Kuwait invites a plaintiff
Kuwait invites a plaintiff
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. 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.
Kuwait invited a Congressman suing Trump for violating the foreign emoluments clause to its party at the Trump Hotel D.C.
Last night on Twitter, Rep. Steve Cohen (D–TN) shared his invite to Kuwait’s independence day celebration at the Trump Hotel D.C. next month. Cohen’s one of the 196 Democratic Senators and Representatives who filed a lawsuit against President Trump in June 2017, accusing him of violating the Constitution’s foreign emoluments clause—a lawsuit that cites Kuwait’s 2017 independence day party at the hotel as an example of the president profiting from a foreign government. Awkward!
Cohen’s communications director did not immediately respond to an inquiry asking if the Congressman planned on attending and if he knew whether any of the co-plaintiffs also were invited. But based on Cohen liking a tweet that asked “Safe to report you won’t be attending attending?,” it seems safe to say the embassy can put Cohen down as a “no.”
Lawmakers updated emoluments suit to include GSA IG’s report
Yesterday, lawyers for the 196 Democratic Senators and Representatives suing President Trump for violating the U.S. Constitution’s Emoluments Clauses filed a notice of supplemental authority, notifying the court of the GSA inspector general’s report. The IG said GSA failed to consider if the Trump Hotel D.C.’s lease was in compliance with the U.S. Constitution after Donald Trump became president.
From the lawmakers’ filing:
The judge is currently considering Trump’s appeal of a September 2018 ruling that granted the legislators’ standing.
Conservative book club meetings planned
The Washington, D.C. Conservative Book Club has two upcoming meetings scheduled for the president’s hotel. Slated for discussion are books by one current and one former Trump advisor:
“Trump’s America: The Truth about Our Nation’s Great Comeback” by Newt Gingrich on Feb. 26
“Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics” by Chris Christie on April 3
Correction
Yesterday’s 1100 Pennsylvania had the wrong link embedded for “A big Trump case hinges on the definition of ‘emoluments.’ A new study has bad news for him.” by Aaron Blake for The Washington Post. It’s been corrected in the web version of the newsletter, and you can access the story here by selecting this link.
Noteworthy sightings
The president of the Black Conservative Federation, Diante Johnson, gave a special shout-out yesterday to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristjen Nielsen. To illustrate his well wishes, Johnson shared an undated picture of them together at Nielsen’s boss’s hotel.
Legislative assistant to Rep. Jodey Arrington (R–TX), Kaley Matis, celebrated her birthday with former White House office of cabinet affairs intern, Ashtyn Davis.
New campaign expenditure
Vice President Mike Pence’s Great America Committee spent another $9,575.40 at his boss’s hotel in November 2018. [H/T Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s Matt Corley]
Other Trump Organization news
Amazon pushed back on Trump Organization EVP Eric Trump’s whataboutism from the day before regarding his company’s earlier failure to use E-Verify. Eric later deleted his tweet and has not replied to an email and tweet asking why he did so. (Safe to say Eric’s tweet received a lot more views before he deleted it than Amazon Policy’s reply ever will.)
“Trump expected to spend weekend at Mar-a-Lago” by CBS12
“Undocumented worker who was fired by Trump Organization to attend State of the Union” by Elise Viebeck for The Washington Post
The Trump Store has a dedicated “made in the U.S.A.” category, which implies that some of its products are not. The entirety of its made in the U.S.A. collection appears to be four shirts, one hat, and a discounted dog collar. Woof.
House investigations, current status (latest change, Jan. 25, 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 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.
Intelligence—Sent an inquiry to Deutsche Bank AG on its ties to Trump, according to the bank on Jan. 24.
Oversight and Reform—Chair 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—Chair Dina Titus (D–NV) announced plans to investigate “Donald Trump’s attempts to prevent the relocation of the F.B.I headquarters and to profit from his presidency at his D.C. hotel” on Jan. 24.
Legal cases, current status (latest change, Jan. 31, 2019)
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. (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.) Oral arguments on the appeal are scheduled for March 19.
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.”
UPDATED 196 Democratic senators and representatives’ emoluments lawsuit—On Sept. 28, 2018 judge Emmet G. Sullivan ruled that the legislators have standing to sue. Trump’s Justice Department attorneys filed an interlocutory appeal on Oct. 22, 2018. And on Jan. 30, 2019 the plaintiff’s 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.
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!)
Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R–CA) was one of 21 Instagram users to like this 9/11-gender joke:
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. 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.