His impeachment trial was taking place a thousand miles away, but the “mayor of Mar-a-Lago” also faced another inquisition.
Is Donald Trump allowed to reside at his private resort in Florida, where he flew from the White House on January 20, in Air Force One, without even attending Joe Biden’s inauguration?
The Palm Beach city council spent nearly seven hours on Tuesday considering important issues for the island’s wealthy community: the availability of the coronavirus vaccine.
Revitalizing the upscale shopping district in the city center. Even the durability of the Belgian tiles being used in a new trail and the danger posed by falling coconuts when the palm trees get too high.
Each item on the agenda provoked a litany of questions, comments and observations, except one: whether the former president of the United States can continue to live in his Mar-a-Lago club.
Although presumably the most controversial among residents and of greatest national and international interest, the issue took up no more than half an hour of the council’s time – at the end of the meeting.
The five-member council took no action on the issue, which was put on the agenda because of complaints from neighbors that Trump’s presence would undermine property values.
It is unclear whether the board will address the issue in more detail, although a lawyer representing residents has asked – with no answer – that he would be allowed to give a more complete presentation in April. Neighbors can also sue the city and Mar-a-Lago.
City prosecutor Skip Randolph said there was nothing in the club’s 1993 deal with Palm Beach that prohibits Trump from residing there.
“This is a debate that I really think is silly,” said Randolph.
He said the former president would be considered a bona fide employee of the organization.
“This guy, while wandering around the property, looks like the mayor of Mar-a-Lago. He’s always there, ”said Randolph in his virtual presentation to the city council on Tuesday.
He and Trump’s lawyer, John Marion, said the city allows clubs and resorts to provide on-site accommodation for its employees and Trump, as 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 that Trump’s residence would turn Mar-a-Lago into “a permanent beacon for his most fanatical and lawless supporters” , destroying the city’s “gentle” character.
Many wealthy residents live in fancy mansions with staff and ornate decor, taking their Rolls-Royces to local white tablecloth restaurants and high-end fashion and jewelry stores.
Some argue that when he obtained permission to turn the 126-room mansion into a club 28 years ago, Trump promised through a lawyer that he would not live in Mar-a-Lago.
But Marion said that clause was left out of the final written agreement in exchange for Trump’s promise to be financially responsible for the preservation of property if the club fails.
He also warned that if by “less” chance Trump was expelled from Mar-a-Lago, he would probably move to one of the other nearby houses he owns.
The Secret Service bubble that now resides behind the gates of Mar-a-Lago would be on its streets, he said.
“There would be barriers in front of this property. There would be guards and Secret Service personnel … There would be dogs sniffing vehicles, ”said Marion. “It would be a horrible imposition for them [the neighbors] if they got what they wanted. ”
But neighbors, at least according to their lawyers, are willing to take that risk.
Trump bought Mar-a-Lago for $ 10 million in 1985 from the property of Marjorie Merriweather Post, owner of cereal giant General Foods.
The mansion had deteriorated after her death in 1973, when she left it to the United States government as a possible presidential vacation home. The government returned it in 1981.
After Trump bought it, he spent millions updating the property while living there part time.
In the early 1990s, however, Trump was in financial trouble. Property prices have plummeted and several of its businesses have failed, including a casino in New Jersey.
In 1993, Trump and the city agreed that he could turn the property into a private club. It would be limited to 500 members – the initiation fee is now $ 200,000 and the annual fee is $ 14,000.