Judge rules Democrats' suit over Trump gifts can proceed
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Washington has ruled that a group of Democrats in Congress can proceed with a lawsuit against President Donald Trump alleging his businesses violate a constitutional ban against gifts from foreign governments.
But the case could soon be bottled up if Trump's lawyers succeed in appealing the judge's ruling.
District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled Tuesday that Democrats' claims that Trump has violated the emoluments clause of the constitution provide a valid "cause of action" against the president.
Sullivan cited a Maryland federal judge's ruling in a similar emoluments case against Trump that concluded the scope of the constitutional ban on foreign gifts was broad — based on "overwhelming evidence."
