A group of prominent legal experts is suing US president Donald Trump, alleging he is in violation of the US constitution because he continues to own hotels and companies that do business with foreign governments.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (Crew), a liberal watchdog group, filed a lawsuit against Mr Trump in New York yesterday citing the so-called foreign emoluments provision of the US constitution, which bans payments to the president from foreign powers. The group said that by refusing to divest his businesses, the new president is “getting cash and favours from foreign governments, through guests and events at his hotels, leases in his buildings and valuable real estate deals abroad”.

The lawsuit is one of a number of legal actions being planned by opponents of Mr Trump, with other groups looking to challenge his decision to hand over management of his real estate business to his two eldest sons, instead of selling it outright.