Democrats sue to get documents on Trump's Washington hotelWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional Democrats filed suit on Thursday seeking the release of government documents related to Republican President Donald Trump’s ownership of a Washington hotel that critics say represents a conflict of interest. In the lawsuit, Democrats on the House of Representatives’ Oversight and Government Reform Committee said the General Services Administration (GSA), the government’s property arm, illegally withheld documents about the Trump International Hotel. The 14-page suit marks the latest legal skirmish over the luxury hotel a few blocks from the White House, which has become a rallying point for anti-Trump protesters. Critics say the hotel violates government rules barring elected officials from taking part in a lease of federal property. Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the committee’s ranking Democrat, said the GSA had ignored federal law by refusing to provide documents about the hotel’s operation, foreign payments to the hotel or the legal reasoning that Trump could be a party to the lease. “We have no transparency - no ability to check for ongoing conflicts of interest or unconstitutional foreign payments,” Cummings said in a statement. The suit filed in U.S. District Court names acting General Services Administrator Timothy Horne as defendant. Pam Dixon, a spokeswoman for the agency, said it would not comment on pending litigation. Cummings and other critics have argued that the hotel housed in the government’s historic Old Post Office represented a conflict of interest because Trump is both landlord and tenant of the building. A GSA contracting officer said in March that the hotel was not in violation of federal conflict-of-interest rules.  Thursday’s lawsuit said the GSA rebuffed three requests from committee Democrats for information about the hotel since Trump took office in January. The requests included ones filed under a law which mandates that a federal agency turn over information requested by at least seven members of the committee. Under the same law, the GSA had produced documents about the  Trump International Hotel while Democrat Barack Obama was president, the suit said. Trump is facing numerous lawsuits targeting his alleged failure to distance himself from his business empire while in office. The president ceded day-to-day control of his businesses to his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., in a move he said would steer clear of conflicts of interest. politicsNews
democrats sue get documents trump washington hotelwashington reuters congressional democrats filed suit thursday seeking release government documents related republican president donald trump ownership washington hotel critics say represents conflict interest in lawsuit democrats house representatives oversight government reform committee said general services administration gsa government property arm illegally withheld documents trump international hotel the suit marks latest legal skirmish luxury hotel blocks white house become rallying point protesters critics say hotel violates government rules barring elected officials taking part lease federal property representative elias cuttings maryland committee ranking democrat said gsa ignored federal law refusing provide documents hotel operation foreign payments hotel legal reasoning trump could party lease we transparency ability check ongoing conflicts interest unconstitutional foreign payments cuttings said statement the suit filed district court names acting general services administrator timothy horse defendant pam dixon spokeswoman agency said would comment pending litigation cuttings critics argued hotel housed government historic old post office represented conflict interest trump landlord tenant building a gsa contracting officer said march hotel violation federal rules thursday lawsuit said gsa rebuffed three requests committee democrats information hotel since trump took office january the requests included ones filed law mandates federal agency turn information requested least seven members committee under law gsa produced documents trump international hotel democrat barack obama president suit said trump facing numerous lawsuits targeting alleged failure distance business empire office the president ceded control businesses sons eric donald move said would steer clear conflicts interest politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Democrats sue to get documents on Trump's Washington hotelWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional Democrats filed suit on Thursday seeking the release of government documents related to Republican President Donald Trump’s ownership of a Washington hotel that critics say represents a conflict of interest. In the lawsuit, Democrats on the House of Representatives’ Oversight and Government Reform Committee said the General Services Administration (GSA), the government’s property arm, illegally withheld documents about the Trump International Hotel. The 14-page suit marks the latest legal skirmish over the luxury hotel a few blocks from the White House, which has become a rallying point for anti-Trump protesters. Critics say the hotel violates government rules barring elected officials from taking part in a lease of federal property. Representative Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the committee’s ranking Democrat, said the GSA had ignored federal law by refusing to provide documents about the hotel’s operation, foreign payments to the hotel or the legal reasoning that Trump could be a party to the lease. “We have no transparency - no ability to check for ongoing conflicts of interest or unconstitutional foreign payments,” Cummings said in a statement. The suit filed in U.S. District Court names acting General Services Administrator Timothy Horne as defendant. Pam Dixon, a spokeswoman for the agency, said it would not comment on pending litigation. Cummings and other critics have argued that the hotel housed in the government’s historic Old Post Office represented a conflict of interest because Trump is both landlord and tenant of the building. A GSA contracting officer said in March that the hotel was not in violation of federal conflict-of-interest rules.  Thursday’s lawsuit said the GSA rebuffed three requests from committee Democrats for information about the hotel since Trump took office in January. The requests included ones filed under a law which mandates that a federal agency turn over information requested by at least seven members of the committee. Under the same law, the GSA had produced documents about the  Trump International Hotel while Democrat Barack Obama was president, the suit said. Trump is facing numerous lawsuits targeting his alleged failure to distance himself from his business empire while in office. The president ceded day-to-day control of his businesses to his sons, Eric and Donald Jr., in a move he said would steer clear of conflicts of interest. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: democrats sue get documents trump washington hotelwashington reuters congressional democrats filed suit thursday seeking release government documents related republican president donald trump ownership washington hotel critics say represents conflict interest in lawsuit democrats house representatives oversight government reform committee said general services administration gsa government property arm illegally withheld documents trump international hotel the suit marks latest legal skirmish luxury hotel blocks white house become rallying point protesters critics say hotel violates government rules barring elected officials taking part lease federal property representative elias cuttings maryland committee ranking democrat said gsa ignored federal law refusing provide documents hotel operation foreign payments hotel legal reasoning trump could party lease we transparency ability check ongoing conflicts interest unconstitutional foreign payments cuttings said statement the suit filed district court names acting general services administrator timothy horse defendant pam dixon spokeswoman agency said would comment pending litigation cuttings critics argued hotel housed government historic old post office represented conflict interest trump landlord tenant building a gsa contracting officer said march hotel violation federal rules thursday lawsuit said gsa rebuffed three requests committee democrats information hotel since trump took office january the requests included ones filed law mandates federal agency turn information requested least seven members committee under law gsa produced documents trump international hotel democrat barack obama president suit said trump facing numerous lawsuits targeting alleged failure distance business empire office the president ceded control businesses sons eric donald move said would steer clear conflicts interest politicsnews