Blumenthal v. Trump

Case Overview

About 215 Democratic members of Congress sued President Trump under the Foreign Emoluments Clause, arguing he accepted benefits from foreign governments through his businesses without asking Congress for consent. The district court initially found the members had standing, but on February 7, 2020 the D.C. Circuit reversed and ordered the case dismissed, holding that individual legislators lack standing to sue over an institutional injury to Congress as a whole. The Supreme Court declined to review that ruling in October 2020, so the standing dismissal stands. Because the case ended on standing, it produced no ruling on what an emolument is.