Korean-U.S. Trump supporters pray, spend
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 becoming a paying member ($5/month or $50/year). If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, subscribe for yourself at zacheverson.substack.com. Questions? Read our FAQ/manifesto. Tips or feedback? Contact me, Zach Everson, securely via email at 1100Pennsylvania@protonmail.com or on Signal at 202.804.2744.
Korean-U.S. Trump supporters pray, spend
The 2019 Korea–U.S. prayer breakfast for peace on the Korean peninsula took place yesterday morning at the Trump Hotel D.C.
As for why the Trump Hotel D.C. may have been chosen to host the breakfast, the event’s Facebook page yields subtle clues:
T-Mobile execs liked the president’s D.C. hotel even more than we already knew
From “T-Mobile executives seeking merger approval booked more than 52 nights at Trump’s hotel—more than previously known” by Jonathan O'Connell, David A. Fahrenthold, and Mike DeBonis for The Washington Post:
Executives from the telecom giant T-Mobile—which last year asked the Trump administration to approve its megamerger with Sprint—have booked at least 52 nights at President Trump’s D.C. hotel since then, even more than previously reported, according to newly obtained records from the hotel.
The revelations come as political scrutiny of the proposed deal is mounting on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) issued letters demanding information about the T-Mobile executives’ stays and whether Trump was informed of them. The issue is likely to come up at House subcommittee hearings on the merger next week.
For a deeper look at T-Mobile’s Trump Hotel D.C. experience and The Post’s initial scoop, check out the Jan. 16 edition of 1100 Pennsylvania.
Also, here’s the letter Warren and Jayapal sent to Trump Org EVPs Don Jr. and Eric Trump, CFO Allen Weisselberg (reminder: he’s a cooperating witness in the Cohen probe), and the hotel’s managing director, Mickael Damelincourt.
SOTU leftovers
Evangelical minister Lance Wallnau, who hosted a dream trip at the Trump Hotel D.C. in 2018 and described Pentecostals as “the access to presidents of the voice of god,” broadcast live from the Trump Hotel D.C. before the SOTU.
Full-service online consulting firm Campaign Solutions watched and worked during SOTU from what appears to be one of the hotel’s signature suites. The firm has “raised over $100,000 per day, every day, for our clients for over 20 years.” Some of its biggest customers over the last two years: former Rep. Trey Gowdy (R–S.C.), then Rep. Martha McSally’s (R–AZ) unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate, and the GOPS’s Senate Leadership Fund super PAC.
Vernon Davis, the tight end on Washington’s NFL team, had post-SOTU drinks.
President of the pro-gun Second Amendment Institute, Tyler Yzaguirre, declared the speech a “YUGE win for President Trump.”
Visual artist who projects on hotel lands museum exhibit
From “This artist projects protest messages onto the Trump Hotel. Now he has his own museum show” by Mikaela Lefrak for WAMU:
Did you see that projection on the Trump Hotel last year that read “Pay Trump bribes here”? What about the one on the Environmental Protection Agency that read “Don’t let a climate denier take over the EPA”? Or maybe you caught the one that said: “Brett Kavanaugh is a sexual predator” on the federal courthouse where the Supreme Court justice once worked.
The man behind these political projections, Robin Bell, now has his own solo exhibition. “OPEN,” as it’s called, opens on Feb. 7 at the Corcoran School’s Flagg Building—inside the building, to be clear.
Noteworthy sightings
Government watchdog American Oversight noticed that Trump’s pick to head the World Bank, David Malpass, dined at the Trump Hotel D.C. with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in 2017.
In town for the annual National Prayer Breakfast, this group ran into President Trump’s attorney, Rudy Giuliani, at President Trump’s D.C. hotel.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R–KY) retweeted Glenn Beck’s plug of the president’s D.C. hotel. While RTs are not endorsements, of course, they can amplify the original writer’s recommendation.
The deputy chief of staff at the Peace Corps, Matt McKinney, was “being boujee.”
Other Trump Organization news
“Trump wanted $20 million for 2006 Moscow deal, developer says” by Stephanie Baker for Bloomberg
A Trump property appears to have lied about making charitable donations via Tom Dreisbach of NPR
Sushi Nakazawa earned a three-star review from Tom Sietsema of The Washington Post
Trump Org EVP Eric Trump and President Trump, who is walled off from his businesses, respond to the House Intelligence committee chair Adam Schiff’s (D–CA) announcement of his investigation’s aims. It includes looking into the Trump Org’s foreign ties (for more details, see the following section on House investigations).
House investigations, current status (latest change, Feb. 7, 2019)
Financial Services—Sent an inquiry to Deutsche Bank AG on its ties to Trump, according to the bank on Jan. 24.
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.
UPDATED 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. Earlier, on Jan. 24, the committee sent an inquiry to Deutsche Bank AG on its ties to Trump, according to the bank.
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,” according to CBS News on Jan. 13.
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 the members of the Trump family dating back to 2015, an explanation of how the hotel calculates its profits, profit statements since the hotel opened in 2016, 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. DeFazio and Titus requested a reply by Feb. 8. 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.
Ways and Means subcommittee on Oversight—The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. John Lewis (D–GA), is holding a hearing on “legislative proposals and tax law related to presidential and vice-presidential tax returns” on Feb. 7.
Legal cases, current status (latest change, Feb. 7, 2019)
D.C. and MD attorneys general’s emoluments lawsuit (district court docket, appellate court docket)—
UPDATED 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. (Discovery had started Dec. 3 and was scheduled to run through Aug. 2, 2019, with the AGs already having issued subpoenas, including to the Trump Organization, including its Scotish 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 are scheduled for March 19. The AGs filed their brief opposing the president’s appeal on Feb. 6, stating “The President is not entitled to an order requiring the district court to certify for interlocutory review its denial of his motion to dismiss. No court has ever issued such relief.”
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. And 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 U.S. Constitution after Donald 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.
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.
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 on Jan. 10 they submitted a statement of issues to be raised. The next steps, which don’t yet have a timeline, include a briefing schedule being set and both sides filing appellate briefs.
Employees’ class-action suit alleging racial discrimination—Two of the three plaintiffs did not appear at a status hearing on Jan. 25; 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
One thing that has nothing to do with Trump’s businesses (I think, tough to tell sometimes!)
Watch Marshall Curry’s Academy Award-nominated short documentary film, “A Night at the Garden”:
Thanks for reading. If you like what you see, tell someone—and support this work by becoming a paying member ($5/month or $50/year). If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter, subscribe for yourself at zacheverson.substack.com. Questions? Read our FAQ/manifesto. Tips or feedback? Contact me, Zach Everson, securely via email at 1100Pennsylvania@protonmail.com or on Signal at 202.804.2744.