DEMS/EMOLUMENTS/LAWSUIT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A lawsuit from Democratic members of Congress over Trump business earnings from foreign governments while President Donald Trump is in the White House can continue to move forward, a federal judge decided on Tuesday [4-30-19]. The ruling, which firmly rebukes the President’s arguments, will empower Congress if they seek more information about payments received by Trump’s family businesses and other business details. Judge Emmet Sullivan’s opinion lands as House Democratic committees are seeking more details through subpoenas about Trump’s financial history. At issue in this case was the meaning of ’emolument’ — a term used in the Constitution that says US officeholders should not accept presents from foreign governments. With emoluments ‘defined broadly as any profit, gain, or advantage, it is clear,’ Sullivan writes, that Congress has ‘a plausible claim against the President for violations of the clause’…The case is one of the few legal tests of the constitutional clause — yet is among several suits that contest Trump’s family business while he’s in the White House.
-Katelyn Polantz, “Judge allows congressional Democrats’ lawsuit against Trump over business earnings to move forward,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 30, 2019