Trump asks court to dismiss emoluments lawsuit against him

[babylonsister]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/01/politics/trump-emoluments-lawsuit/index.html

Trump asks court to dismiss emoluments lawsuit against him
By Katelyn Polantz, CNN
Updated 5:35 PM ET, Tue May 1, 2018


(CNN)President Donald Trump has asked a federal court to dismiss a lawsuit accusing him of violating the Constitution's Emoluments Clause related to private payments from other governments.

Trump is asking the judge to dismiss the complaint against him as an individual.

He's also being sued separately for violating the Emoluments Clause -- which prohibits federal officeholders from receiving gifts and payments from foreign states or their representatives -- in his official capacity as President.

Trump, in the new filing, claims the District of Columbia and Maryland state attorneys general suing him can only bring a court action like this against him as President.

Even if they could sue Trump as an individual, "the President still is absolutely immune," according to the filing.

Previously, the judge let the lawsuit move forward and focused it on proceeds from the Trump International Hotel in Washington. Following that ruling, the case will challenge payments made by foreign officials for services at the Trump International Hotel but will not include visits to Mar-a-Lago in Florida or other Trump properties.

Maryland and DC have argued that the Trump International Hotel's operations put other nearby hotel and entertainment properties at a competitive disadvantage and that the Trump hotel got special tax concessions.
But the judge did not make any rulings on the allegations in the case, which accuse Trump of taking illegal gifts from foreign governments through his family's business.

The court is still weighing the definition of emoluments and other questions raised in the lawsuit.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. Any democrat who did the same or one tenth of the same would be hounded out of

our government by BOTH parties and then hunted down and ended by deplorables.

Said democrat could fly to Mars and not be safe.

[MontanaMama]

2. OMFG.

If he gets away with this......gah! 😖. Are there no depths to which he will plumb? Don’t answer that...🙄

[smirkymonkey]

3. There is no bottom to how much I can hate this man.

It grows every day. I especially hate him for making me hate so much.

[world wide wally]

4. Why would a law like this ever be written if it doesn't apply to a president?

[Arkansas Granny]

6. That's an excellent question.

[ProudLib72]

8. If they find it doesn't apply, what does that make him?

[Civic Justice]

5. The agreement on the Old Postal Building said, no public official could be involved in business

at that location.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/348558-government-watchdogs-open-investigations-into-trump-dc-hotel-lease

The lease prevents elected federal officials from benefiting from the hotel lease. Trump stepped down from running his business when he became president.

Problem is... he still owns the lease!!!!!

Also, any Trump properties that get Section 8 payments is also a violation !!!

And let's not forget Hannity, using HUD money as well.... as a criminal investigation that needs to go full on, to expose how he got it.

[gratuitous]

7. I have a law historian acquaintance

He doesn't think much for the chances of this lawsuit. I credit his knowledge and expertise, but I also think this is a case of first impression. That is, for over 200 years and through 44 presidents, everyone just knew what the rules were and abided by them. Trump, however, refused to divest himself of his business dealings, and is using the presidency as a profit center. This is so far beyond what anyone has even contemplated before (for example Jimmy Carter, upon his election, actually sold his peanut farm even though he didn't have to), that we've sailed out of sight of all previous landmarks, into the fuzzy realm of ancient maps where they inscribed the legend "Here there be monsters."

It will take a courageous judge to rein in such naked banditry by the President. I hope the judge is up to the challenge.

[Gothmog]

9. Trump is losing another lawsuit