The latest evidence that our Republican- packed courts (thanks, Mitch McConnell!) are upholding existential threat Donald "Rump" Trump and not the rule of law or Constitution:
A federal appeals court Wednesday sided with President Trump, dismissing a lawsuit claiming the president is illegally profiting from foreign and state government visitors at his luxury hotel in downtown Washington.
The unanimous ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit is a victory for the president in a novel case brought by the attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia involving anti-corruption provisions in the emoluments clauses of the U.S. Constitution.
Niemeyer was appointed by George H.W. Bush, Shedd by Dumbya Bush and Quattlebaum by Trump. That's a stacked deck if we ever saw one.In its ruling, the three-judge panel said the attorneys general lacked legal standing to bring the lawsuit alleging the president is violating the Constitution when his business accepts payments from state and foreign governments. The decision — from Judges Paul V. Niemeyer, Dennis W. Shedd and A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. — also stops dozens of subpoenas to federal government agencies and Trump’s private business entities for financial records related to the D.C. hotel.
Justice... not so blind after all.
BONUS: At the same time, Steve Benen reminds us that there's another Trump emoluments case in process, and that this isn't the end of the story yet. Maybe that one won't be adjudicated by a panel of Republican hacks.
