A federal judge ruled that the District of Columbia and Maryland may proceed with a lawsuit against President Trump alleging that Trump’s business dealings have violated the Constitution’s ban on receiving improper “emoluments,” or payments, from individual states and foreign governments. D.C. and Maryland are suing President Trump for violating a little-known constitutional provision called "the emoluments clause." They argued that the Trump hotel had an unfair advantage in the battle for meeting business. The Trump International Hotel inside the federally owned Old Post Office building in downtown D.C. has been mired in controversy even before opening its doors. Brett Shumate, a Justice Department lawyer, said that states such as Maryland had no right to sue Trump over these clauses.

Source: Washington Post March 28, 2018 18:30 UTC