Palm Beach will decide in April if Trump can live in Mar-a-Lago
The City Council of Palm Beach, the southeastern Florida city where Donald Trump is domiciled, discussed this Tuesday in a public hearing whether the former president has the right to reside in his club Mar-a- Lake, but the decision on this matter will not be made until next April.
The day the second impeachment trial of the now-former president began in the Washington Senate, this time for the assault on the Capitol by his supporters, Trump was at the same time the center of the most anticipated part of the meeting of the City Council of a city inhabited mostly by wealthy people.
At the hearing, which was held by Zoom and was for informational purposes only, their views were expressed by John "Skip" Randolph, City Attorney; John Marion, representing Trump; Reginald G. Stambaugh, representing a group of Mar-A-Lago residents, and Philip Johnston, representing a group dedicated to preserving the "quality of life" of this city of the rich and famous.
The first two defended that Trump has the right to live in the "owner's suite" of his club and the other two questioned it, as did a citizen named "Taylor" who asked to speak at the hearing and said that Mar-a -Lago has become the "Office of the 45th president of the United States" and that generates concern in the city.
Trump, his wife Melania and their son established their legal domicile in Mar-a-Lago at the end of 2019, when he was still President and since January 20, 2021, the day Joe Biden assumed the Presidency, they have resided permanently in that mansion from the 20s of the last century turned into a private club since the 90s.
Since it became known in December that the Trumps were going to move from the White House to Mar-a-Lago, arguments against residents of Palm Beach began to emerge.
Attorney Stambaugh, on behalf of a Mar-a-Lago neighbor whose identity is being kept hidden, formally raised with the City Council that Trump lost his right to permanently reside on that property when in 1993 he reached an agreement with authorities to convert it into a private club.
In exchange for keeping the old mansion on the 18-acre (7.2-hectare) property, which he acquired in 1986, the former president was allowed to convert it into a private club.
Among other things, it was agreed that the members could not live in the club for more than a certain time, says the lawyer, who also sent his letter to the Secret Service, as he also alleges security reasons against Trump being installed permanently in Mar-a-Lago, where since 2019 he has resided for legal purposes.
As a result of Stambaugh's and other similar proposals, Mayor Gail Coniglio consulted with the city attorney and he drew up a memorandum in which it is considered that there is no legal impediment for "employees in good faith" to live in the club. category that includes the owner, Donald Trump.
Randolph reiterated his arguments today and Marion showed documents that show that Trump has been the president of Mar-a-Lago LLC since January 25, with specific functions within the club.
"He is always present," Marion said, listing the functions of the businessman and former president, including "receiving" the members of the club, which was initially going to be made up of shareholders, but never came to be and, instead, membership was chosen.
Trump's lawyer acknowledged that in the four years he was president and visited Mar-a-Lago for vacations, his presence caused inconvenience to neighbors such as the blocking of bridges and streets by security, but indicated that this has already been done. He is finished now that he is a former president and wants to "enjoy the property."
Stambaugh insisted that the agreement with the municipality does not allow club members to reside more than 21 days a year and not consecutive on the property and said Trump has violated that deal for decades.
Johnston questioned that the quality of life in Palm Beach will not be affected by Trump's permanent residence in Mar-a-Lago and mentioned the demonstrations of his followers and possible political activities of the former president in Mar-a-Lago .
The hearing, in which there were no controversies or confrontations between the parties, ended with the agreement to decide on the matter next April to allow time to prepare "fair answers" on the matter.
Since he arrived in Palm Beach on January 20, Trump has been keeping a low profile.
Local media reported this Tuesday that the former president was watching on television from his club the start of the impeachment trial in the Senate as the alleged instigator of the violence unleashed by his supporters on the Capitol on January 6.
