And away we go:
Cork Wine Bar owners Khalid Pitts and Diane Gross filed an unfair competition lawsuit against Donald Trump and the Trump International Hotel in DC Wednesday night, alleging that the president’s continued affiliation with the government-owned property puts competing businesses at a disadvantage.
At issue: Donald Trump has not divested himself from his hotel. Donald Trump continues, in fact, to visit his hotel. Donald Trump will walk away from the presidency to pocket a large chunk of money from a hotel that touts Donald Trump's status as president as a lure for diners and guests. Even if House and Senate Republicans don't give a flying damn about either the corruption or the, ahem, seemingly obvious violation of the Constitution, other Washington business owners can make the case that Donald Trump is profiting off his government office in ways that damage them directly.
Scott Rome, one of Cork Wine Bar’s attorneys, says government officials, lobbyists, foreign dignitaries, and others seeking political influence—part of the restaurant’s clientele—now “feel pressure” or an “obligation” to frequent the hotel. “If they have a party to book, they’re going to book it there first, whether to gain influence with the president, to gain influence with the administration,” Rome says. “And he shows up there on weekends, so you get personal face time by going there. It seems to us to be a clear situation in which he’s using his office of the president to get a financial gain at the expense of local businesses.”
Indeed it does. So here come the lawsuits; the lawyers taking on the case say they are "actively talking" to other possible plaintiffs as well.