Washington, August 29 (RHC)-- The Washington Post is reporting Attorney General William Barr is planning a $30,000 holiday party at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.  The event is reportedly not an official Justice Department party and will be paid for directly by Barr.

Critics say that although the event would not be a legal violation, it skirts an ethical line. Maryland and the District of Columbia previously argued in a lawsuit that foreign governments and other entities patronize the Trump hotel in order to curry favor with the president, putting other businesses at a disadvantage — a violation of the so-called 'emoluments clause.'