His impeachment trial took place a thousand miles away, but the “Mayor of Mar-a-Lago” also faced a new Inquisition.
Can Donald Trump stay at his private Florida resort, where he flew from the White House on January 20 on Air Force One without even attending Joe Biden’s inauguration?
Palm Beach City Council on Tuesday spent nearly seven hours on issues important to the wealthy island community: the availability of the coronavirus vaccine.
Revitalization of the upscale downtown shopping area. Even the durability of Belgian tiles used on a new walkway and the danger of coconuts falling if palm trees get too high.
Each item on the agenda sparked a litany of questions, comments, and observations, except for one: whether the former US president can continue to live at his Mar-a-Lago club.
While presumably the most controversial among residents and most of the interest nationally and internationally, the matter – at the end of the meeting – took up no more than half an hour of the council’s time.
The five-member council took no action on the question, which was put on the agenda due to complaints from neighbors that Trump’s presence would harm property values.
It is unclear whether the municipality will address the issue further, although a lawyer representing residents – without answer – asked to be allowed to give a more complete presentation in April. The neighbors could also sue the city and Mar-a-Lago.
City attorney, Skip Randolph, said there was nothing in the club’s 1993 agreement with Palm Beach prohibiting Trump from living there.
“This is a debate that I think is really stupid,” said Randolph.
He said the former president would be considered a bona fide employee of the entity.
‘This man, as he wanders around the property, is like the mayor of Mar-a-Lago. He is always present, ”Randolph said on Tuesday in his virtual presentation to the city council.
He and Trump’s attorney John Marion said the city allows clubs and resorts to provide on-site housing for their employees and that Trump, as the president of Mar-a-Lago, fits the bill.
But Philip Johnston, a lawyer who said he represents a group of residents called Preserve Palm Beach, said the club’s neighbors fear Trump’s residence will turn Mar-a-Lago into “a permanent beacon for his more rabid, lawless. supporters “, giving the town the” genteel “character.
Many wealthy residents live in flamboyant mansions with staff and ornate decor, bringing their Rolls-Royces to the local white tablecloth restaurants and upscale fashion and jewelry stores.
Some argue that when Trump got permission to turn the 126-room mansion into a club 28 years ago, he promised through a lawyer that he would not live in Mar-a-Lago.
But Marion said that provision was dropped from the final written agreement in exchange for Trump’s promise to be financially responsible for retaining ownership if the club fails.
He also warned that if Trump gets booted from Mar-a-Lago at “the slightest” chance, he would likely move to one of the other nearby homes he owns.
The Secret Service bubble that is now behind the gates of Mar-a-Lago would be in their streets, he said.
‘There would be barriers to that building. There would be security guards and Secret Service personnel … There would be dogs sniffing vehicles, ”Marion said. “It would be a terrible imposition on them [the neighbors] if they got what they wanted. ”
But the neighbors, at least according to their lawyers, are willing to take that opportunity.
Trump bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985 for $ 10 million from the estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, the owner of grain giant General Foods.
The mansion had fallen into disrepair after her death in 1973, when she left it to the US government as a possible presidential vacation home. The government returned it in 1981.
After Trump bought it, he spent millions upgrading the property while living there part-time.
In the early 1990s, however, Trump was in financial distress. Real estate prices fell and several of his businesses flopped, including a New Jersey casino.
In 1993, Trump and the city agreed that he could turn the estate into a private club. It would be limited to 500 members – the initial cost is now $ 200,000 and the annual membership fee is $ 14,000.