Florida governor, Miami officials partied at Doral
Florida governor, Miami officials partied at Doral
Gov. DeSantis addressed Miami’s mayor, judges, and police at Dade County PBA’s black-tie gala
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), an ally of President Trump’s, spoke at the Dade County Police Benevolent Association’s black-tie awards gala at Trump’s Doral golf course on Saturday night.
It was a return visit to Doral for the PBA’s annual event. According to the group, a thousand people typically attend the celebration. (Documents from the Trump Organization reported that business at the venue has decreased dramatically, per David Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell last week for The Washington Post.)
Among the Miami-Dade County officials spotted (in addition to the police officers) were
Circuit Judges Martin Zilber, Veronica Diaz, Vivianne del Rio, and Kristy Nuñez (these judges have to run for election and PBA endorsements are coveted)
school board member, Lubby Navarro (originally appointed to that position by then Gov. Rick Scott (R))
Other notables included State Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez (R), and Doral Councilwoman Digna Cabral.
Trump transactions raised money-laundering concerns at Deutsche Bank
From “Deutsche Bank staff saw suspicious activity in Trump and Kushner accounts” by David Enrich for The New York Times:
Anti-money laundering specialists at Deutsche Bank recommended in 2016 and 2017 that multiple transactions involving legal entities controlled by Donald J. Trump and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, be reported to a federal financial-crimes watchdog…
But executives at Deutsche Bank, which has lent billions of dollars to the Trump and Kushner companies, rejected their employees’ advice. The reports were never filed with the [U.S.] government.
The German financial institution loaned the Trump Organization $170 million in 2014 to transform D.C.’s Old Post Office into a hotel.
President Trump responded to the piece this morning with a tweet storm—that didn’t specifically dispute the money-laundering charges in the Times article, but rather challenged the report that banks were unwilling to lend to him. “This is not true,” replied Enrich, the article’s author, to Trump’s retort.
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FCC chair endorses T-Mobile’s merger plans; company execs had spent $195,000 at Trump’s D.C. hotel
This morning Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai announced he is supporting T-Mobile’s proposed merger with Sprint.
T-Mobile executives spent approximately $195,000 at the Trump Hotel D.C. after announcing a merger that required U.S. government approval. A photo of T-Mobile CEO John Legere mingling with other hotel guests appeared on Facebook the day after merger plans were shared. Nine T-Mobile execs stayed at the hotel that day in fact, according to the hotel’s VIP arrivals lists, obtained by David Fahrenthold and Jonathan O’Connell of The Washington Post.
Legere sightings at the hotel became so common for a while that they merited a collage. Your correspondent also spotted Legere chatting in the lobby with former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who advised T-Mobile on the merger.
The telecommunications firm later acknowledged that it wasn’t a big Trump customer before needing the federal government to support its merger.
In a statement, Pai, a Republican, cited T-Mobile and Sprint’s commitment to improve broadband, especially to rural areas, and their willingness to address regulators’ concerns about the marketplace in the United States going from four to three major cellular carriers:
In light of the significant commitments made by T-Mobile and Sprint as well as the facts in the record to date, I believe that this transaction is in the public interest and intend to recommend to my colleagues that the FCC approve it. This is a unique opportunity to speed up the deployment of 5G throughout the United States and bring much faster mobile broadband to rural Americans. We should seize this opportunity.”
In December, T-Mobile landed a lucrative contact with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Independence Day weekend looking profitable
The Fourth of July is looking like a profitable stretch for the U.S. president’s hotel according to Google (which was unable to find prices at all for July 3–5).
Notable sightings
A glimpse at the foreign officials, government employees, politicians, lobbyists, and the like who patronize or appear at Trump businesses. The people shown here have reasons to want to influence the Trump administration, rely on its good graces for their livelihoods, or should be providing oversight. Additionally, high-profile guests serve as draws for paying customers.
From today’s Politico Playbook: “U.S. Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell chatting with Monica Crowley at the Trump Hotel on Sunday. Crowley was at the hotel for a welcome-to-D.C. dinner. Crowley is joining Treasury in the top comms job.”
Lexi Effron is a professional staffer for the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. It appears part of her wedding-weekend festivities took place in the hotel owned by the head of the executive branch.
A child welfare program specialist at the Department of Health and Human Services’s children’s bureau, Beth Claxon, had a “fantastic evening” at a hotel the head of the executive branch owns.
“When you’re in D.C. you stay at Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.,” wrote Diego Morales. An advisor to Mike Pence when he was Indiana’s governor, Morales lost in the 2018 GOP primary for a U.S. House seat in Indiana.
Lobbyist Bruce Starr celebrated Brooke Starr’s accomplishments in D.C. She’s an executive assistant for Rep. Greg Walden (R–OR).
Other Trump Organization news
“President Trump said in an interview airing Sunday that he has concerns about a verification system that checks whether someone can work in the United States legally—a tool that his namesake business began using company-wide earlier this year.” By Seung Min Kim for The Washington Post.
“In defamation lawsuit, a Trump donor acknowledges providing Chinese execs ‘access’ in U.S.” by David Corn and Dan Friedman for Mother Jones
“Critic renews suit over Trump financial disclosure” by Josh Gerstein for Politico
Rep. Justin Amash’s (R–MI) campaigns and joint fundraising committees do not appear to have spent any money at Trump properties.
“Trump’s D.C. hotel has raked in cash—and only at the cost of America’s dignity” by The Washington Post’s editorial board
“Force Trump Hotels to take in homeless asylum seekers, says Florida mayor: ‘Ask the president to open his heart and home’” by Chantal Da Silva for Newsweek
On both Saturday and Sunday, President Trump golfed at his Sterling, Virginia course, per the White House press pool
“Donald Trump posts first official score of 2019, and it’s 28 (!) strokes better than his last one” by Kevin Cunningham for Golf.com
“President Trump’s golf scores hacked; USGA confirms it’s looking into the matter” by Eamon Lynch and Bill Speros for Golfweek
While President Trump’s visit to Ireland is in doubt with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar reportedly preferring a venue other than Trump’s Doonbeg golf course, Eric Trump stopped by the course. He accompanied 32 members of Trump Charlotte on an “ultimate links tour” of Trump properties in Scotland and Ireland.
President Trump chose not to divest; Americans need to know who’s paying him
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House investigations, current status (latest change, May 17, 2019)
Financial Services—Sent an inquiry to Deutsche Bank AG on its ties to Trump, according to the bank on Jan. 24. On March 1, chair Rep. Maxine Waters (D–CA) said the bank is cooperating with her committee and that staffers from the panel have met with bank employees in New York. On March 11, the committee requested documents on Trump’s businesses from Capital One; the bank “said it was already preserving documents but needs a subpoena in order to comply” per Politico. On April 15, that subpoena was issued. All told, the committee reportedly has subpoenaed nine banks for information about President Trump’s finances. President Trump, Don. Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and their businesses sued Deutsche Bank and Capital One on April 30, however, in an attempt to prevent them from sharing financial records with Congress. Deutsche Bank reportedly has been willing to cooperate with lawmakers. On May 3, the Trumps filed for a preliminary injunction to block the subpoenas.
Foreign Affairs—Chair Rep. Elliot Engel (D–NY) “plans to investigate whether President Donald Trump’s businesses are driving foreign policy decisions, including whether Trump violated the emoluments clause of the Constitution in the process” per CNN on Jan. 23.
Judiciary—On March 4, the committee “served document requests to 81 agencies, entities, and individuals believed to have information relevant to the investigation,” according to a statement by the panel. Among the individuals the committee requested documents from are Trump Organization EVP Donald Trump Jr.; EVP Eric Trump; EVP and COO Michael Calamari; CFO Alan Weisselberg; EVP and chief legal officer Alan Garten; Trump tax attorney Sherri Dillon; longtime Trump executive assistant Rhona Graff; former Trump advisor Felix Sater; former Trump attorney Michael Cohen; and Trump associate and inaugural chair, Tom Barrack. The committee received “tens of thousands” of documents by the March 18 deadline the letters set for responses, according to its chair, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D–NY). Among the respondents: Barrack, Steve Bannon, and the National Rifle Association. But more than half of the targets had not replied by April 3, two weeks after the deadline. On that day, the committee authorized subpoenas for former White House aides Bannon, Ann Donaldson, Hope Hicks, Donald McGahn, and Reince Priebus, per Politico. Attorneys for the Trump Organization, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump did not respond to Politico’s inquires if their clients planned to reply. The committee is considering making additional document requests, including to Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. The committee interviewed Felix Sater on March 21.
Intelligence—On Feb. 6, chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D–CA) issued a statement that said his committee would investigate links or coordination between the Russian government/related foreign actors and individuals associated with Trump’s businesses, as well as if foreign actors sought to compromise or hold leverage over Trump’s businesses. On Feb. 10, Schiff said the committee would investigate Trump’s relationship with Deutsche Bank, a major lender to the Trump Organization. Earlier, on Jan. 24, the committee sent an inquiry to Deutsche Bank AG on its ties to Trump, according to the bank. On Feb. 28, an aide said the panel expects to interview Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. During testimony on March 6, Michael Cohen turned over documents that allegedly show how Trump’s then-personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, edited Cohen’s statement regarding Trump Tower Moscow. Cohen later read this revised statement before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. In closed-door testimony in March, Cohen claimed the president submitted a false insurance claim regarding a fresco in Trump Tower. Felix Sater, who was connected to the Trump Moscow project, was scheduled to testify in an open hearing on March 27, but that has been postponed. Schiff hired a veteran prosecutor experienced with combating Russian organized crime to lead this investigation. The committee is also seeking to interview Trump inauguration organizer Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. On March 11, the committee requested documents on Trump’s businesses from Capital One; the bank “said it was already preserving documents but needs a subpoena in order to comply” per Politico. On April 15, that subpoena was issued. All told, the committee reportedly has subpoenaed nine banks for information about President Trump’s finances. President Trump, Don. Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and their businesses sued Deutsche Bank and Capital One on April 30, however, in an attempt to prevent them from sharing financial records with Congress. Schiff said Deutsche Bank has been willing to cooperate with lawmakers. On May 3, the Trumps filed for a preliminary injunction to block the subpoenas.
Oversight and Reform—Chair Rep. Elijah Cummings’s (D–MD) staff “has already sent out 51 letters to government officials, the White House, and the Trump Organization asking for documents related to investigations that the committee may launch,” on Jan. 13. In a Feb. 15 letter to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, Cummings said the committee received documents showing White House attorney Stefan Passantino and long-time Trump personal attorney Sheri Dillon provided “false information” to the Office of Government Ethics regarding Michael Cohen’s “hush-money payments.” As a result, Cummings wants to depose Passantino and Dillon; the White House, however, rejected Cummings’ request to interview Passantino. And on Feb. 27, Cohen testified to the committee about those payments and other Trump Organization business practices, which could lead to the committee requesting the president’s tax returns and allegations of possible insurance fraud. The next day, House Democrats signaled they would seek testimony from Trump Organization officials whom Cohen alleged were implicated, including Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and CFO Allen Weisselberg. On March 6, Cummings requested information from the GSA about its reversal of an earlier decision to relocate FBI headquarters, which is located across the street from the Trump Hotel D.C. The committee also has requested 10 years of Trump’s financial records. On March 11, the committee requested documents on Trump’s businesses from Capital One; the bank “said it was already preserving documents but needs a subpoena in order to comply” per Politico. And on April 12, Cummings notified committee members that he plans to subpoena Mazars USA, Trump’s accounting firm, for his financial statements. That same day Cummings also wrote to the GSA requesting all monthly reports from the Trump Hotel D.C., information about any liens on the hotel, a slew of correspondence between the Trump Org and GSA, and legal opinions regarding the Trump Org’s compliance with the lease. President Trump, the Trump Organization, and the Trump Hotel D.C. sued Cummings and Mazars USA on April 22 in an attempt to prevent the release of Trump’s financial records. Trump’s suit cites an 1880 Supreme Court decision—that was overturned in 1927. Cummings postponed the subpoenas’ deadline while the courts address the president’s suit. At a May 14 hearing, U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta sounded sympathetic to the committee and said he expects to issue a ruling in a few days.
Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management—Transportation committee chair Rep. Peter DeFazio (D–OR) and subcommittee chair Dina Titus (D–NV) sent a letter to GSA administrator Emily Murphy on Jan. 22 asking for all communication between the GSA and members of the Trump family dating back to 2015, an explanation of how the D.C. hotel calculates its profits, profit statements since the hotel opened, any guidance from the White House regarding the lease, and whether or not Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are recused from participating in decisions regarding the property. GSA has “sent a partial response and the subcommittee is reviewing it,” according to a senior House staffer familiar with the situation. When hearings begin, it is likely that Murphy will be the first person called to testify, according to a person familiar with the subcommittee’s plans. Titus is hiring additional staffers to handle the investigation. On March 6, Titus requested information from the GSA about its reversal of an earlier decision to relocate the FBI headquarters, which is located across the street from the Trump Hotel D.C. NPR reported on March 15 that, “Democrats on the committee want to know, among other things, whether there was any political pressure exerted on the GSA by the Trump White House, presidential campaign or transition team. They also want to know how the Trump Hotel calculates its profits, segregates incoming money from foreign governments, and what the Trump Organization owes the GSA on a monthly or annual basis.’”
Ways and Means—On April 3, chairman Richard Neal (D–MA) requested six years of Trump’s personal tax returns, as well as the returns for eight of his businesses (including that of the trust that holds the president’s ownership stake in the D.C. hotel). After the IRS missed Neal’s first deadline, he extended it until 5 p.m. on April 22. The IRS missed that deadline too and Treasury Sec. Steve Mnuchin said he’d make a decision whether or not to release the returns by May 6. He declined to do so. Neal indicated he’ll take the issue to the federal courts. On May 10 the committee subpoenaed Mnuchin and IRS commissioner Charles Rettig, giving them a May 17 deadline to turn over Trump’s tax returns. Mnuchin again declined to comply. Also, the subcommittee on Oversight held its first hearing on “legislative proposals and tax law related to presidential and vice-presidential tax returns” on Feb. 7. “We will ask the question: Does the public have a need to know that a person seeking the highest office in our country obeys tax law?” said chair Rep. John Lewis (D–GA). Experts in tax law testified.
Legal cases, current status (latest change, May 16, 2019)
D.C. and MD attorneys general’s emoluments lawsuit (district court docket, appellate court docket)—
Official capacity—On Dec. 20, 2018, 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. Discovery had started Dec. 3 and was scheduled to run through Aug. 2, 2019, with the AGs having subpoenaed the Trump Organization, including its Scottish golf courses; the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, and Treasury and the GSA; and the state of Maine. Oral arguments on the appeal occurred on March 19; by all accounts the three-judge panel (all Republican appointees, including one who was a selection of President Trump’s) were skeptical of the AGs’ case. D.C. AG Karl Racine pledged to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
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.”
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. On Jan. 30, 2019, the plaintiffs’ filed a notice of supplemental authority, notifying the court of the GSA inspector general’s report that criticized GSA for failing to consider if the Trump Hotel D.C.’s lease was in compliance with the Constitution after Trump became president. Two days later, the president’s attorneys argued that the IG’s conclusion was not inconsistent with Trump’s argument, but that the judge should ignore that report anyway because the IG has no expertise in interpreting or applying the foreign emoluments clause. On April 30, Sullivan denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the suit. While the president’s attorneys have a supplemental brief due on May 28, on May 14 they filed a motion to stay the proceedings while they appeal Sullivan’s decision.
CREW et. al’s emoluments lawsuit—In February 2018, 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.
Cork’s unfair competition lawsuit—Judge Richard J. Leon dismissed the case on Nov. 26, 2018, 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 on Jan. 10, 2019 they submitted a statement of issues to be raised. Cork filed its first appellant brief on May 15, arguing “the District Court failed to recognize the evolving nature of the common law of unfair competition in the District of Columbia and erroneously treated the prior cases as if they were a series of statutes that Appellant had to satisfy to state a claim
Employees’ class-action suit alleging racial discrimination—Two of the three plaintiffs did not appear at a status hearing on Jan. 25, 2019; their cases were moved to arbitration. Via email, their attorney, A.J. Dhali, said his clients did not appear at the hearing because their case already had been moved to arbitration last year. The next status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 4.
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
Is the Trump Organization selling merchandise that depicts the White House? (latest change, March 21, 2019)
Yes.
One thing that (probably) has nothing to do with Trump’s businesses
From “Trade can no longer anchor America’s relationship with China” by The Economist:
The American president is as much a symptom as a cause of a change in the way that America thinks about its openness to the world. Voters elected a might-makes-right leader who scorns alliances, who is cynical about the rule of law and universal values and who believes that national interests always come first. Amid espionage fears, visa rules for Chinese students of science and technology have tightened. FBI agents have quizzed scholars visiting from Chinese state-backed think-tanks about government links, and cancelled the visas of some. Rather than China becoming more Western, America is becoming more Chinese.
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