Emoluments
Definition
A constitutional term (Article I, Section 9) for gifts, payments, titles, or other things of value that federal officeholders are barred from accepting from foreign governments without Congress's consent. A related domestic clause bars the president from receiving extra payments from the US or state governments beyond a fixed salary.
Why it matters
The clauses exist to stop foreign governments from buying influence over US officials through gifts or business deals, and to prevent domestic officials from being paid off by federal or state governments outside their salary. They have rarely been tested in court, leaving their practical limits unsettled.
Seen in the wild
During his first term, litigation and reporting alleged that foreign governments paid for stays and events at Trump-owned hotels, including the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., and that foreign-government-owned entities paid rent at Trump Tower, prompting emoluments lawsuits that were ultimately dismissed as moot when he left office in 2021 without a ruling on the merits.1