Judge Signals Dismissal of $1 Billion Trump Miami Library Suit on Immunity Grounds
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 12
Judge Signals Dismissal of $1 Billion Trump Miami Library Suit on Immunity Grounds
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 12
Summary
Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II indicated Friday he could soon throw out the lawsuit challenging President Trump's planned Miami library, saying the immunity defense could end the case without full pretrial fact-finding.
Ruiz halted discovery despite calling that step generally disfavored, ruling that Trump's dismissal arguments were strong enough that forcing him and other defendants into the process would be unwarranted.
The suit, filed in May by nearby residents and historian Marvin Dunn's company, targets Florida's donation of a downtown Miami parcel now valued at as much as $300 million to Trump's library foundation.
Plaintiffs argue the land transfer violates the Constitution's domestic emoluments clause by giving a state benefit to a sitting president; the project itself is estimated to cost $1 billion and be privately funded.
The case turns on broad presidential immunity recognized in a 1982 civil ruling, with courts also expanding criminal immunity protections for presidents in a 2024 Supreme Court decision.