Trump Loses First Skirmish in Suit Over D.C. Hotel Profits
- U.S. judge says joint Maryland-D.C. case goes forward for now
- Justice Department argument seeking complete dismissal fails
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President Donald Trump will have to contend for now with a lawsuit brought by the District of Columbia and Maryland claiming he’s improperly profiting from his posh downtown Washington hotel.
The ruling is only preliminary. U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte said Maryland and D.C. have the right to pursue their lawsuit as it relates to how Trump’s hotel has harmed other businesses in Washington, while he also considers the government’s other dismissal requests. Messitte granted Trump’s request to throw out a part of the suit that focused on profits from his company, The Trump Organization, that come from outside Washington, including the Florida resort Mar-a-Lago.