Appeals court divided on future of lawsuit over Trump hotel

[babylonsister]

Appeals court divided on future of lawsuit over Trump hotel
By Katelyn Polantz, CNN
Updated 4:22 PM ET, Thu December 12, 2019


Richmond, Virginia (CNN)Fifteen appellate judges in Richmond on Thursday spent three hours showing how deeply divided they are on whether they can curtail the President's business interests.

In some of the bluntest public arguments yet in court about President Donald Trump's hotel empire, the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals debated a major case challenging whether Trump can continue to accept emoluments, or profits, from his hotel in Washington while in office.

At times, judges took over from the arguing attorneys, the Justice Department, Trump's personal legal team and the DC and Maryland state attorneys general offices to argue for or against the President themselves.

"We are winging it. If this isn't off the rails, then I don't know what is," said Judge Harvie Wilkinson III, a Reagan appointee who's been on the federal appellate bench at least a half decade longer than any other judge in the wood-paneled room Thursday.

"There are, there are other suits involving congressional subpoenas and everything that presents closer questions, but this one's a lemon," he added. "It's the weakest of the cases that are springing up like jimsonweed against the presidency in this environment."

At this stage, a decision could control whether the case has months ahead of it still in court -- keeping the President's companies at risk as his opponents seek financial documents -- or whether it will be dismissed, a win for Trump. Either way, the issue is likely to eventually reach the Supreme Court.

more...

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/12/politics/appeals-court-emoluments-4th-circuit/index.html