Trump gives deposition against celebrity chef
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President-elect Donald Trump gave a videotaped deposition on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017, for a lawsuit stemming from a clash with a celebrity restaurateur at his new Washington hotel.
NEW YORK >> President-elect Donald Trump gave a videotaped deposition on Thursday for a lawsuit stemming from a clash with a celebrity restaurateur at his new Washington hotel. It was a rare legal proceeding for a president-elect or sitting president that highlights the legal woes that could follow Trump to the Oval Office.
Trump sat for an hour at Trump Tower to give testimony in a lawsuit he filed against Jose Andres after the chef cancelled plans to open a Spanish-themed restaurant at a new Washington hotel. Andres pulled out after Trump, in declaring his candidacy for president, called some Mexican immigrants “rapists” and said some were bringing drugs and crime to the U.S.
Trump sat for the interview between meetings about his Inauguration and search for top officials to fill his administration just two weeks before he takes office.
The president-elect settled on a new director of national intelligence, selecting former Sen. Dan Coats, an Indiana Republican, according to a person briefed on the decision but not authorized to speak publicly about it. If confirmed, Coats will lead an agency the president-elect is eying for possible restructuring. Trump has been critical of the nation’s intelligence agencies and has cast doubt about their conclusion that Russia was behind the hacking of last year’s elections.
A lawyer for the Trump Organization called the deposition routine and described the dispute with Andres as “fairly straightforward.”
“In short, the parties entered into a valid and legally binding lease, which the tenant breached by failing to perform its obligations, entitling the landlord to damages in the form of unpaid rent, cost of build out, lost profits and other expenses,” attorney Alan Garten told The Associated Press.
Garten said Trump was “a great witness, as always.”
An attorney for Andres did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Andres, a Spanish immigrant, backed out of the restaurant in Trump’s hotel, located on Pennsylvania Avenue a few blocks from the White House, in July 2015. Andres said at the time that Trump’s statements disparaging immigrants “make it impossible for my company and I to move forward.” More than half of his team is Hispanic, as are many of his restaurant guests, the chef said.
Under the doctrine of immunity, presidents cannot be sued for actions they take in carrying out presidential duties. But anything outside that is open season. In its 1997 decision in the Paula Jones sexual harassment case against Bill Clinton, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents can be sued while in office for actions unrelated to official acts.
Trump’s sprawling business empire — and his own litigious nature — have generated scores of lawsuits over decades, some of which will continue after Trump takes office.
The lawsuit isn’t the only one stemming from the construction of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, which had its grand opening in October.
Like Andres, celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian also backed out of plans to open a restaurant in the hotel in July 2015, saying then that Trump’s statements about Mexican immigrants “do not in any way align” with his personal core values. A lawsuit against the Food Network’s Iron Chef and “Chopped” judge followed and is ongoing. A spokeswoman for Trump hotels responded at the time that “Zakarian’s foolish decision will be his loss.”
Trump’s troubles with the hotel may be growing. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that two Washington-area small businesses that worked on the hotel filed liens on the property saying they had not been fully paid for their work.
Trump could also face trouble with Trump University, his now-defunct real estate school.
The president-elect agreed in November to pay $25 million to settle two class-action lawsuits and one by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that alleged the school misled and defrauded students. Trump admitted no wrongdoing and said that he was only settling to get the controversy behind him so he could focus on the presidency, but he could still get pulled back into the case. Former students represented in the suit could object to the settlement.
The New York attorney general is also investigating a Trump charitable foundation following media reports that its spending went to benefit his campaign. Trump has said he is dissolving the foundation to focus on the presidency, but a spokeswoman for the attorney general’s office says that can’t be done until the investigation is complete.
Clinton was the last sitting president to be deposed when he testified in 1998 as part of Jones’ lawsuit. Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Ulysses S. Grant are the only other White House occupants to face a deposition.
Coats, a conservative who spent 16 years in the Senate before retiring last year, would follow James Clapper, the current director of national intelligence. Clapper testified before a Senate committee on Thursday that Russia poses “an existential threat to the United States,” though Trump has repeatedly second-guessed the intelligence agencies’ conclusions about Russia.
On Friday, Clapper and the directors of the FBI and CIA are expected to present the president-elect their findings during a briefing at Trump Tower.
48 responses to “Trump gives deposition against celebrity chef”
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If they don’t want to open a restaurant in his new hotel, what’s the problem? Find another chef to open one. Geesh…
“In short, the parties entered into a valid and legally binding lease, which the tenant breached by failing to perform its obligations, entitling the landlord to damages in the form of unpaid rent, cost of build out, lost profits and other expenses,” attorney Alan Garten told The Associated Press.”
The restaurant employees should not have to work in a hostile environment. The Presidiot-elect created the hostile environment with his uncontrollable mindless spew of words.
@ seaborn (Jonathan Gruber supporter)
Employees did not sign the contract.
Did Odumbo ever operate a company in his life..I’ll accept a Lemonade Stand as a company.
January’s 20 #MAGA
Agree with Keonigohan and chef lost out since he felt Trump could not win! The location now appears to be a prime property now?
It will be interesting to see just what his “damages” are. I suspect he will end up with Nada.
False prophet again.
Perhaps Allaha, basically just going by what happened on your university, Trump U
@ boots
Small potatoes…hurts the chef more than the PE…but principles are principles.
25 million is small potatoes? I guess in the larger scope of things it is. Still a few dollars here and a few dollars there and soon you are talking real money.
@ boots
Money is your best friend going by all your posts. You must be a rich & lonely human.
Paniolo, the problem is something called a contract to operate a restaurant in Trump’s hotel, which Jose Andres breached. Yes, Trump or the hotel management will find another chef or restaurateur to lease the space, but until it is up and running, Trump should be entitled to damages for unpaid rent and other costs contained in the lease contract.
Exactly!
#MAGA
I think he still has to prove his damages and he will probably have to deal with a counter suit which will surely follow.
@ boots
I spoke with PE Trump about your foretelling & Donald’s reply to you…”watevahs”
“his own litigious nature”. karma, dude. looking forward to an eventual impeachment.
Keep lookin, dude.
If he doesn’t die in office first. Not sure taking on the CIA/etc is the wisest move if you want to live.
@ boots
WOW! Getting emotionally unstable?
You on the edge.
You do realize that the CIA is like the Russian KGB? Don’t think the US has never bumped off a leader before?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/mar/21/usa.davidpallister
Just saying he is playing with fire.
@ boots
REALLY!!?? WOW LAU LAU
Apparently your recent indignation about Trump’s speculation regarding Hillary and the NRA doesn’t preclude you from making a similar crack.
??? What are you talking about?
Could it be that half of Andres’s staff are illegal which may be why he backed out. The reality is that Trump never said all hispanic immigrants were rapists, murderers or members of the
drug cartels south of the border. What he said was that some of them were indeed, low lifes which is indeed true and many now coming across illegally are not exactly the best type of
people but largely the most poor and uneducated of those south of the border. Many of these are coming illegally because they cannot make it in their own countries and want all
the free stuff you can get in our country.
In Trump’s original comment about Mexicans, he did NOT use the word “some.” He said, “…they’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime, they’re rapists…” The Presidiot-elect has no filter on his racist moronic brain.
It may be true that many of the most poor and uneducated Mexicans are crossing the border, but they are taking the jobs most Americans avoid, such as farming and construction, primarily manual labor jobs. Their work ethic is above any other group. In Atlanta, the Mexicans waiting for work outside Home Depot and Lowe’s were the first to be hired by contractors as day laborers for a reason: Their work ethic.
He did indeed use the word “some”. To paraphrase, he said he assumed that “some” were good people. It was merely the majority he was denouncing at the time.
Sorry, it was Donald Trump who hired undocumented aliens to build The Trump Tower. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/oct/20/hillary-clinton/hillary-clinton-correctly-claims-trump-tower-was-p/
Stop with the FACTS already, they aren’t believing any of it…#MAGA
Well, at least you’ve removed your extremely thin veil..
Your Comment Is Awaiting Moderation.
……..you know if these 1di0ts were to just listen to Trumps speech about “Illegals”. Maybe they would have a different opinion? Just maybe?
OK enough compromising and I will try not to “Sugar Coat” it with useless terminologies like “Undocumented Mexicans” or “Undocumented Visitors”.
Oh Puleeeeze! This is Baloney! What PE Trump was speaking about was the Drug Dealers poisoning our children and destroying Families,Felons,Murders, Rapist coming across our Borders,he was NOT Speaking of Illegal Mexicans as a Whole . He was merely singling out “The Bad Hombres”,not innocent people struggling to make a living here by “Illegally” crossing our Borders.Haaaaaaaaaa! You would figure this Chef Andres would be smart enough to know the difference? I thought Libs were Smart? Nope , Nada !Or maybe he has something to hide?
What PE Trump is doing is this: He’s protecting American Lives and our Borders here in the Homeland,something this administration and the GW Bush era Failed to do!
I hope PE Trump wins this case with Chef Andres. And if,there was a Breach of Contract? And is proven……let’s hold him accountable!IMUA
Don’t you think the PE should be doing other things besides tit tat with a celebrity chef? Lol, Ame Ricans look so dumb to the rest of the civilized world. The other countries are cheering, you WON PUTIN!
Speaking of racism, you’re the one calling blacks the Nig**er word, calling Chinese Chink$ and Caucasians ha0le. You’re the biggest embarrassment to Hawaii outside of the racist rednecks living in Alabama with their confederate flags!
KaBoom!
Yup, Putin kicked Obama’s butt now we have the main event. The other countries know that we now have a strong leader and are very cautious. Let’s get it on.
Probably the first of many. lol Nice to have a president who will be spending much of his time taking care of personal matters.
This Reality potus is unpresidented. All his sewage is catching up. When you are getting ready for inaugural speeches and gala, he is in a deposition for minor scrapes? Unreal.
The Donald said he was going to drain the swamp. What he never said was that he was going to expand it ten times. This is going to be fun times seeing republicans expand the swamp. Meet the new swamp, ten times worse than the old swamp.
And yet he will be PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump on January 20th!!!
#MAGA
Yes he will. Enjoy. Already he is backtracking on his promises. Say you still think Mexico is going to pay for a stupid wall along the border? Love your fiscal responsibility. You are insults to conservatism.
This chef doesn’t have a chance. Unless it’s in the lease he cannot terminate for the reasons given. Sorry.
This is bizarre. Celebrity chef? Celebrity Apprentice? Lawyers & Knives! The World is Laughing. He’s out doing Killer Duerte in PI. This PE.
Breaking News—Chef Jose is opening a Mexican Restaurant in Nanakuli to make everyone happy. Opening day special half price Trump tacos for crickets.
Jose Andres cancelled a contract to open a Spanish-themed restaurant in Trump’s new Washington, DC hotel because said some illegal Mexican immigrants were rapists and some were bringing drugs and crime to the U.S., which is true. Trump said “some,” not all, and there are thousands of court cases to support Trump’s claim. Jose Andres is on the losing end of this one.
This president is a disaster.
Possibly; but it is the Democratic Party who is at fault by selecting the most unlikable person in recent memory and most probably a felon law breaker to boot. It’s your fault if you voted for the Clinton machine.
Libertarian all day every day!
Yes this President, Obama is a disaster.
Yes he is. Stock market is now around 20,000 instead of being under 7,000. Hopefully the Donald can match this disaster. But Willman, what will you say if the market falls to 15,000 and the economy enters another black hole? Oh, thats right. Its Obama’s fault.
He’s not paying contractors which did work for his building?