Some of the country’s best constitutional lawyers filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump because he refuses to remove himself from his businesses and continues to accept foreign payments. These actions violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which forbids the president from receiving any foreign payments.
The Emoluments Clause was included in the Constitution to prevent the president from having divided loyalties, and it covers all forms of payment, including both private and public profits. In a press conference, Trump announced that he plans to donate the profits from his foreign payments to the federal government, but he won’t divest his ownership of the Trump Organization. However, this violates the clause.
Since the general election, it has been revealed that Trump could have more than 250 businesses registered in Russia as well as numerous companies in New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and other countries. Just since the election, he has opened 32 new companies in 10 different countries.
For the lawyers to discover which payments Trump accepts directly, they need a copy of his tax returns. This lawsuit could be a successful way to force Trump to release his tax information, which many Americans have been waiting for since 2015. The lawsuit could also provide more information about Trump’s ties to Russia. If the lawsuit is successful, Trump will either have to remove himself from his businesses or step down as president for America’s safety.