WASHINGTON — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a lawsuit that accuses President Donald Trump of profiting off the presidency in violation of the Constitution’s emoluments clause can move forward. U.S. District Judge Emmett G. Sullivan of the District of Columbia ruled against Justice Department lawyers who sought a mid-case appeal to a higher court and a stay on proceedings in the meantime. …
A lawsuit was filed in federal court Monday by a team of ethics experts and legal scholars alleging that President Donald Trump’s overseas businesses violate the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which prohibits presidents from taking money from foreign governments. NPR reports that the group says it’s asking the court “to stop Trump from violating the Constitution by …
Make no mistake: This suit may well fail. If it does, it could help Trump, taking emoluments off the table as grounds for impeachment and allowing his administration to dismiss the issue as fatuous harassment. Democrats would lose a potent rallying cry, and the emoluments criticism would fade from the political arena.