Chairman Crowley Statement on Bicameral Emoluments Lawsuit

Statement

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-NY) issued the following statement after House and Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit against President Trump for violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution:

"President Trump's conflicts of interest are hurting American families who need the White House devoted to fighting for a better economy, higher paying jobs, and our security. Whether it is appeasing foreign adversaries or renegotiating trade deals, the American people deserve to know if the president is making critical policy decisions for his own benefit or for theirs.

"This lawsuit could force President Trump to abandon his hotel and business interests - which we know foreign governments see as a way to curry favor with the administration - and instead focus solely on the helping the hardest-working men and women.

"The founding fathers knew that the American people would be in jeopardy if federal officeholders, specifically the president, were influenced by foreign interests when making policy decisions. The Foreign Emoluments Clause was included in the Constitution to protect against that risk and ensure that Congress and the American people knew of any monetary or nonmonetary benefits received by the president. We have filed this lawsuit to protect that critical protection enshrined in the Constitution."

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