While public attention has focused on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation and information coming from former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, another court case below the radar may also damage con man and "Individual 1" Donald "Rump" Trump. The State of Maryland and the District of Columbia are moving forward with their lawsuits concerning Rump's use of his Washington, DC hotel as a cash cow, in apparent violation of the emoluments clause in the Constitution.
The attorneys general for Maryland and D.C. are about to issue discovery subpoenas to gather records and information regarding Rump's Washington hotel, which is a magnet for foreign dignitaries and plutocrats seeking to win Rump's favor by spending at his establishment. According to AP:
"District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine said in a statement that the subpoenas would go out to third-party organizations and federal agencies “to gather the necessary evidence to prove that President Trump is violating the Constitution’s emoluments clauses — our nation’s original anti-corruption laws.”Rump's lawyers in the Justice Department are seeking to block the discovery and derail the case against the Oval Office con man:
Trump has been fighting multiple lawsuits that argue foreign representatives’ spending money at the Trump International Hotel are violations of the Constitution’s emoluments clause, which bans federal officials from accepting benefits from foreign or state governments without congressional approval."
“We’ve got the discovery ready to go,” said Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh. “Their objective at this point is just to keep the doors shut, they don’t want any of this information out in public and they don’t want our case to move forward. So they’re going to be be obstructing as much as they can.”That certainly sounds familiar: cover up and obstruct to protect Rump's lawless behavior.
BONUS: Here's the judge's ruling allowing the discovery to go forward --
Judge approves discovery process for DC/MD emoluments lawsuit against President Trump. AGs Racine and Frosh will soon send subpoenas to the president's business. https://t.co/dhi5ng4nmk pic.twitter.com/kj1QYKWHyt— Paul Blumenthal (@PaulBlu) December 3, 2018
