Outside Trump’s hotel, Congresswoman demands Trump end shutdown

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.

Outside Trump’s hotel, Congresswoman demands Trump end shutdown

Yesterday Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D–PA) shared a video of her standing in front of the Trump Hotel D.C., demanding the president and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R–KY) end the government shutdown. Just elected to her first full-term, Scanlon used the location to point out that Trump’s promise to run the U.S. government like one of his businesses may not be desirable (executive summary: bankruptcies).

Watch the video on her Twitter or Instagram accounts.

Scanlon’s post came five days after long-shot Democratic presidential candidate West Virginia state senator Richard Ojeda protested the government shutdown with a video shot across the street from Trump’s hotel. Ojeda criticized the administration for funding the Old Post Office tower, which co-locates with the hotel, during the shutdown. (Scanlon did not mention the tower remaining opening.)

In addition to the 12,000 views it earned on his own Twitter feed, Ojeada’s video was picked up by video news outlet Now This where it’s been viewed more than 134,000 times on Twitter alone.

Surprisingly, Trump’s hotel hasn’t appeared previously in many Democrats’ social-media posts or campaign ads. Two videos don’t make a trend, but with emoluments cases working their way through the courts, House Democrats empowered to issue subpoenas about the president’s businesses, and the reach of Ojeda’s video, it seems likely we’ll see more Democratic politicians and their iPhone-wielding aides standing on the sidewalk in front of 1100 Pennsylvania Ave.

Hotel stops music to air Trump’s address

The president’s hotel cut its house music at the lobby bar so patrons could hear the president’s prime-time address from the Oval Office last night, according to both Maggie Haberman of The New York Times and Politico Playbook. The only other instance I can recall of the hotel nixing its boom-biddy-boom-biddy waa-waa evening atmosphere to air a speech was for last year’s State of the Union.

In addition to the pre-party before a celebration for newly sworn-in U.S Senator Rick Scott (R–FL) that Haberman describes, the hotel also hosted a MAGA Meetup last night.

Firearms trade association giving away free room at president’s Vegas hotel

Attendees at the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s annual trade show for the shooting, hunting, and firearms industry have the chance to win a free stay at the president’s Las Vegas hotel.

NSSF is “the national firearms industry trade association.” It’s headquartered in Newtown, Connecticut, a 2.8–mile drive from Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Noteworthy sightings

President Trump claims to be walled off from his business interests, but it appears his supporters/clients may not be aware of that separation. Here the president of Americans for Constitutional Law and Rights, James Montfort (a hotel regular), lets the U.S. president know that the managing director of his hotel does good work.

This woman “had a blast meeting other Republicans!!!!” at the head of their party’s private business.

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.

• 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

• Donald Trump Jr., the EVP of an organization that employs undocumented workers, took to Twitter to complain about Seth Meyers not taking illegal immigration seriously.

  

• Despite President Trump proclaiming his private club the winter White House, journalist Marcy Wheeler pointed out that Mar-a-Lago does not have a wall.

  

• According to an old tweet from President Trump, today is the 15th anniversary of The Apprentice. (Fact check: Maybe! Other sources’ accounts make yesterday the anniversary.)

  

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

“El Chapo Trial: How a Colombian I.T. Guy Helped U.S. Authorities Take Down the Kingpin” by Alan Feuer for The New York Times

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.