Emoluments Suit vs. Trump Now Personal as Well as Official

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — Attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia on Friday expanded their lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of accepting gifts from foreign and state governments, suing him not only as president but in his personal capacity as a businessman.

Legal experts say the move takes the "emoluments" clause of the Constitution into uncharted legal waters, since it has been interpreted as only applying to presidents in their official capacity.

"The conventional understanding is that once the president is sworn in ... everything he does is official, so he doesn't have a personal capacity any longer. That's kind of the assumption, but that could be wrong," said Mark Brown, a constitutional law expert at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Maryland, is one of several recent cases challenging Trump's ties to his business ventures and his refusal to divest from them. The suits allege that foreign governments' use of Trump's hotels and other properties violates the Constitution's emoluments clause, which bans the president's acceptance of foreign gifts and money without Congress' permission. The clause has never been fully tested in federal court and Trump's Justice Department attorneys have argued that hotel room stays do not represent "foreign gifts."

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/02/23/us/politics/ap-us-trump-foreign-payments-lawsuit.html

[fierywoman]

1. It's been a fine Friday.

[TexasTowelie]

2. It almost makes me want to take back all those bad things I said about attorneys.

Just kidding, I respect the work and services that they provide.

[brer cat]

13. You do not want to get on Gothmog's bad side.

[thbobby]

3. trump will implode like a rotten egg

As more pressure builds, the grifter in chief will become exponentially more volatile. When the rotten core comes oozing or exploding out, the putrid shit will taint America and perhaps the world for an unforeseeable time. I hope we survive.

[riversedge]

9. peeuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!

[joshdawg]

4. Lock him up!

and the rest of his crooked "administration."

[BigmanPigman]

5. There are no ethics in the W House.

Walter Shaub, former Ethics Chief resigned last year. He hung in there. Conflict of interest was his initial focus when the moron's admin came in. No one in Congress would ever use the Emoluments Clause against him even though he was/is obviously profiting financially in his personal businesses due to his position as POTUS.

[FakeNoose]

6. Which lucky person gets to 'splain this to Cheeto?

He's been breaking the Emoluments laws since he walked into the White House.
While they're at it, they should 'splain nepotism too.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. emoluments

Please tell me that's a real photo of a projection onto TrumPutin's building!

The whole family is selling the office. It's a grifter's dream.

Lock 'em all up.

[FakeNoose]

11. Yes somebody is beaming a laser projection on the Trump DC Hotel

That is an actual un-shopped picture, and the hotel can't make them take down the projection.
I think the hotel tried to sue the guys who are doing it, and it's not coming down.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. love it! thanks!

[Hugin]

7. "The clause has never been fully tested in federal court..."

I take this to mean every single one of the 44 previous Presidents of the United States had more ethics and understanding of the requirements and responsibilities of the office than Trump.

Every single President. Amazing.

[Scarsdale]

8. The biggest gift

from overseas was the presidency, given to him by Putin. It has enabled the entire family to expand their businesses, plus do it at the expense of US taxpayers. Why do taxpayers have to pay for their protection, when they are making money hand over fist, ignoring laws? The "kids" have as much self awareness, and self entitlement as their despicable, fat and repulsive father. If anyone in the gop had a spine, they would step up and tell the TRUTH about this fraud.