President Trump Sued Over Payments From Foreign Governments: 5 Things To Know

NEW YORK CITY — A high-powered group of legal ethics experts filed a lawsuit Monday against President Trump, saying payments that foreign governments make to properties he owns puts him in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, asks the court to stop Trump from taking the payments, which they say include hotel room stays, loans from some international banks and even foreign government-owned television stations broadcasting "The Apprentice," for which Trump is still listed as an executive producer.

It's the first lawsuit in what is expected to be a barrage of legal filings against Trump, who was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, over the sprawling business empire he has declined to fully divest from.

You can read the full lawsuit at the bottom of this article. Here's what you need to know.

What is he allegedly violating?

The so-called "emoluments clause" of the constitution says that "no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State."

How that may or may not apply to Trump is up to the courts to interpret.

Trump attorney Sherri Dillon has said, "No one would have thought when the Constitution was written that paying your hotel bill was an emolument."

The lawsuit, though, argues that the constitution's framers put the clause in place because "private financial interests can subtly sway even the most virtuous leaders, and entanglements between American officials and foreign powers could pose a creeping, insidious threat to the Republic."

“The problem that we have is that there really has been no litigation defining what emoluments mean," Hana Callaghan, head Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, told Patch.

What does the lawsuit ask for?

The plaintiffs are asking the court to clearly interpret what is and isn't allowed under the emoluments clause and, if the court finds Trump in violation of the clause, to stop him from taking these payments.

“One thing that the president could do would be to divest and all this would go away," Callaghan said.

If the suit moves forward, it could also lead to the release of Trump's tax returns and other documents that would show the extent of his financial ties.

Who is filing the lawsuit?

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a watchdog organization, filed the suit. The organization includes Norm Eisen and Richard Painter, who are former White House ethics attorneys for President Obama and President Bush, respectively.

Where does Trump stand with his businesses?

In a press conference two weeks ago, he promised to turn managerial control over to his adult sons. Trump also said that hotel profits from foreign governments would be donated to the U.S. Treasury.

Walter Schaub, the head of the Office of Governmental Ethics, called the plan "wholly inadequate" from an ethical perspective since Trump still holds a financial interest in the companies. The legality of the arrangement, though, is a different issue.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said Sunday that Trump will not voluntarily release his tax returns, which would show any outstanding loans and other financial obligations Trump has.

What is the White House saying?

Not much. Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks did not immediately return a request for comment from Patch. She referred Buzzfeed to Dillon, the attorney who outlined Trump's plans at the press conference.

Eric Trump, one of Trump's sons and the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, told the New York Times that the lawsuit is "purely harassment for political gain, and, frankly, I find it very, very sad."

When asked Monday from the Oval Office about the suit, Trump said it was, "without merit. Totally without merit."

Press Secretary Sean Spicer was scheduled to hold a press briefing later Monday afternoon.

You can read the lawsuit, which was posted in full by Buzzfeed, below:

Image via The White House