Democrats in Congress file lawsuit against Trump foreign payments

Democrats in Congress file lawsuit against Trump foreign payments: In a move by nearly 200 Democrats in the US Congress they have joined forces and filed a legal case against President Donald Trump over receipt of payments from foreign governments via his businesses.

The plaintiffs have accused President Trump of violating the Constitution’s emoluments clause which prohibit receipt of gifts without congressional approval.

The plaintiffs say that this is the largest number of legislators ever to sue a US president.

Moreover Private businesses and state officials are suing Donald Trump in similar cases.

While at the same time the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia had announced their lawsuit on Monday, 12^th June 2017.

Conversely the White House has denied their allegations. Spokesman for the White House Sean Spicer said that “partisan politics” could be behind the lawsuit of the attorneys general.

Furthermore the justice department had declined to comment on the latest suit by legislators; however it has said previously, it is unconstitutional to sue the president in his private capacity.

In the lawsuit at least 30 senators and 166 representatives are involved.

The plaintiffs have said that Mr Trump has not sought congressional approval for any of the payments received by his businesses from foreign governments since the President took office.

Representative John Conyers has said that “President Trump has conflicts of interest in at least 25 countries, and it appears he’s using his presidency to maximise his profits. We do this not out of any sense of pleasure or partisanship, but because President Trump has left us with no other option.”

Sen Richard Blumenthal has said: “The president’s failure to tell us about these emoluments… mean that we cannot do our job. We cannot consent to what we don’t know. He’s interfering with our constitutional duty.”

President Trump’s worldwide organisation which includes more than 500 business entities, including hotels, golf courses and apartment buildings, many of which have done business with foreign governments.

Since taking office in January, Mr Trump has turned day-to-day control of his real estate empire and other assets over to a trust managed by his adult sons.

But he has not sold them off as critics said he should do in order to avoid conflicts of interest.

A non-governmental organisation, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), lodged a similar legal action in January.

The president’s lawyers have argued the emoluments clause is intended only to stop federal officials from accepting a special consideration or gift from a foreign power and does not apply to payments such as a bill for a hotel room.

A section of the US constitution known as the emoluments clause restricts what US presidents can accept from foreign governments
The clause says “no person holding any office of profit or trust” may accept “any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state”
America’s founding fathers included this to prevent US leaders from being beholden to foreign governments
Legal analysts say that if the Trump organisation accepts special deals, such as tax breaks or land rights overseas, it could fall foul of the clause. Even overseas profits could potentially be construed as a violation