Another Obama Executive Order Allows Seizure of Americans' Bank Accounts

[ScienceRocks]

Another Obama Executive Order Allows Seizure of Americans' Bank Accounts
The New America ^ | 10/12/12 | Bob Adelmann

Another Obama Executive Order Allows Seizure of Americans? Bank Accounts

The latest executive order (EO) emanating from the White House October 9 now claims the power to freeze all bank accounts and stop any related financial transactions that a “sanctioned person” may own or try to perform — all in the name of “Iran Sanctions.”

Titled an “Executive Order from the President regarding Authorizing the Implementation of Certain Sanctions…” the order says that if an individual is declared by the president, the secretary of state, or the secretary of the treasury to be a “sanctioned person,” he (or she) will be unable to obtain access to his accounts, will be unable to process any loans (or make them), or move them to any other financial institution inside or outside the United States. In other words, his financial resources will have successfully been completely frozen. The EO expands its authority by making him unable to use any third party such as “a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, subgroup or other organization” that might wish to help him or allow him to obtain access to his funds.

And if the individual so “sanctioned” decides that the ruling is unfair, he isn't allowed to sue. In two words, the individual has successfully been robbed blind.

But it’s all very legal. The EO says the president has his “vested authority” to issue it, and then references endless previous EOs, including one dating back to 1995 which declared a “state of emergency” (which hasn’t been lifted): Executive Order 12957.

EO 12957 was issued by President Bill Clinton on March 15, 1995, which was also obliquely related to the Iran “problem”:

I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, find that the actions and policies of the Government of Iran to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security

 

[Lakhota]

Yep, the Iran sanctions are tough. Thank you, Mr. President. Beats the hell out of invading Iran.

 

[Oldguy]

That would be the 5th EO issued this year relating to Iran sanctions.

Do you have a problem with that?

 

[Stephanie]

well how special, I guess you BETTER HOPE you aren't declared a "sanctioned person" by the dear leader or his Comrades in Arms administration..

remember the left screaming over the patriot act?

 

[Mad Scientist]

That would be the 5th EO issued this year relating to Iran sanctions.

Do you have a problem with that?

Didn't you swear an oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution? When you gonna' start doin' that?

 

[naturegirl]

The problem I have with this is he again has bypassed Congress. He is abusing his power, these EOs should be the job of the legislative branch of government, it's not a function of the Executive branch. I don't care which party you belong to, it's wrong.

 

[emptystep]

That would be the 5th EO issued this year relating to Iran sanctions.

Do you have a problem with that?

Didn't you swear an oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution? When you gonna' start doin' that?

Constitution fundamentalist.

 

[uscitizen]

That would be the 5th EO issued this year relating to Iran sanctions.

Do you have a problem with that?

Didn't you swear an oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution? When you gonna' start doin' that?

Iran is not covered in our constitution.

 

[uscitizen]

Kinda reminds me of George washington gathering militia to enforce the whiskey tax in PA.

 

[Katzndogz]

That's what makes offshore bank accounts so attractive.

This is part of the sanctions against Iran, so YOU prove that you have nothing to do with Iran, or you can't, because if the government says you do, then you do.

 

[Merchant_of_Meh]

The problem I have with this is he again has bypassed Congress. He is abusing his power, these EOs should be the job of the legislative branch of government, it's not a function of the Executive branch. I don't care which party you belong to, it's wrong.

Executive Orders are a function of the Executive Branch of Government. If the system of checks and balances had a way to check this power against that of the Legislative Branch, we would've already have seen it enacted, but since Presidents from both parties have used this function before and therefore recognize the power it holds, neither has wanted it touched and that won't change.

Do you think Romney will find a way to do away with this if he becomes President? Absolutely not.

-------------------------------

As for the OP, I hardly think this is pointed at the modest bank account of a random average joe in Podunksville, USA. Is there a chance someone might get ensnared in this sanction business mistakenly? Sure. The gov't has shown its incredible ineptitude with issues like this before after all with random innocent people getting caught on no-fly lists.

 

[naturegirl]

That would be the 5th EO issued this year relating to Iran sanctions.

Do you have a problem with that?

Didn't you swear an oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution? When you gonna' start doin' that?

Iran is not covered in our constitution.

The original bill to cover these sanctions sailed through congress, yet he feels it's his "right" to do as he pleases.

 

[kaz]

Yep, the Iran sanctions are tough. Thank you, Mr. President. Beats the hell out of invading Iran.

If Obama machine gunned a group of nuns, you'd find a way to rationalize that too. Once intellectual integrity goes, the rest is noise. That's all you are, noise.

 

[uscitizen]

Didn't you swear an oath to Protect and Defend the Constitution? When you gonna' start doin' that?

Iran is not covered in our constitution.

The original bill to cover these sanctions sailed through congress, yet he feels it's his "right" to do as he pleases.

One benefit is that if this went thru congress some other pork or somesuch would be tacked on it.

I thought people wanted our govt ran like a business?

 

[Katzndogz]

The executive order is supposed to be used for ministerial or administrative functions, not to bypass Congress. If that was the function of the executive order, we wouldn't need congress or the senate. Just the word of the dictator.

 

[kaz]

I thought people wanted our govt ran like a business?

Liberals fundamentally don't understand economics. It's counter to your liberal religion. This is an impossible statement, you cannot remove competition and then compare something to a business. What drives business is profitability, which is driven by efficiency which is driven by competition. Government should be minimized, not "run like a business."

 

[Oldguy]

I thought people wanted our govt ran like a business?

Liberals fundamentally don't understand economics. It's counter to your liberal religion. This is an impossible statement, you cannot remove competition and then compare something to a business. What drives business is profitability, which is driven by efficiency which is driven by competition. Government should be minimized, not "run like a business."

And "conservatives" must not fundamentally understand the Constitution or how our government works.

He did not bypass Congress. EO's are not un-Constitutional. This is no conspiracy.

Just because y'all are scratching for some reason to find fault with Obama does not make your ridiculous charges true.

 

[EriktheRed]

I thought people wanted our govt ran like a business?

Liberals fundamentally don't understand economics. It's counter to your liberal religion. This is an impossible statement, you cannot remove competition and then compare something to a business. What drives business is profitability, which is driven by efficiency which is driven by competition. Government should be minimized, not "run like a business."

Kinda funny how people are touting a certain candidate's business experience as a qualification for him to be the country's Chief Exec, then.

 

[kaz]

I thought people wanted our govt ran like a business?

Liberals fundamentally don't understand economics. It's counter to your liberal religion. This is an impossible statement, you cannot remove competition and then compare something to a business. What drives business is profitability, which is driven by efficiency which is driven by competition. Government should be minimized, not "run like a business."

And "conservatives" must not fundamentally understand the Constitution or how our government works.

He did not bypass Congress. EO's are not un-Constitutional. This is no conspiracy.

Just because y'all are scratching for some reason to find fault with Obama does not make your ridiculous charges true.

I'm not a conservative, I'm a libertarian. And EO's are not Unconstitutional themselves, but you can't do anything with them that is unconstitutional and there is no Constitutional authority for seizing bank accounts without due process.

Though you did answer my question in another post where I said the left would rationalize Obama shooting a group of nuns ... it was an Executive Order ...

Sorry EO's are subject to Constitutionality. And not just when your guy is behind the steering wheel. You're just engaging in partisan bickering. You're like the Republicans. When the Constitution serves you, it's a sledge hammer and when it doesn't it's toilet paper. I support it all the time, being a republic to me is far more important then getting the Federal Government to decree what I want on any transactional issue.

 

[CMike]

Great idea.