Subpoenas Issued in Emoluments Clause Case Against Trump and D.C. Hotel

A night view of the main entrance to the Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. : Glynn Wilson

By Glynn Wilson –

In the federal case that charges President Donald J. Trump with violating the emoluments clauses of the Constitution by doing business with foreign governments at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. just down the street from the White House, a slew of new subpoenas went out Tuesday from attorneys general in Maryland and D.C.

The subpoenas demand documents containing long-veiled details on Trump’s empire and presidency, including a complete accounting of all dealings with every foreign government that has done business with Trump companies and organizations, the amounts taken in and reason for the expenditure.

“Today’s subpoenas focus on answering three questions: which foreign and domestic governments are paying the Trump International Hotel, where is that money going, and how is the Trump Hotel affecting the hospitality industry in the District of Columbia and Maryland,” Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said in a statement accompanying the announcement.

It is widely known that the hotel has become the epicenter of activity for foreign governments and anyone who wants to buy influence with Trump, the companies he still owns — and his administration.

“We’re seeking records of those payments through subpoenas to Trump business entities, as well as from federal agencies and state governments,” Frosh said. “We are also seeking information proving that hotel revenues are flowing to the President through his entities, including the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust.

“Finally, certain subpoenas are directed to the hotels, restaurants, and venues that compete with the President’s hotel, and seek to illuminate the unfair nature of that competition,” Frosh continued. “We are confident that at the end of discovery we will be able to prove our case,” that President Trump is acting in violation of the the Constitution’s emoluments clauses, America’s first anti-corruption laws.

Tuesday’s subpoenas went out to Trump legal entities, federal agencies, 18 competing hotels, even the state of Maine since that state’s Republican Governor Paul LePage made a visit to the hotel in early 2017.

The General Services Administration, which leases the property to Trump’s company, is on the list, along with the departments of Commerce, Defense, Treasury and Agriculture.

Documents are being demanded from Trump Organizations that even include the trust that holds his personal assets. The full list includes OPO Hotel Manager Member Corp., THC DC Restaurant Hospitality LLC, The Trump Organization Inc., Trump International Hotels Management LLC, Trump International Hotels Management Member Corp., Trump Old Post Office LLC, Trump Old Post Office Member Corp., Trump Organization LLC, The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust c/o Allen Weisselberg as Trustee of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, DJT Holdings LLC, DJT Holdings Managing Member LLC and OPO Hotel Manager LLC.

In a late breaking news development on the Friday afternoon on the eve of the midterm elections, a federal judge announced his decision to deny Trump’s request to stay the lawsuit claiming he is in violation of the United States Constitution by doing business with foreign governments at his Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. not far from the White House.

Previous coverage: Federal Judge Denies Trump’s Request for a Stay in Emoluments Clause Case

In June 2017, Attorney General Frosh and District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine filed suit, alleging President Trump is violating the Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses by accepting money from foreign and domestic governments through transactions at the Trump International Hotel. In November 2018, the federal judge denied President Trump’s attempt to block the case when DOJ sought a mid-case appeal. On December 3, 2018, the judge issued a scheduling order, permitting Attorney General Frosh and Attorney General Racine to proceed with issuing subpoenas in the case.

The Justice Department and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Washington Post, which reports that since Trump won the 2016 election, his hotel in Washington has hosted events put on by the embassies of Kuwait, Bahrain and the Philippines — all U.S. allies. The Saudi government spent at least $270,000 to reserve hotel rooms and banquet rooms at the D.C. hotel, according to foreign lobbying records. And at Trump’s hotel in New York, the general manager credited travelers accompanying the Saudi crown prince for spending so much money this spring that they helped the entire hotel turn a profit for the quarter.