Attorneys general sue Trump over business ties

The District of Columbia and the state of Maryland filed a lawsuit Monday against President Donald Trump, alleging his business ties violate the Constitution. Karl Racine and Brian Frosh, both Democrats and the attorneys general for D.C. and Maryland, respectively, claim Trump’s failure to completely sever his private business dealings is a breach of his office. No state has ever accused a president of violating the Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution—which ban federal officials accepting gifts from foreign governments and prohibit the president from economic benefits other than his annual salary. The first-of-its-kind lawsuit alleges Trump has misused his position to increase investment in his family’s hotels, restaurants, and other ventures. It also contends Trump’s businesses divert customers away from holdings that D.C. or Maryland either own, license, or tax—financially harming their governments. “The president’s conflicts of interest threaten our democracy,” Frosh said at press conference today. “"We cannot treat the president's ongoing violations of the Constitution and his disregard of the rights of the American people as the new acceptable status quo.”

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