WASHINGTON _ Donald Trump has asked a federal appeals court to put on hold a Maryland-District of Columbia lawsuit accusing him of profiting from his presidency so he can appeal a trial judge's denial of his request to have the case thrown out.
Justice Department lawyers filed that request with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., on Monday. The underlying case is before Maryland federal court Judge Peter Messitte, who had set a schedule that prompted attorneys general from the district and Maryland to serve subpoenas on Trump businesses and his personal trust.
The attorneys general assert the president is reaping profits from his Washington hotel at the expense of their taxpayers in violation of the U.S. Constitution's emoluments clauses.
