New York City is seeking to terminate all public business relationships with the Trump Organization, Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced Wednesday morning, while charging that President Trump incited violence during last week’s breach of the U.S Capitol.
“President of the United States directed a mob against the United States Capitol against the Congress while it was engaging in a constitutional lawful electoral college vote count. In light of this criminal act, the city of New York has determined that it is within our power to terminate all contracts with the Trump Organization. So we will no longer be doing any business at all,” de Blasio said in a news conference Wednesday.
“So Goodbye to The Trump Organization, we’re not doing a business with you,” he added.
The Trump Organization vowed to fight the city’s action, saying the city can’t cancel the contracts.
“Yet another example of Mayor de Blasio’s incompetence and blatant disregard for the facts,” Eric Trump, the president’s son and executive vice president of the Trump Organization said in a statement. “The City of New York has no legal right to end our contracts and if they elect to proceed they will owe The Trump Organization over $30 million. This is nothing more than political discrimination and we plan to fight it vigorously.”
The Trump Organization has contracts to operate and run 4 sites — the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx, the Central Park Carousel, and the two ice skating rinks at Central Park — Wollman and Lasker.
The organization made $17.9 million in income in 2019 managing those four sites, according to his most recent federal financial disclosure filing. The two ice skating rinks are the most lucrative which saw both sites bring in a combined $9.4 million.
Wollman Rink is the longest-running Trump Organization contract with the city that Trump helped reopened in 1986 after landing the contract to renovate and run the site.
De Blasio said the city has “the right to terminate” the contracts, calling the president a “criminal” and he will not let him “get away with this.”
“By the contract language, we have the right to terminate contracts, obviously if criminal acts has been committed and a criminal act has been,” de Blasio said. “This criminal act has led a lot of companies, a lot of people to determine things need to be different that we cannot accept the status quo, where a criminal get away with this. So we’re acting. I want to emphasize that we’re working immediately to find new vendors to take over these facilities so we can continue to provide service to their customers.”
“But it’s just really clear. This President has committed an unlawful act, he has disgraced himself. He will no longer profit from his relationship with New York City, we will not allow it,” de Blasio added.
In a news release announcing the decision, the cancellation of the carousel and ice skating agreements could take effect within 30 days, while terminating the contract to run the Ferry Point golf course in the Bronx is complex “and is expected to take a number of months.”
While the Trump Organization lists New York City as the company’s headquarters with Trump’s two sons — Eric and Donald Trump Jr. running the helm, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in October 2019 filed paperwork making Florida their primary residence, citing his decision to move was due to being “treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state.”
If Trump losses the business contract, the president still operates Trump Tower, a commercial and residential building in Midtown where he once resided before moving to Florida, as well several properties including Trump Plaza, the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street, and the Trump International Hotel on Central Park West.
Capitol HillCapitol RiotCentral Park CarouselEric TrumpFerry Point Golf CourseMayor Bill de BlasioNew YorkNew York CityNew York NewsPresident TrumpTrump OrganizationTrump Tower
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