A lawsuit accusing Donald Trump of illegally profiting from his business empire while serving as President has been thrown out.
In his decision, Judge George B Daniels said the plaintiffs had failed to show that they suffered harm from Mr Trump financially benefiting from his presidency.
The organisation championing the lawsuit, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW), said in a statement there was “no doubt” it would appeal.
The legal challenge was spearheaded by former White House ethics counsels who have argued the entanglement of Mr Trump’s private and public interests posed a clear conflict of interest.
They were joined by an organisation representing workers in New York and hospitality entrepreneurs in Washington, DC who compete with Mr Trump’s businesses.
Their complaint alleged that the President’s “vast, complicated, and secret” business interests also opened America to “unprecedented influence by foreign governments”, citing foreign governments paying for space at Trump Tower in New York and rooms at Trump Hotel in Washington, DC.
In throwing out the lawsuit, Mr Daniels batted away the business plaintiffs’ argument that government officials were “incentivised” to choose Mr Trump’s properties over their own.
“Even before Defendant took office, he had amassed wealth and fame and was competing against the Hospitality Plaintiffs in the restaurant and hotel business. It is only natural that interest in his properties has generally increased since he became President,” he wrote, adding that “there are a number of reasons why patrons may choose to visit Defendant's hotels and restaurants including service, quality, location, price and other factors related to individual preference.”
He was also unconvinced by an argument from CREW in Washington that it had been forced to divert time and money from other matters to focus on Mr Trump’s alleged violations.
