John,
CREW sued Donald Trump on his first day in the Oval Office for systematic violations of the Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution. It may be how you first heard of us. Yesterday, our legal battle ended at the Supreme Court, because since Trump is no longer president, he is no longer violating the Constitution.
We were honored to work in that first case with courageous competitors of Trump's businesses who joined the lawsuit, in a subsequent case with the bold attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia, and with an incredible team of lawyers on both cases.
The Emoluments Clauses are America’s original anti-corruption laws, but these lawsuits represented the first time in our history that Americans went to court to enforce them and the first time that a court found that these clauses could be enforced. President Trump illegally profited from the presidency, taking payments from foreign governments, state governments and federal agencies via his businesses, and he created the unacceptable risk that any presidential decision, from taxes to foreign policy, might be made based on the president’s bottom line rather than the best interests of the American people. We’re proud that these lawsuits helped highlight Trump’s illegal, pervasive corruption, and that they will help prevent future presidents from abusing their office for personal profit.
Our emoluments litigation was just one facet of our work during Trump’s presidency, but it was an essential piece of our strategy for countering his corruption and making it clear that no one—not even the president—is above the law. While these lawsuits may be over, evidence of Trump's corruption isn't going anywhere, and neither are we.
Thank you,
Noah Bookbinder
President, CREW
