Liquor board to consider whether Trump has ‘good character’ needed to sell alcohol at DC hotel

The Alcohol Beverage Control Board in Washington, D.C., will reportedly consider whether President Trump has enough “good character” to run a bar in the city.

Politico reported on Tuesday that the liquor board — which is tasked with adjudicating, administering and enforcing alcoholic beverage laws in D.C. — will decide whether the Trump International Hotel’s liquor license should be yanked after a group of city residents filed a complaint saying the hotel’s owner failed the “good character” test required of anyone who wishes to sell alcohol.

According to the publication, a group of seven complainants, including a federal judge, several religious leaders, and a former chair of the White House Council on Faith and Neighborhood Partnerships, first filed a complaint in June citing evidence of the president’s character flaws as reasons for the control board to deny his hotel’s liquor licenses.

{mosads}The group cited several examples of why the licenses should be pulled, which include Trump’s involvement in a nondisclosure payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about an alleged affair, accusations that he misstated his net worth and complaints about Trump University’s real estate program.

The overall effort is reportedly being funded by Jerry Hirsch, the Republican chairman of the group Make Integrity Great Again.

“Character and the rule of law comprise the foundation of our society, and yet both are under assault,” Hirsch said in a statement obtained by Politico. “This complaint is important because it is a test of both, at a critical time in American history.”

Having the liquor licenses pulled could have a damaging effect on the hotel’s business, though its steakhouse and Benjamin Bar and Lounge reportedly operate under separate licenses that aren’t targeted by the complaint.

If the case goes forward, both the steakhouse and bar could still be hurt since they both have liquor licenses held by Trump Old Post Office LLC, which is owned by Trump.