While we all enjoy having a bit of extra cash in our pockets.

Elected officials like the president aren't technically allowed to enrich themselves through their positions.

In the Constitution, the Domestic and Foreign Emoluments Clauses state that the president shall not receive additional emoluments from the United States beyond their wages, and that without the consent of the Congress, they cannot accept any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind from any king, prince, or foreign state.

The word emoluments is a broad term that describes any wages, perks, bonuses, and financial gains connected to a position.

These stipulations seem clear on the surface, but there are a few exceptions and gray areas.

Income from preexisting, passive-investments and business ventures for example, are allowed.

This also applies to any business ventures after your time in office, such as book deals.

In fact, many presidents make significantly more money through these book deals and public speaking events than they ever did as president.

One gray area that has received significant attention over the years is congressional insider trading.

This is a huge concern, as elected officials may possess market information that isn't yet publicly available.

While the emoluments clauses do not specifically ban stock trading, there are other laws in place that aim to stop this practice.

The Stock Act for example, should prevent members of Congress from using insider information to make stock trades.

However, the enforcement mechanisms of the act are so weak that it's more of a polite request than a law.

Amendments to address the weakness of the Stock Act have been proposed in the past, but none have reached the finish line.

A 2023 study by the Program for Public Consultation found that 86% of voters would support a congressional stock trade ban.

Another blind spot that is sure to be litigated in the future is cryptocurrencies.

President Trump, who said it “Seems like a scam” as recently as 2021, began his cryptocurrency ventures in 2024 with the launch of World Liberty Financial.

Since beginning his second term, Trump has continued to promote the WLF cryptocurrency while reducing existing crypto regulations.

In early 2025, his meme coin had a competition, where the top 25 holders could earn a chance to have dinner with him at his golf club in Washington, DC.

Critics like Senator Chris Murphy have said that it was “the most brazenly corrupt thing a president has ever done” and subsequently introduced the Modern Emoluments Malfeasance Enforcement Act, which seeks to broaden the legal definition of emoluments and tighten restrictions for elected officials.

But what do you think?

Should elected officials be allowed to trade stocks and accept crypto investments freely while in office?

Or should they stick to book deals and speeches after the fact?

Simple Civics.

Brought to you in part by the Indiana State Teachers Association.