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Payments from foreign powers to Trump firms violate constitution – lawsuit Lawsuit to call for ban on payments to Trump firms from foreign powers
(about 1 hour later)
A US legal watchdog is to file a lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of violating the US constitution by allowing his businesses to accept payments from foreign governments.A US legal watchdog is to file a lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of violating the US constitution by allowing his businesses to accept payments from foreign governments.
The lawsuit, brought by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, will allege that the constitution’s emoluments clause forbids payments to Trump’s businesses. It will seek a court order on Monday forbidding Trump from accepting such payments, said Deepak Gupta, one of the lawyers working on the case. The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington will seek a court order on Monday forbidding Trump from accepting such payments, which it will allege violate the constitution’s emoluments clause, said Deepak Gupta, a lawyer working on the case.
Trump does business with countries including China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, the group noted in a statement. Trump did business with countries including China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, the group noted in a statement.
“When Trump the president sits down to negotiate trade deals with these countries, the American people will have no way of knowing whether he will also be thinking about the profits of Trump the businessman,” it said.“When Trump the president sits down to negotiate trade deals with these countries, the American people will have no way of knowing whether he will also be thinking about the profits of Trump the businessman,” it said.
A Trump representative referred questions to a law firm representing the president on ethics matters. A Trump representative referred questions to a law firm representing the president on ethical matters.
“We do not comment on our clients or the work we do for them,” said the representative of the firm, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. “We do not comment on our clients or the work we do for them,” said the representative of the firm, Morgan, Lewis and Bockius.
The case is part of a wave of litigation expected to be filed against Trump by liberal advocacy groups. It will be filed in a Manhattan federal court, Gupta said, and attorneys for the plaintiffs will include Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer in George W Bush’s White House. The case was part of a wave of litigation expected to be filed against Trump by liberal advocacy groups. It would be filed in a Manhattan federal court, Gupta said, and attorneys for the plaintiffs would include Richard Painter, a former ethics lawyer in George W Bush’s White House.
The impending lawsuit was earlier reported by the New York Times.The impending lawsuit was earlier reported by the New York Times.
Trump’s son Eric, an executive vice-president of the Trump Organization, told the NYT on Sunday that the company had taken more steps than required by law to avoid any possible legal exposure, such as agreeing to donate any profits collected at Trump-owned hotels that come from foreign government guests to the US Treasury. Trump’s son Eric, an executive vice-president of the Trump Organization, told the NYT on Sunday that the company had taken more steps than required by law to avoid any possible legal exposure, such as agreeing to donate any profits collected at Trump-owned hotels that came from foreign government guests to the US Treasury.
“This is purely harassment for political gain,” he told the newspaper. ( “This is purely harassment for political gain,” he told the newspaper.