Latest Update

On January 25, 2021, the Supreme Court dismissed the emoluments cases because Donald Trump left office, rendering them moot. This important litigation made the American people aware of the pervasive corruption that resulted from a president maintaining a global business and accepting payments from foreign and domestic governments. Only Trump losing the presidency and leaving office ended these corrupt constitutional violations and the need for these groundbreaking lawsuits. 

Read our full statement here

On January 23, 2017, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a lawsuit against Donald J. Trump to stop him from violating the Constitution by illegally receiving payments from foreign governments.

The foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution prohibits Trump from receiving anything of value from foreign governments, including foreign government-owned businesses, without the approval of Congress. Since Trump has refused to divest from his businesses, he is now getting cash and favors from foreign governments, through guests and events at his hotels, leases in his buildings, and valuable real estate deals abroad. Trump does business with countries like China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, and now that he is President, his company’s acceptance of any benefits from the governments of those countries violates the Constitution. When Trump the president sits down to negotiate trade deals with these countries, the American people will have no way of knowing whether he will also be thinking about the profits of Trump the businessman.

Lawsuit Documents

Key milestones: On October 18, 2017, CREW and its co-plaintiffs presented their arguments before Judge Daniels in the Southern District of New York. Judge Daniels later granted the Defendant’s motion to dismiss. Plaintiffs appealed the decision, and on September 13, 2019, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit released an opinion ruling in CREW’s favor.  On October 28, 2019, Defendants filed a petition for rehearing en banc and won en banc in August 2020. Trump filed a petition for cert in the Supreme Court. On January 25, 2021, the Supreme Court dismissed this emoluments case because Donald Trump left office, rendering it moot.

  • Complaint
    January 23, 2017
    Read here
  • Defendant's Motion to Dismiss
    June 9, 2017
    Read here
  • Memo. in support of Def.'s Motion to Dismiss
    June 9, 2017 - Memorandum in Support of Defendant's Motion to Dismiss
    Read here
  • Seth Barrett Tillman Amicus Curiae
    June 16, 2017 - Scholar Seth Barrett Tillman Amicus Curiae in Support of the Defendant
    Read here
  • Declaration of Deepak Gupta
    August 4, 2017
    Read here
  • Definition of "Emolument"
    August 4, 2017 - Definition of "Emolument" in English Language and Legal Dictionaries (1523 - 1806)
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 1
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 1
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 2
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 2
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 3
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 3
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 4
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 4
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 5
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 5
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 6
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 6
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 7
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 7
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 8
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 8
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 9
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 9
    Read here
  • Appendix A: "Emolument" in Dictionary pt. 10
    August 4, 2017 - Appendix A: "Emolument" in English Language Dictionaries (1604-1806) - Part 10
    Read here
  • Declaration of Thomas Colicchio
    August 4, 2017
    Read here
  • Declaration of Saru Jayaraman
    August 4, 2017
    Read here
  • Declaration of James Mallios
    August 4, 2017
    Read here
  • Declaration of Eric Goode
    August 4, 2017
    Read here
  • Declaration of Jill Phaneuf
    August 4, 2017
    Read here
  • Declaration of Christopher C. Muller, PH.D
    August 4, 2017 - Declaration of Christopher C. Muller, PH.D
    Read here
  • CREW Memo in Opposition to Motion to Dismiss
    August 4, 2017 - CREW et al Memorandum in Opposition to the Motion to Dismiss
    Read here
  • Declaration of Rachel J Roginsky, ISHC
    August 4, 2017 - Declaration of Rachel J Roginsky, ISHC
    Read here
  • Sarah P. Chayes Amica Curiae
    August 18, 2017 - Sarah P. Chayes Amica Curiae in Support of the Plaintiffs
    Read here
  • Amici Curiae - Sen. Blumenthal and Rep. Coyers, Jr
    August 18, 2017 - Senator Richard Blumenthal and Rep. John Coyers, Jr. Amici Curiae Brief in Support of the Plaintiffs
    Read here
  • 21 Scholars of Law Amici Curiae
    August 11, 2017 - 21 Scholars of Law Amici Curiae Brief in Support of the Plaintiffs
    Read here
  • Legal Historians' Amicus Curiae
    August 11, 2017 - Legal Historians' Amicus Curiae Brief on Behalf of Plaintiffs
    Read here
  • Brief of Former Government Ethics Officers
    August 11, 2017 - Brief of Former Government Ethics Officers as Amici Curiae Supporting Plaintiffs
    Read here
  • JED Motion to Join Tillman Amicus
    September 19, 2017 - Scholar Seth Barrett Tillman's Motion to Appear Jointly with Judicial Education Project as Amici Curiae in Support of the Defendant
    Read here
  • Tillman's Motion For Leave
    September 21, 2017 - Tillman's Motion For Leave to File Response to Legal Historians
    Read here
  • Order Denying Tillman's Motion For Leave
    September 21, 2017 - Order Denying Tillman's Motion For Leave to Respond To Amici Curiae by Legal Historians
    Read here
  • Defendant's Reply In Support of His MTD
    September 22, 2017 - Defendant's Reply In Support of His Motion To Dismiss
    Read here
  • Legal Historian's Letter - Correction of Footnote
    October 3, 2017 - Legal Historian's Letter - Correction of Footnote
    Read here
  • Gupta Letter To The Court
    October 6, 2017 - Gupta Letter To The Court - Re: Notice of Supplemental Authority
    Read here
  • Congressional Ethics Report
    October 7, 2017
    Read here
  • Transcript of Oral Argument
    October 18, 2017
    Read here
  • Deputy Assistant AG Letter to the Court
    October 25, 2017 - Deputy Assistant Attorney General Letter to The Court - Correction of A Misstatement
    Read here
  • Motion to Dismiss Opinion and Order
    December 21, 2017
    Read here
  • Notice of Appeal
    February 16, 2018
    Read here
  • Plaintiff's Second Circuit Brief
    April 24, 2018
    Read here
  • Brief for Appellee President Donald J. Trump
    May 29, 2018 - Brief for Appellee President Donald J. Trump
    Read here
  • Amicus Brief of Barrett Tillman
    June 5, 2018
    Read here
  • Reply of Plaintiff's- Appellants
    June 27, 2018
    Read here
  • Letter from DOJ to 2nd Circuit
    July 15, 2019
    Read here
  • Second Circuit Opinion
    September 13, 2019
    Read here
  • Petition for Rehearing En Banc
    October 28, 2019
    Read here

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