The attorney generals for the District of Columbia and Maryland have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the President of the United States for violating the Constitution's emoluments clause by accepting foreign payments. As Election Day neared, the press and watchdog organizations were looking at Trump to see if he would remove himself from his businesses so he wouldn't be able to use the presidency to increase his wealth.
Trump's 'presidential' privilege
Even Trump has said blatantly that he was exempt from removing himself from his Conflicts Of Interest, and though he said that he would, he has not shown that he has done so.
Blasting News reported on the opening of his Trump Hotel in Washington where it opined that the tower would be near the White House where Hillary Clinton would always have the presence of Trump near.
However, since he won the presidency, he's had foreign leaders stay at his hotels in Washington D.C. and New York. Blasting News also reported that the Secret Service made a budget request this year, with the article detailing how their request included a budget for staying at Trump Tower -- where they were being charged to lease a floor.
Reports of conflicts of interest
The budget request asked for money for the lease, and to build infrastructure there, as well as other places where he's staying, such as the Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida and now a golf club in New Jersey.
The money would end up going back to the Trump brand. Another Blasting News article pointed to when the State Department posted what appeared to be promotional article on the Mar-a-Lago resort -- which they were forced to take down -- and another article reported on Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
In that article, it reported that Kushner's sister was attempting to lure Chinese investors to invest in Kushner properties in New Jersey in exchange for investor visas.
Kushner is a White House aide who still had ties to the visa business while in the White House.
President Trump goes after those investigating his activity
A recent hearing with former FBI Director James Comey points to the possibility that the President fired him for not letting go of his investigation on him and his aides.
Mueller's probe on the White House has reportedly also targeted Jared Kushner's involvement.
In a similar gesture, Blasting News reported that President Trump fired the bulk of prosecutors from the Justice Department -- one of them Preet Bharara -- who it was discovered had been investigating one of Trump's cabinet officials for conflicts of interest. Right before he was fired, one watchdog group was trying to get Bharara to investigate Trump for violating the emoluments clause.
