FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — As the Senate's impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump begins Tuesday in Washington, a matter even more important to his immediate future is being discussed some 990 miles to the south by the Palm Beach Town Council: Whether he can continue living at Mar-a-Lago.
The council members will hear their attorney's opinion on whether the town can bar Trump from living at his club. That was the deal Trump's lawyer offered nearly 30 years ago: He told the town in 1993 that Trump would be prohibited from living there if it allowed him to convert it from a residence to a club. But this promise was not specifically included in the written agreement, which may take precedence.
That's because, technically, Trump is an employee of the corporation that officially owns Mar-a-Lago — and the written agreement only bars members from living there. Under town regulations, a club can provide onsite housing to its employees. Trump moved into Mar-a-Lago on Jan. 20, the day he left office.
The South Florida town in December received a letter from an attorney representing a Mar-a-Lago neighbor demanding it bar Trump from living there. The unnamed neighbor believes Trump’s residency would decrease property values.
Palm Beach to decide whether Trump can stay at Mar-a-Lago