WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Monday shut down lawsuits claiming Donald Trump violated constitutional bars against a president accepting income from foreign sources.

The justices at the nation’s top court refused to take up the cases and instructed lower jurisdictions to drop the matter, noting they are moot now that Trump has left the White House.

These cases stemmed from the “emoluments clause” of the US Constitution, which prohibits public officials from receiving gifts, payments or titles from foreign states without permission from Congress.

In these cases, plaintiffs in the most visible lawsuit alleged the clause was violated when foreign delegations patronized the Trump International Hotel, near the White House, in an effort to curry favor with the Republican president.