美国国家公共电台 NPR Lawyer Sues Trump, Saying He'd Rather Not

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RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Since President Trump¹ took office, he's been named as a defendant² in more than a hundred lawsuits⁴. Most of them involve immigration or civil rights issues. There is one that stands apart. Here's NPR's Peter Overby.

PETER OVERBY, BYLINE⁵: There are lots of big, impressive law offices in D.C. The one-room setup of Jeffrey Lovitky isn't among them.

This is the law firm?

JEFFREY LOVITKY: (Laughter).

OVERBY: It's small.

He's got just enough space for a desk, a credenza, three bookcases and two chairs. I asked him about his lawsuit³ against President Trump.

You know, what's the point?

LOVITKY: Well - so we're in a situation now that is unprecedented⁶.

OVERBY: Unprecedented because Donald Trump is president...

LOVITKY: The man who's making the most critical decisions that will affect our country for years to come.

OVERBY: ...While Trump also holds on to ownership of his international business empire.

LOVITKY: And we need to know as much about his financial situation as we can.

OVERBY: As a candidate, Trump had to disclose his personal finances. That includes personal liabilities. Oddly, though, Trump's disclosure also lists some of his corporate⁷ liabilities. You can't tell which is which.

LOVITKY: It's very possible it was just an error. It may have been very well-intentioned even.

OVERBY: But whatever the cause, the report is confusing. And that's why Lovitky filed suit.

LOVITKY: That's all it means. It means insisting on compliance⁸.

OVERBY: Lovitky hopes his case might establish that ordinary Americans can act to enforce the federal ethics⁹ law. Lovitky makes his living going after federal agencies on contract disputes and health care issues. He's never sued a president before. For this case, he couldn't find a plaintiff.

LOVITKY: I think people are afraid to put their name out there on a lawsuit against the president. There is a sense that Donald Trump can be very difficult on people who oppose him.

OVERBY: So now he's the plaintiff.

LOVITKY: It is intimidating¹⁰. I am intimidated¹¹. I mean, I would rather not be doing this.

OVERBY: He said it's his duty.

LOVITKY: You go back to the basic premise¹² - what is each individual's civic¹³ responsibility? What do you owe?

OVERBY: Lovitky filed his lawsuit in federal district court here in Washington. No date has been set for the White House to respond.

Peter Overby, NPR News, Washington.

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