New push to terminate Donald Trump's Bronx golf contract again rejected
The officials are also calling on the city to cancel an upcoming Saudi-backed golf tournament.
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Families of the victims of the September 11th attacks joined New York City Council members in a push for the city to cut ties with the Trump Organization's public golf course in the Bronx, a call that was again rejected by the city Department of Parks.
Council members on Thursday called for the "immediate termination" of the Trump Organization's license to operate the city-owned course.
"Public parkland should not be in the hands of Donald Trump or his criminal enterprise," Councilman Shekar Krishnan said.
The Adams administration has previously said it could not "unreasonably withhold approval" for the golf course at Ferry Point Park to host a women's tournament in October underwritten by Saudi Arabia.
The tournament, part of the Aramco Team Series, has close ties to the Saudi government but is separate from the LIV Golf tour that has poached from the PGA Tour.
Krishnan called the tournament "so offensive to the families of 9/11."
Trump successfully fought in court an attempt by former Mayor Bill de Blasio to terminate the operating license following the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol.
At the time of the decision earlier this year, the Trump Organization called the effort to terminate the company's operating license "nothing more than a political vendetta."
Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and Krishnan sent a letter to Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue and Mayor Eric Adams on September 7 calling for termination of the license and the cancellation of the upcoming Saudi-backed golf tournament.
"The Trump-operated golf course hosting a golf tournament sponsored by the Saudi government just weeks after the 21st anniversary of this country's most devastating event ever is insensitive to say the least," Adrienne Adams said.
The letter cited as grounds for termination the guilty plea of Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg and myriad ongoing lawsuits against Donald Trump.
In response, the parks department again rejected the Council members' call Thursday.
"As we've told Chair Krishnan and his colleagues in the City Council, ending the contract we inherited would require the city to pay up to tens of millions of dollars to the Trump Organization, an outcome no one wants," a spokesperson said. "If the Chairman would in fact prefer to continue down the route he has advocated and pay the Trump Administration, he should publicly share the amount he'd like the city to turn over. Because of ongoing litigation risk, the administration has been advised against appearing at this hastily called hearing and will instead be submitting written testimony. We agree with the chairman on the desired outcome to cancel both this tournament and the overarching license agreement and hope in the future he seeks a productive partnership on the issue. Mayor Adams was honored to meet with members of the September 11th families last month. This community has fought tirelessly for justice, transparency, and accountability for these attacks, and he will stand with them every step of the way as they continue the fight."
It all comes after families of 9/11 victims protested Trump's hosting of a LIV golf tournament back in July.
The event took place at Trump's golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, about 50 miles from the site of the World Trade Center attacks.
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