Trump's private businesses are fighting to earn money from foreign governments, and taxpayers are footing the bill

Trump cuts the ribbon at the opening of his hotel in Washington, D.C. in 2016.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Taxpayers are covering the six-figure salaries of at least 10 Justice Department lawyers and paralegals that are working on defenses of President Trump's private businesses, USA Today reports. Government lawyers are working on four lawsuits and making the case that it is not unconstitutional for Trump's businesses to earn money from foreign officials or governments while he is in the White House.

"We've never before had a president who was branded and it's impossible to divorce from that brand," argued Stuart Gerson, who served in the Justice Department under former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. "It's blurring the lines because it's so unusual. I can't think of a precedent where another civil division lawyer has been called on to defend the president under these circumstances."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.