A federal judge in Maryland denied President Donald Trump's request to delay a lawsuit that alleges he violated the Constitution.
The judge ordered the case to proceed Friday, allowing the attorneys general for Maryland and the District of Columbia to begin gathering evidence into if President Trump violated both foreign and domestic emoluments clauses of the Constitution. The clause prohibits the President from accepting any gifts or perks from foreign and domestic states without permission from Congress.
The plaintiffs say President Trump violated the clause by profiting from foreign and state leaders staying in his hotel in Washington D.C. Back in January of 2017, Trump's lawyer argued his businesses do not accept gifts from foreign countries, but rather they accept payments for services. But the judge said their arguments weren't compelling enough to justify appealing the case to a higher court for review.
The judge ordered Maryland and D.C. attorneys general to submit a schedule for finding evidence of the president's alleged illegal business dealings within the next 20 days.
