[ad_1]
By The Washington Post 
1 hour ago
By Manuel Roig-Franz, Carol Leonnig
The neighbors of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private club in Palm Beach, Florida, which he has called his Winter White House, have a message for the outgoing commander-in-chief: We don’t want you to be our neighbor.
That message in a demand letter was delivered to the city of Palm Beach on Tuesday and was addressed to the United States Secret Service, saying Trump lost his legal right to live in Mar-a-Lago due to an agreement he signed to The early 1990s when he converted the estate of his private residence into a private club. The legal move could force Palm Beach to publicly address whether Trump can make Mar-a-Lago his legal residence and home, as he was expected to do, when he becomes former president after Joe Biden was sworn in last month. from January. twenty.
The setbacks set a potentially uncomfortable scenario, unique in recent history, in which a former occupant of the Oval Office would be forced to officially defend his choice of place to live. It could also create a legal headache for Trump because he changed his official address to Mar-a-Lago, leaving behind Manhattan, where he lived before he was elected president, and rose to fame as a brash, self-promoted developer. (Trump originally tried to register to vote in Florida using the White House in Washington as his address, which is not allowed by Florida law. He later changed the registration to the Mar-a-Lago address.)
In the demand letter, obtained by The Washington Post, an attorney for Mar-a-Lago residents says the city should notify Trump that he cannot use Mar-a-Lago as his residence. Making that move “would avoid an embarrassment” if the outgoing president moves into the club and is then ordered to leave, according to the letter sent on behalf of the DeMoss family’s neighbors, who run an international missionary foundation.
For years, residents have raised concerns about disruptions, such as jammed traffic and blocked streets, caused by the president’s frequent trips to the club. Even before he was president, Trump created ill will in the city by refusing to abide by even basic local requirements, such as adhering to height limits for a huge flagpole he installed and frequently attempting to get away from the promises he had made. when it was converted. Mar-a-Lago in a private club.
“There is absolutely no legal theory according to which you can use that property as a residence and as a club,” said Glenn Zeitz, another nearby Palm Beach owner who has joined the fight against Trump and had previously tangled with him over the attempt. Trump’s takeover of a private home to expand his Atlantic City casino. “He’s basically playing a dead hand. He’s not going to intimidate or fool people, because we’ll be there.”
A White House spokesman, Trump’s local attorney and the Palm Beach mayor did not respond to requests for comment. Palm Beach has made no public attempt to prevent Trump from living in Mar-a-Lago or using it as his legal residence.
The controversy over residency dates back to a deal Trump struck in 1993 when his finances plunged and the cost of maintaining Mar-a-Lago skyrocketed into several million each year. Under the agreement, club members are prohibited from spending more than 21 days a year in club guest suites and cannot stay there for more than seven consecutive days. Before the deal was closed, a lawyer for Trump assured city council in a public meeting that he would not live in Mar-a-Lago.
At the time, city leaders were suspicious of Trump because he had sued them after they blocked his attempt to subdivide the historic Mar-a-Lago property into multiple housing lots. Putting limitations on length of stays ensured that Trump’s property would remain a private club, as he had promised, rather than a residential hotel.
Documents obtained by The Washington Post through a public records request suggest that there may be gaps in Palm Beach’s application of key provisions of the agreement that could affect Trump’s ability to live at the club. Each year, the club must report if at least 50% of Mar-a-Lago members live or work in Palm Beach, that the club has fewer than 500 members, and that no one is using the guest suites for more than 21 days . one year. However, the city says it has no records of the reports for four of the last 20 years.
Trump has repeatedly tried to change parts of his deal. In 2018, he asked the city to waive a provision that prohibited him from building a pier at the club, initially saying the Secret Service and local law enforcement agencies needed the structure for protection. The reasoning was later changed to say that the pier was for the private use of the President and First Lady Melania Trump. Neighbors feared the pier would be used for booze cruises. Trump withdrew the dock request earlier this year, three days after a Washington Post report that uncovered the details of his 1993 deal with the city.
Trump has traveled to Mar-a-Lago at least 30 times during his presidency, and spent at least 130 days there, according to a Post count. There has been no public indication that the city has raised objections to that practice. Trump also appeared to openly circumvent the deal, stating on the Mar-a-Lago website that he maintains private rooms there.
During Trump’s presidency, Palm Beach has shown deference on security issues, allowing a helipad that was expressly prohibited in its 1993 agreement. Once Trump leaves office, he will no longer be able to use the helipad.
The 1993 Palm Beach accord is not the only document raising questions about whether Trump can legally live in Mar-a-Lago. He also signed a document assigning the Mar-a-Lago development rights to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded, Washington-based nonprofit that works to save historic sites across the country. As part of the National Trust deal, Trump agreed “forever” to waive his rights to develop Mar-a-Lago or use it for “any purpose other than the use of clubs.”
The National Trust did not respond to requests for comment.
Controversy over Trump’s expected transfer to Mar-a-Lago could muddy things for the Secret Service, which will continue to protect him after he leaves office. Government agencies strive to comply with all federal and local laws in their activities, and a legal dispute over Trump’s right to take up residence in Mar-a-Lago could complicate the Secret Service’s ongoing work to prepare employees. to ensure your home and safety. there.
A Secret Service spokesman declined to comment.
Since the November election, the Secret Service has been preparing for Trump’s life after the White House and the protections he is legally entitled to as a former president. A very small group of Secret Service agents will follow him in their private lives, and the agency will man and occupy a separate room on his property as a base of security operations.
The protective service would need to make living arrangements for his agents before he leaves the White House, wherever he ends up living. If he is prevented from living in Mar-a-Lago, the Secret Service would probably have to fight to develop a new plan to protect him in a different location.
Mar-a-Lago residents would agree with Trump finding a new place to sleep. His letter, written by West Palm Beach attorney Reginald Stambaugh, includes a zinger reminiscent of the vibe of the old money enclave on Florida’s east coast: “Palm Beach has a lot of lovely properties for sale, and we are sure that President Trump will find one that meets his needs. “
[ad_2]
