New York City ending multiple contracts with Trump Organization over Capitol riot

New York City is severing its contracts with the Trump Organization over President Trump’s role in inciting a violent riot by his supporters at the Capitol last week.

Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), a frequent foe of the president’s, said on MSNBC Wednesday morning that the contracts have funneled about $17 million per year to the Trump Organization and cover four sites, including three in Manhattan and one in the Bronx. He added that he is confident the city is on “strong legal ground” after Trump “directed” the mob to descend on the Capitol. 

“Our legal team has done an assessment and the contracts make very clear, if a company and the leadership of that company is engaged in criminal activity, we have the right to sever the contract,” he said. “Inciting an insurrection … against the United States government clearly constitutes criminal activity. So the City of New York will no longer have anything to do with the Trump Organization. They have profited from these contracts, they will profit no longer.”

New York City doesn’t do business with insurrectionists.

We’re taking steps to TERMINATE agreements with the Trump Organization to operate the Central Park Carousel, Wollman and Lasker skating rinks, and the Ferry Point Golf Course.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) January 13, 2021

The announcement comes on the same day the House is expected to impeach Trump for his role in the rioting.

On Tuesday, de Blasio’s office confirmed to The Hill that it was exploring options to end the contracts for a carousel, two ice rinks and a golf course in the city’s parks.

De Blasio said Wednesday he would like to see the sites continue to operate and that the city will seek to form partnerships with new vendors. 

“Obviously, these are sites that we want to continue serving the public, but not with an organization led by a criminal. So we will get new venders to come in and take them over quickly. We want to see the service continue,” he said.

The mayor predicted the Trump Organization will “likely challenge us in court, but we’re on strong legal ground.”

The company fired back, indicating it will “fight” the cancellations, though it did not specify exactly how it will respond.

“The City of New York has no legal right to end our contracts and if they elect to proceed, they will owe The Trump Organization over $30 million dollars. This is nothing more than political discrimination, an attempt to infringe on the First Amendment and we plan to fight vigorously,” a Trump Organization spokesperson told The Hill.

The rebuke from Trump’s hometown is the latest development in a wave of recriminations following last week’s bedlam, which resulted in at least five deaths.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as a slew of corporate backers, have said the president’s remarks to a raucous crowd of supporters before the riot played a role in inciting the violence.

Trump spoke to a mass of supporters to repeat his unfounded claims that the presidential election was “stolen” from him, telling the crowd “you have to show strength” and “if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

The rioters then marched toward the Capitol, ultimately breaking into the building during the process to certify the Electoral College results, interrupting the proceedings and forcing lawmakers to flee to a secure location.

Trump on Wednesday is expected to be impeached for a second time, with support from as many as a dozen or more Republicans. Several corporations have also said they would halt political donations to any lawmaker who objected to certifying the Electoral College results.

“It’s quite clear: The president of the United States directed a mob to attack the U.S. Congress during the Electoral College vote. Even saying the words … it’s almost impossible to believe, but it’s criminal activity,” de Blasio said on Wednesday.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of this domino effect because of the president aiding and abetting an insurrection.”

Updated: 10:30 a.m.