A federal judge on Friday denied a request from the Justice Department to prevent collection of evidence in a lawsuit alleging President Trump has violated the Constitution's emoluments clause by maintaining a financial interest in his Washington, D.C., hotel. The provision bans the president from accepting gifts from foreign heads of state absent congressional consent.
Judge Peter J. Messitte directed the plaintiffs, the attorneys general for Maryland and the District of Columbia, to create a schedule for evidence collection within 20 days. He limited the discovery to the Washington property but dismissed the Trump team's claim that producing this evidence would be unduly burdensome on the administration. "The president himself appears to have had little reluctance to pursue personal litigation despite the supposed distractions it imposes upon his office," Messitte wrote.
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