Blumenthal: Congress has right to sue President Trump

WASHINGTON » Standing behind a podium bearing the hashtag “#TrumpForSale,” U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday said Congress is in a “unique’’ position to sue the president and force him to disclose his foreign business dealings.

“The American people have a right to know (that) when the president of the United States sends troops into harm’s way or concludes trade agreements he is putting the national interest before his own self-interest,’’ Blumenthal, D-Conn., said at a Tuesday news conference.

Blumenthal spearheaded efforts to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump last week, sending the issue of the Constitution’s “emoluments’’ clause to the U.S. District Court here. The suit is titled Blumenthal v. Trump.

The clause — found in Article I, Section 9 — states the president must seek consent from Congress before accepting any foreign government’s “present, emolument, office or title of any kind whatever.’’

“We cannot consent to what we don’t know,’’ Blumenthal said. “We cannot consent to what Donald Trump has concealed, and he owes the Congress that disclosure.’’

Nearly 200 Democratic members of Congress joined the complaint, claiming that the president denied them the right to consent to the acceptance of payments and benefits from foreign countries.

“We are joined together — nearly 200 of us — to force the president of the United States to obey the Constitution,’’ Blumenthal said. “He is flagrantly and blatantly violating the emoluments clause, not just once, but repeatedly and continuously.”

But the congressional lawsuit is not the first of its kind to accuse Trump of hiding foreign business dealings or violating the Constitution.

Previous lawsuits, including the joint complaint from attorneys general of D.C. and Maryland earlier this month, claimed Trump’s disregard for the clause hurt them because companies or states were suffering from increased business at nearby Trump-owned properties.

But the Democrats’ lawsuit takes a new approach — saying the president had deprived members of Congress their constitutional responsibility to give consent.

The difference involves a legal term known as “standing,’’ or the ability of a party to demonstrate a direct stake in a law or action.

Blumenthal argues the congressional lawsuit may get more favorable treatment in the courts because the role of Congress is written directly into the Constitution.

Blumenthal was joined by seven Democratic colleagues at the news conference, which alongside the hashtag #TrumpForSale also featured a blown-up text of the emoluments clause and pocket-sized Constitutions for some members of the crowd.

“Our plea to the courts is enforce the Constitution against the president,’’ Blumenthal said. “Tell him to obey the emoluments clause to prevent corruption and undue foreign influence, as the founders foresaw would be necessary.’’