A complaint was filed against President Donald Trump earlier this year which claimed that he had failed to “divorce himself” from his businesses properly which resulted in some competitors of his new New York City and Washington D.C. to be “harmed” as a result.
It goes on to claim that by becoming President of the United States, he violated clauses of the Constitution. Sounds ridiculous, right? I remember watching live as he signed it away to his sons but whatever.
But there is hope! Judge George B. Daniels of United States District Court in Manhattan has dismissed the case outright.
Daniels stated that the plaintiffs failed to show that they had actually suffered due to Trump’s winning the election; as if it were intended to help his businesses. Yes, part of the claim, in a sense, was that he ran for office to help his businesses.
Even before he took office Judge Daniels said “he had amassed wealth and fame and was competing against” the plaintiffs.
“It is only natural that interest in his properties has generally increased since he became president,” the judge said. Moreover, Judge Daniels said, that it’s entirely possible the businesses which bare his name may have increased solely because of price or quality and not just because he’s the President.
Daniels went on to state that it’s up to Congress, and not (I guess) public opinion in regards to if Trump has violated the Constitution in any way.
“This court will not tell Congress how it should or should not assert its power in responding the defendant’s alleged violations of the foreign Emoluments Clause,” he wrote. “In short, unless and until Congress speaks on this issue, plaintiffs’ foreign Emoluments Clause claims are not ripe for adjudication.”
The fight is far from over, however. Ya see, the alt-left just can’t accept that Donald Trump beat out Hillary Clinton. So there are a few more lawsuits pending against the POTUS.
In fact, a lawsuit was brought in June of this year by the attorney generals of Maryland as well as the District of Columbia wherein they access President Trump of “depriving facilities owned by their governments of business” — the case is less likely to get dismissed right off the bat as well seeing as Maryland is considered “coequal sovereign” of POTUS.
(H/T NY Times)
