This lawsuit, which alleges that the President is violating the constitution by refusing to distance himself from his businesses, would add to the woes of President Trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIrUhsSsGO4
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a lawsuit, which alleges that the payments or gifts from domestic and foreign governments made to President Trump could be illegal, may proceed.
That said, the scope of the ruling is not universal in nature, which means that the judge asked the Maryland and District of Columbia attorney general, who brought the lawsuit, to focus on the operations of the Trump Organization in Washington.
In other words, it means that going forward, the case would only focus on the payments made by foreign and local dignitaries at the Trump International Hotel.
However, the likes of Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida or any other Trump properties throughout the U.S. would remain untouched.
While filing the lawsuit, DC and Maryland alleged that the operations of the Trump International Hotel in Washington put other entertainment properties and nearby hotels at a competitive disadvantage.
They further alleged that the International Hotel has got special tax concessions during the Trump administration.
Judge Messitte, who was presiding over the case in US District Court of Maryland, refused to make any ruling on the allegations leveled at President Trump in the case.
The allegations accuse President Trump of using his family business to take illicit gifts from foreign governments, hence violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.
Still, the judge hinted at how he thinks about the Trump International Hotel. For example, throughout his ruling, the judge has, for multiple times, referred the Trump International Hotel as the ‘’President’s Hotel.’’
During the case, attorneys for President Trump made the argument that the power of barring or approving the President from getting emoluments rests solely with Congress. In response, the judge called this argument as ‘’particularly concerning.’’
It is not the first time that the dealings of the Trump family’s business have raised question marks regarding the conduct of President Trump.
For instance, after he won the 2016 election, President Trump broke with the tradition set by former US Presidents when he simply refused to divest in his businesses.
Instead, he decided to move his assets in a trust, which was controlled by none other than his two sons.
