NEW YORK (1010 WINS) —Two City Council members wrote a letter to Mayor Eric Adams Wednesday urging him to void a deal which allows former President Trump's family business to operate a Bronx golf course. The golf course is set to host a Saudi Arabian golf tournament which has drawn a lot of criticism, specifically from 9/11 families.
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The letter, which was first reported by the New York Times, came from city Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Councilman Shekar Krishnan. They argue that a “consistent and documented pattern of criminal behavior” should be grounds to pull the city’s licensing agreement with Trump Ferry Point LLC and the Trump Organization.
“The recent guilty plea by Allen Weisselberg on fifteen felony charges makes it untenable for the City to continue to do business with this operator,” the Sept. 7 letter reads. “We must act quickly to protect taxpayers and the public interest.”
Adams' spokesperson, Fabien Levy, responded almost immediately, saying that breaking the deal would mean the city would have to dish out up to $30 million to the Trump Organization.
“If the Council members had reached out to us or read our previous statements, they would have known that," Levy said. “There is no provision in the inherited contract or existing law that would allow us to cancel this contract without paying that fee,” he continued.
Weisselberg pleaded guilty last month to tax fraud, grand larceny and other charges. He is required to testify at the Trump Organization trial as part of his plea deal.
Last week, the families of 9/11 victims pushed Adams to cancel the approval of the women's golf tournament scheduled for October or "stay away" from "any" 9/11 memorials.
"9/11 Justice is calling for New York City Mayor Adams, to stay away from Ground Zero and any and all other 9/11 memorials and events unless his office rescinds its approval of the Saudi funded Aramco Golf Series coming to New York City in October at the Trump Links [Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point] course," Brett Eagleson, who lost his father Bruce on 9/11, said in a statement to CNN reported last Monday.
The plan to host the Aramco Team Series at the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the Bronx comes after New York City's attempt to cancel Trump's contract to run the course was thrown out by a judge in April.
Former Mayor Bill de Blasio said shortly after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, that he was canceling Trump's contracts to run the golf course and several Central Park concessions. The Democratic mayor said the city had the legal right to terminate a contract with a company whose leaders are engaged in criminal activity such as inciting an insurrection.
Manhattan state court Judge Debra James ruled that the city's claim that the Trump Organization had breached the contracts lacked any legal foundation.
The Aramco Team Series, first played in 2020 as the Saudi Ladies Team International, is financed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
The Saudi fund is also backing the LIV Golf tour — set up as a rival to the PGA Tour — which played a tournament at Trump's Bedminster, New Jersey, course in July.
Members of 9/11 Justice gathered just down the street from the club at the start of the tournament and blasted the former president for partnering with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, less than 50 miles from ground zero.
Trump defended hosting the New Jersey tournament and shared skepticism linking Saudi Arabia and 9/11.
"Well, nobody's gotten to the bottom of 9/11, unfortunately, and they should have," Trump said when asked to respond to the mounting criticism.
In a 2016 Fox News interview, Trump blamed the Saudis himself. "Who blew up the World Trade Center?" Trump said on "Fox & Friends." "It wasn’t the Iraqis — it was Saudi. Take a look at Saudi Arabia. Open the documents."
Federal documents show the Saudi government helped the hijackers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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