District of Columbia, Maryland to Sue Trump Alleging Breach of Constitutional Oath
By Aaron C. Davis, The Washington Post
Attorneys general for the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland say they will sue President Donald Trump on Monday, alleging that he has violated anticorruption clauses in the Constitution by accepting millions in payments and benefits from foreign governments since moving into the White House.
The lawsuit, the first of its kind brought by government entities, centers on the fact that Trump chose to retain ownership of his company when he became president. Trump said in January that he was shifting his business assets into a trust managed by his sons to eliminate potential conflicts of interests.
But D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, D, and Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, D, say Trump has broken many promises to keep separate his public duties and private business interests, including receiving regular updates about his company’s financial health.
The lawsuit, which Racine and Frosh described to The Washington Post on Sunday night, could open a new front for Trump as he navigates dueling investigations by special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees of possible collusion between his associates and the Russian government during the 2016 presidential campaign.
More: District of Columbia, Maryland to sue Trump alleging breach of constitutional oath – The Denver Post