A new plaintiff joined [press release] a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] in the Southern District of New York [official site] Tuesday accusing the current administration of unfair business practices by violating the Emoluments Clauses of the Constitution. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non profit organization who is the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit [JURIST report] that alleges foreign payments made to business associated with the current executive branch are in violation of the Constitution [text]. Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United which overseas 200 restaurant and over 25,000 employees joined the suit citing injury based on loss of business. The suit alleges the service industry is losing revenue because individuals , especially foreign dignitaries, are ably to curry favor with President if they uses his businesses.

Now that he has been sworn into office as the 45th President of the United States, Defendant’s business interests are creating countless conflicts of interest, as well as unprecedented influence by foreign governments, and have resulted and will further result in numerous violations of Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution, the “Foreign Emoluments Clause,” and Article II, Section 1, Clause 7 of the United States Constitution, the“Domestic Emoluments Clause.”

The groups in the case are seeking an injunction.

A number of bi-partisan experts have expressed concerns over potential ethical issues being faced by Trump. In March a contracting officer from the US General Services Administration sent a letter [JURIST report] to Trump finding that the Trump Organization did not violate the lease it holds for the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC. Also in March, the New Jersey Legislature passed S3048 [JURIST report] on Thursday which would require presidential and vice-presidential candidates to reveal their federal income tax return before being listed on the state’s ballot.