Appeals court taking on whether Trump is violating the Constitution with his business dealings

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

A federal appeals court is set to wrestle on Tuesday with the legal future of a lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of violating the Constitution by profiting from his business dealings with foreign countries seeking to curry favor with his administration.

The arguments in the so-called foreign emoluments case test largely uncharted areas of constitutional law, but also serve as a reminder of the numerous ethical challenges Trump’s administration has faced, with a series of Cabinet members departing under clouds of scandal.

The suit that is going before a three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday was filed jointly in 2017 by the attorneys general of Maryland and Washington, D.C.

At the outset of Trump’s presidency, many ethics experts urged him to divest himself of his far-flung business empire, but he refused. Instead, Trump turned over day-to-day control of his businesses to two of his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/19/trump-emoluments-lawsuit-1226687

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

1. Fat Donnie has totally divested himself of day-to-day control of Trump Organisation.

That's why Eric only makes quarterly reports to his father.

[mpcamb]

2. This should have happened on Day 1.

[Paladin]

3. This is way the hell overdue. (nt)

[getagrip_already]

4. All this court is deciding is standing and other similar issues....

They aren't deciding the merits of the case itself, just whether it can be brought at all.

Trumps lawyers are arguing the states have no standing, and no specific law has been violated. There is no law that states the potus can't blackmail other countries or companies into doing business which profits him directly, but which they otherwise wouldn't do.

There is a clause in the constitution, but is the only remedy impeachment and removal?

That is what they are deciding. A lower court already decided it can go to trial. Now the three judge panel is considering the appeal. After this, it can go to a full court for review, then SCOTUS.

It will be a long tortured path and probably won't be decided before the 2020 elections.

[BigmanPigman]

6. It seems like everything is "a long tortured path"

when it comes to dealing with this disaster called tRump.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Judges named to the case (by chance) are all Republican-appointed, including a new Trump appointee

David Fahrenthold Retweeted

Just got out of federal courthouse in Richmond where an appeals court heard arguments from DC and Maryland AGs that Trump is violating the emoluments clauses. It really, really didn’t go well for the plaintiffs.

Link to tweet

The thee judges named to the case (by chance) are all Republican-appointed, including a new Trump-appointed judge.

Link to tweet

One of the judges actually suggested that Trump could be benefitting DC and Maryland because of all the protesters who come to town and presumably stay at other hotels.

Link to tweet

[BigmanPigman]

7. This is a glimpse into the next 20 years

with all the tRump judges screwing everything up. In the future when GOP isn't even in control of the executive and legislative branches the GOP judicial will be ruining our lives.

[BlueIdaho]

8. In a world that valued principles over personalities

This would be a slam dunk.