Trump is like the "mayor of Mar-a-Lago", his lawyer claims to justify that he can reside there
The former president promised the city in 1993 that he would not live in Mar-a-Lago if it allowed him to convert the estate into a for-profit social club.
Donald Trump's new role as a hybrid property manager and social director of his Palm Beach resort makes him a "true employee" of Mar-a-Lago and allows him to reside there, a lawyer from Mar-a-Lago argued on Tuesday. the former president.
"This guy, as he walks around the property, is like the mayor of the town of Mar-a-Lago, if you will," John Marion told City Council in Palm Beach, Florida. “He is always present, he will always be present. And he loves it there. And he loves the people he sees there. "
Trump has lived in the four-room, two-bath "owner's suite" in the 126-room estate since leaving the White House last month. However, he had promised in 1993 not to live there if the city allowed him to convert his residence into a tennis and swimming pool complex for members only.
Some neighbors and other citizens of the city complained that Trump was breaking his deal. Reginald Stambaugh, an attorney representing Mar-a-Lago neighbors, said the city should enforce the terms of the agreement by revoking Mar-a-Lago's special use permit and converting it back to a private residence. "And then the former president and his family could live there," he said.
Philip Johnston, an attorney representing the “Preserve Palm Beach” group, said Trump is clearly in breach of this agreement by residing at his compound. He added that the fact that Trump will base his post-presidential office there will cause problems for the city. "We believe this issue threatens to make Mar-a-Lago a permanent gathering place for its most rabid law-abiding supporters," said Johnston.
But Marion pointed out the city's zoning rules, which allow a business to serve as a residence for certain employees who must be there. He said Trump does everything from evaluating employee performance to attending events held there, welcoming guests, suggesting improvements in the operation of the club, recommending candidates. to membership.
The city council made no formal decision on Tuesday and gave no indication whether it was going to do so. Council chair Maggie Zeidman, however, quoted the words of city attorney John Randolph, who agreed with Marion's opinion on the exception to the zoning rule. "It seems to me that Mr. Trump […] meets the criteria for a genuine employee, and it seems nothing prevents him from living in the owner's suite in Mar-a-Lago," she said.
Trump bought Mar-a-Lago in 1985 as a winter residence, but in 1993, facing financial difficulties due to the mismanagement of his Atlantic City casinos, he found he could not afford the maintenance of the aging villa. He requested and obtained special permission from the city to convert it into a for-profit social club.
A condition of this zoning exception, however, was that Mar-a-Lago could not be turned into a hotel, and the city council limited stays to seven consecutive days at most three times a year. Trump's lawyer at the time had promised Trump would follow this rule, like any other member.
But Trump began reneging on that promise almost immediately, according to those who knew his habits over the years. During his presidency, Trump exceeded the seven-day limit in 2017, 2019 and 2020, and the three-visit limit during the four years of his presidency.
Marion, Trump's West Palm Beach attorney handling this case, actually cited his repeated breaking of his promise over the years as a reason why he shouldn't be kept to it now. “Before and after the signing of the agreement in 1993, President Trump always resided in the owner's suite when he was in MAL, a use that far exceeded three visits per year and has never been remitted. involved, ”he wrote in a letter to Randolph on January 28.
Trump could, if he chose, avoid the dispute entirely by living in one of the three houses he owns in the immediate vicinity. 6,000- and 3,000-square-foot homes are immediately adjacent to Mar-a-Lago, while a 10,000-square-foot oceanfront home can be found on the A1A highway, next to the beaches of Mar-a -The girlfriend.
But Marion, in her presentation to city council, said it would be much worse for residents on the road immediately north of Mar-a-Lago, as it would mean that all cars on that street would have to be inspected and that 'there would be a constant presence of the secret services.
“It would be a horrible strain on them if they got what they wanted,” said Marion.
The Mar-a-Lago property, which is located between the Lake Worth Lagoon and the A1A motorway, has its own private entrances for cars. All roadblocks and barriers erected during Trump's presidency have been removed.
