Diamond and Silk's tour to debut at Trump Hotel D.C.

Welcome to 1100 Pennsylvania, a newsletter devoted to President Donald Trump’s Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. (and his other companies). President Trump, of course, still owns his businesses and can profit from them.

If you like what you see, tell someone—and support this work by paying for a subscription. If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, subscribe for yourself at zacheverson.substack.com. Tips or feedback? Contact me, Zach Everson, securely via email at 1100Pennsylvania@protonmail.com or on Signal at 202.804.2744..

Diamond and Silk return to Trump’s D.C. hotel for Chit Chat Live tour

On Feb. 23, prominent Trump supporters Diamond and Silk’s Chit Chat Live tour is kicking off at the president’s D.C. hotel. Tickets are $90 for regular admission and $200 for a VIP access, which brings the bearer access to a meet and greet with Diamond and Silk (photo allowed), “RSVP [sic] seating,” and light hors d'oeuvre.

In June, Diamond and Silk’s nine-stop tour also will visit Trump National Doral Miami. Last October, the world premier for Diamond and Silk’s movie, Dummycrats, took place at the Trump Hotel D.C.

Related read: “Laughing with Diamond and Silk: What the success of a pair of political entrepreneurs reveals about voting and race” by Lexington for The Economist.

Details emerge on decision to re-open Old Post Office Tower

In “A shutdown-era visit to Park Service ops at Trump’s D.C. hotel” for Government Executive, Charles S. Clark has a detailed account of how the Old Post Office tower, which co-locates with Trump’s D.C. hotel, remains open despite the government shutdown. Clark’s explanation is too long to quote here, so enjoy this executive summary—but you really should read his whole article:

• The National Park Service staffs the tower under an interagency agreement with the GSA. GSA is responsible for the tower’s schedule and funds the Park Service staff.

• Several days into the shutdown, after GSA closed the tower, it realized that it did not need to do so. Kind of.

• According to a statement GSA released, “Balances within the Federal Buildings Fund remain available to operate federal facilities, as needed, until they are expended, notwithstanding a lapse in appropriations.”

• Except…GSA’s statement also said, “In this process, it was discovered that the interagency agreement required by the 1983 law had expired earlier in the year. GSA and NPS subsequently renewed the interagency agreement, and NPS resumed operation of the tower as required by law.”

DC MAGA Meetup scheduled for tonight

Noteworthy sightings

The cadre coordinator/branch chief at FEMA’s response directorate, planning division, Jennifer-Lyn Thill, has made it a tradition to dine with her family at the president’s hotel on New Years Day. And she made sure to let the hotel know.

An assistant to the New Jersey GOP’s state chairman and vice-chairwoman of the Warren County, N.J. Young Republicans, Tia Steinhardt, praised the hotel’s bed.

Mickael Damelincourt, the Trump Hotel D.C. managing director, sounded quite Trumpian when describing the hotel’s front office manager. There’s absolutely nothing suspicious sounding about that caption.

Legal cases, current status (latest change, Jan. 8, 2018)

• D.C. and MD attorneys general’s emoluments lawsuit (district court docket, appellate court docket)—

  • Official capacity—On Dec. 20, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled it would hear the president’s appeal of district court rulings that allowed the case to proceed to discovery, and the appellate court halted discovery in the case. Oral augments on the appeal are tentatively scheduled for March 19–21, although on Dec. 26 the briefing schedule was suspended until further notice after Trump’s DoJ attorneys asked for a stay because of the federal government shutdown. (Discovery had started Dec. 3 and was scheduled to run through Aug. 2, 2019, with the AGs already having issued 38 subpoenas, including to the Trump Organization; the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and Treasury and the GSA; and the state of Maine.)

  • Individual capacity—On Dec. 14, Trump’s personal attorneys appealed the denial of their motion to dismiss the case, also to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Dec. 19, the AGs replied to Trump’s motion for a stay pending that appeal by voluntarily dismissing the claims against Trump in his “individual capacity to allow the claims against President Trump in his official capacity to move forward expeditiously.” (The AGs only brought suit against Trump in his individual capacity after the judge suggested they do so.) Trump’s personal attorneys, on Dec. 21, opposed the motion to dismiss at the district level, saying the appeals court now has jurisdiction and accusing the AGs of “gamesmanship.”

• 196 Democratic senators and representatives’ emoluments lawsuit—On Sept. 28 judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled that the legislators have standing to sue. Trump’s Justice Department attorneys filed an interlocutory appeal on Oct. 22.

• CREW et. al’s emoluments lawsuit—In February, CREW appealed its suit being dismissed for lack of standing to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments on that motion were held on Oct. 30.

• UPDATED Cork’s unfair competition lawsuit—Judge Richard J. Leon dismissed the case on Nov. 26, writing “Cork has failed to state a claim for unfair competition under D.C. law.” On Dec. 10, Cork’s attorneys filed a notice of appeal and they have a basic statement of issues due this week.

• Employees’ class-action suit alleging racial discrimination—A status hearing on arbitration is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2019.

Health inspections, current status (latest change, Aug. 10, 2018)

• ❌Hotel: five violations on May 7, 2018; two were corrected on site

• ❌BLT Prime and Benjamin Bar: nine violations on Aug. 10, 2018

• ❌Sushi Nakazawa: two violations on Aug. 10, 2018

• ✔️Banquet kitchen: no violations on Aug. 10, 2018

• ❌Pastry kitchen: two violations on Aug. 10, 2018

• ✔️Gift shop: no violations on May 7, 2018

• ❌Employee kitchen and in-room dining: five violations on Aug. 10, 2018; two were corrected on site

Other Trump Organization news

• “7 key questions about what President Trump’s company faces in 2019” by David A. Fahrenthold and Jonathan O'Connell for The Washington Post

• “New filings show donations To Eric Trump’s foundation plunged amid scandal” by Dan Alexander for Forbes

• Three days after The Washington Post reported that Trump Hotels’ expansion plans have come to a standstill, Trump Organization EVP Eric Trump appears to have decided to work on his motivation.

  
  
  
  

One thing that has nothing to do with Trump’s businesses (I think, tough to tell sometimes!)

“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a perfect foil for the pro-Trump media” by Charlie Warzel for BuzzFeed

Thanks for reading. If you like what you saw, tell someone—and support this work by paying for a subscription. If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, subscribe for yourself at zacheverson.substack.com. Tips or feedback? Contact me, Zach Everson, securely via email at 1100Pennsylvania@protonmail.com or on Signal at 202.804.2744.