Oil and gas group returns to hotel for 2019 lobbying event

Welcome to 1100 Pennsylvania, a newsletter devoted to President Donald Trump’s Trump Hotel International 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. 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.

Independent Petroleum Association of America returns to hotel for 2019 Congressional call-up

The Independent Petroleum Association of America’s Congressional Call-Up will take place March 4, 2019 at the president’s hotel, according to the Illinois Oil & Gas Association.

The IPPA is a trade group for the fossil fuel industry. “The Call-Up is one of the best ways for IPAA members to meet and discuss pending issues with members of the House and Senate,” according to IPAA’s description of last year’s event—which also was held at the Trump Hotel D.C. In 2018, “members participated in 150 meetings with House and Senate Members and helped influence change on Capitol Hill” per the group’s marketing material. And Rep. Steve Scalise (R–LA) was a featured speaker.

An email to the IPPA’s manager of public affairs and communications, Jennifer Pett, asking why the group chose to return to the Trump Hotel D.C. in 2019 and if it had anything to do with the U.S. president owning the property was met with an out-of-office auto reply.

No shutdown specials offered

Unlike D.C.’s Capitol Lounge, which is offering $5 drink specials, or José Andrés, who’s giving away free sandwiches to government workers, a staffer at the restaurants and bars in the U.S. president’s hotel confirmed they are not offering any deals to furloughed U.S. government workers.

DC AG: Trump’s weak stance on Saudi Arabia bolsters emoluments case

From “Trump’s stand on Saudi murder boosts emoluments lawsuit, AGs say” by Erik Larson and Andrew M. Harris for Bloomberg:

“People shouldn’t have to worry that we’re going soft on Jamal Khashoggi’s murderers because the president has a financial interest and financial relationship with them,” [Washington, D.C. attorney general Karl] Racine said in an interview during a meeting of the Democratic Attorneys General Association in Washington this month.

Noteworthy sightings

Sen. Ted Cruz (R–TX) and his beard were at the president’s hotel on Monday.

General counsel for the chief administrative officer at U.S. House of Representatives, Chris Brewster, who’s also a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, noted “‘Baby it’s cold outside’ was just playing at the Trump Hotel....”

U.S. Army Col. Sean Counihan “had a wonderful time catching up with a great friend,” U.S. Army deputy chief of staff Ramsey Landeros, at the commander-in-chief’s hotel. Also, Christmas cheer was had.

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Logan Tilley issued holiday wishes from the commander-in-chief’s business.

The editor for conservative news site Townhall.com, Katie Pavlich, was all smiles with friends in front of the hotel’s Christmas tree.

Legal cases, current status (latest change, Dec. 24, 2018)

• D.C. and MD attorneys general’s emoluments lawsuit (district court docket, appeals 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. Oral augments on the appeal will take place March 19–21. In the meantime, the 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.

  • UPDATED 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.

• 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.

• 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

• “How did $5 million of Vince McMahon’s money wind up in the Trump Foundation?” By David Bixenspan for Deadspin.

• “Trump’s business empire slumps during presidency: ‘The brand has been diminished’” By Bernard Condon for Associated Press.

• “‘The whole idea of once things are going wrong, he takes no ownership—that’s just Trump,’ [former president of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino Jack] O’Donnell added. ‘He does not own anything that goes wrong. The problem is, he’ll blame anybody. Obviously, it’s the Democrats in this situation.’” By David Nakamura for The Washington Post.

• “The Trumps are hardly the first wealthy family to seek cheap public relations points through a foundation, or to skirt the niceties of corporate governance and tax law along the way. What made the Trump Foundation unusual was how little else it did, and how little anyone involved in it appeared to care about anything, other than Trump’s self-aggrandizement.” By Harold Pollack for The Washington Post.

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

The latest This Week in Podcasts newsletter run downs 26 essential podcast episodes of 2018—lots of favorites there (Trump Inc. on Michael Cohen, This American Life's Five Women, and Reply All's on QAnon), as well as a bunch of episodes I haven’t heard and just saved.

Thanks for reading. If you like what you saw, tell someone. 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.