Lawsuit challenges Trump's foreign-government profits

A watchdog group filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that President Donald Trump is violating the Constitution's ban on officials accepting benefits from foreign governments.

The suit, backed by several prominent Consitutional scholars, claims that

Trump's business dealings with foreign countries who rent space in his buildings or
lend money to his real estate ventures run afoul of the foreign emoluments clause.
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By filing in Manhattan, the suit geographically targets the Trump buildings in that New York borough. The complaint zeroes in on Trump Tower leases held by

• the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, a state-run bank, and
• the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, which is part of the government of the United Arab Emirates.

However, the complaint also charges constitutional violations are taking place through foreign government use of Trump's luxury hotel in Washington and even by state-owned broadcasters purchasing rights to his reality TV show, "The Apprentice."

Trump announced earlier this month that he plans to hand over management of his businesses to his two adult sons while he is in the White House, but he does not plan to sell his businesses. That means he could profit from business foreign countries direct his way.

Trump has pledged to give the U.S. Treasury any profits made from business his firms do with foreign nations, but it's unclear how those amounts would be calculated, particularly, in the wake of Kellyanne Conway's recent announcement that Trump will not release his tax return.




http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-foreign-government-profits-lawsuit-234015