Appeals court agrees to hear case involving Trump DC hotel

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court agreed Thursday to take up a case accusing Donald Trump of profiting off the presidency in violation of the U.S. Constitution, giving the president’s legal team its first major victory in the case.

The order issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, hits the pause button on the ongoing federal court case in Maryland before deadlines to respond to subpoenas issued earlier this month seeking tax returns, receipts and other records from 13 Trump businesses and other entities.

It came just three days after Justice Department lawyers filed papers seeking a writ of mandamus, a sort of appeal, criticizing U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte and arguing that that the “intrusive” discovery that has already begun would distract the president from his performance of his constitutional duties and could cause separation of powers concerns.

For Justice to succeed at the appeals level, they must meet a demanding standard that would partly rest on showing Messitte’s decisions to be clearly wrong.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2018-12-20/appeals-court-agrees-to-take-up-trump-hotel-case