Fla. county seeks to end lease for Trump golf club
A Palm Beach County official last week examined a contract with a Trump Organization affiliate to see if the county could end its lease with the president’s signature Trump International Golf Club in unincorporated West Palm Beach.
Howard Falcon, chief assistant county attorney, told The Palm Beach Post on Wednesday he was asked by an unnamed county commissioner about whether the lease with Trump International Golf Club could be canceled.
Falcon said he does not think the county can end its lease with Trump, who pays $88,338 a month in rent for the property.
“My initial reaction is it would be a stretch,” Falcon said.
A lawyer for Trump’s golf course Thursday said he had spoken to Falcon and there was “no basis for canceling the lease.” The lawyer asked not to be identified by name.
Palm Beach County’s move to explore severing business ties to Trump follows actions by private and government entities elsewhere in the country.
Trump International Golf Club is Trump’s go-to spot when he stays at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach estate. He also hosts his annual Super Bowl parties at the course and has golfed at the club with foreign dignitaries, members of Congress and administration officials. He also played the course with conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh and golf legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and celebrities such as Kid Rock.
Trump owns and operates Trump National Doral in Miami-Dade County, and Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, the former Ritz Carlton Golf Club.
But Trump International Golf Club, which he built on land leased and still owned by the county, is the one he visits the most.
The county’s move followed Trump’s role in inciting last week’s siege of the U.S. Capitol that ended with one police officer killed, lawmakers fearing for their lives, and Trump impeached for a second time.
It also follows a decision by the PGA of America to take the PGA Championship event away from Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, N.J., just days after the Capitol riots.
According to the New York Times, Trump was “gutted” by the PGA’s decision because Trump for years has been trying to get PGA events at his courses. The PGA Championship is one of the four major annual championships in professional golf.
Falcon said documents between Trump and Palm Beach County for the golf club on Summit Boulevard do not contain a provision called a “bad boy” clause. The clause can terminate a contract for bad behavior that typically is spelled out. This could include bad acts, including but not limited to fraud or criminal matters, or even not filing paperwork in a timely manner.
Falcon said he told an unnamed commissioner he didn’t think there was anything in the documents with Trump that would permit cancellation of the lease.
The suggestion by the unidentified county commissioner resembles similar efforts by local and federal officials to review contracts with Trump’s businesses in New York and Washington.