Democratic Candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton using a quote in the Federalist Papers by founding father Alexander Hamilton. They are questioning Trump’s fitness to be president. Here is the quote they cling to in Federalist Papers 68:
“Electors should be men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice.”
The “Hamilton Electors” movement has been spearheaded by electors Brett Chilafio of Colorado and Michael Bacha of Washington. Mrs. Clinton carried both of these states.
Electors from states that president elect Donald Trump carried, have been bombarded with e-mails, letters, and even harassment from the Hamilton Elector movement.
Some states in their constitutions have “faithless elector” clauses in their constitution that duty bounds electors to go with the will of the people in their states. If they do not cast the vote in the will of the people, they can face prosecution.
FranklinCounty-news.com will update this throughout the day.