Investigation into whether Trump can still live in Mar-a-Lago is underway
Authorities in Palm Beach have confirmed they are conducting a legal investigation into former President Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, a month after neighbors sued him for violating a 1993 agreement with the city. More than 25 years ago, Donald Trump reached an agreement with the city of Palm Beach according to which he would limit his stays in Mar-a-Lago, in exchange for the transformation of his private residence into a social club.
Under the terms of the deal, both sides agreed that no guest, including Donald Trump, was allowed to stay at the club for more than "three non-consecutive seven-day periods" in a year. . But the ex-president's decision to make Mar-a-Lago his permanent residence after his tenure in the White House could complicate matters.
Donald Trump has now stayed in the luxury residence for over a week, after moving in on January 20. Last month, some Palm Beach residents had already taken action, reportedly writing a letter to Palm Beach authorities and the U.S. Secret Service to say that Donald Trump did not have the legal right to live there full time, citing the 1993 agreement.
'This case is currently being examined by the city prosecutor'
Officials have confirmed that they are looking into the matter and that it could possibly be discussed at an upcoming city council meeting, the city manager told CNN on Friday. "This matter is currently under review by City Attorney John 'Skip' Randolph," Palm Beach City Manager Kirk Blouin told CNN. "John 'Skip' Randolph is reviewing the user agreement statement and our ordinances code to determine if former President Donald Trump can live in Mar-a-Lago."
The Trump organization told the Huffington Post: "There is absolutely no document or agreement in place that prohibits President Trump from using Mar-a-Lago as a residence." This is not the first time that the former president has exceeded the duration of his visits to Mar-a-Lago. According to a Huffington Post investigation, the ex-president violated this agreement three times during his presidency: in 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Donald Trump returned to Mar-a-Lago with his family on January 20, choosing not to attend the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Since its return, however, the luxury resort has reportedly become a "sad" and "depressed" place, a resort insider told MSNBC last week. Some members, who paid $ 200,000 (approximately € 165,000) to join the club, are also said to have left for good, for fear of being associated with the president or being the subject of newspaper articles.
“They don't want nothing to do with Donald Trump,” author Laurence Leamer told MSNBC. "A lot of members don't go there very often because it's a very discouraging place." He continued: "It's a sad place since Donald Trump hangs out there. It's not what it used to be."
