WASHINGTON, MILLAT+(APP/AFP) – A Washington group of
lawyers and researchers plans to file a federal lawsuit against Donald Trump Monday, alleging that the US president is violating a constitutional ban on accepting payments from foreign governments.
In a statement released Sunday the Citizens for Responsibility and
Ethics in Washington (CREW) said the newly sworn-in Trump was in violation of the Constitution because his business properties abroad operate partly based on goodwill from foreign governments and regulators.
The US Constitution states that no federal official can receive a
gift or “emolument” from a foreign government.
“We did not want to get to this point, CREW executive director Noah
Bookbinder said in the statement. “It was our hope that President Trump would take the necessary steps to avoid violating the Constitution before he took office.”
“We were forced to take legal action.”
The group cited payments from guests at his hotels and golf courses
and space leased in his properties by foreign governments as examples of “getting cash and favors.”
The CREW non-profit will not seek monetary damages but intends to
file the suit in a Manhattan federal court when it opens Monday morning.
“President Trump has made his slogan ‘America First’,” Bookbinder
said.
“So you would think he would want to strictly follow the
Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause, since it was written to ensure our government officials are thinking of Americans first, and not foreign governments.”