Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Justice must comply with the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the Constitution by refusing to administratively settle the billions of dollars in legal claims filed against the United States by President Donald Trump.

Key Points

• Rep. Raskin and 28 House Democrats introduced a non-binding resolution calling on the Department of Justice to refuse to administratively settle any of Trump's lawsuits against the federal government, including a $10 billion claim against the IRS and $230 million in other claims.
• The resolution argues that settling these claims would violate the Domestic Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which says the president cannot receive any payment from the United States beyond the official $400,000 annual salary and $50,000 expense allowance.
• The resolution highlights a conflict of interest: cabinet officials like the Attorney General report directly to Trump, meaning he would essentially be directing his own subordinates to approve settlements that pay him billions of taxpayer dollars.
• Trump himself acknowledged the unusual nature of the situation, reportedly telling reporters that the government owes him money and that he is the one who makes the decision on settlements.
• The resolution preserves Trump's right to pursue his claims in independent federal courts like any other citizen but draws the line at the executive branch settling with itself, calling it an unprecedented threat of corrupt self-dealing.

Impact Analysis

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