Trump’s Stand on Saudi Murder Boosts Emoluments Lawsuit, AGs Say
- D.C., Maryland attorneys cite prince’s link to Khashoggi hit
- Suit says president flouts Constitution, profiting from office
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Donald Trump’s continued support for Saudi Arabia even after a reported CIA finding that its crown prince ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi bolsters a lawsuit over the president’s financial dealings with foreign governments, according to the attorney general for Washington, D.C.
The District of Columbia’s AG, Karl Racine, together with his Maryland counterpart, Brian Frosh, accuse Trump in the lawsuit of violating the U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clauses by profiting from his presidency. To prevent the corruption of policymaking, the rules forbid presidents to take payments of any kind from foreign or domestic sovereigns.