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Banks, business partners cut Trump Org ties after Capitol attacks
Signature Bank called for President Trump’s resignation
President Donald Trump’s family business is facing mounting challenges after last week’s violent attack in Washington, D.C., as banks, business partners and political allies seek to distance themselves from the president.
New York City said it is “reviewing whether legal grounds exist” to exit its business deals with the Trump Organization, the Washington Post reported. The Trump name is on the carousel and two ice-skating rinks in Central Park, as well as the Ferry Point golf course in the Bronx.
A spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is reviewing its business relationships after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.
The Trump Organization removed the president’s name from the two ice-skating rinks in 2019, though it did not provide an explanation for the change.
The fallout from Wednesday’s mob attack is also affecting Trump personally: Signature Bank said on Monday that it would close Trump’s personal bank accounts, which held about $5.3 million, the New York Times reported. In a statement, the bank also called for Trump’s resignation.
Trump Organization also faces pressure from its longtime lender Deutsche Bank, which has said it will not do business with the president in the future. The lender holds about $340 million of the firm’s debt.
In the wake of last week’s attack, the e-commerce company Shopify shut down online stores tied to the president. On Sunday, PGA of America said it would not allow the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to host the 2022 PGA Championship.
The commercial brokerage JLL also dropped its involvement to sell Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel, although it was not clear if that was connected to the events in D.C.
Day-to-day operations of the Trump Organization were handed over to his sons Donald Jr. and Eric in 2016, after Donald Trump was ushered into the Oval Office. Since then, the company has mostly been focused on selling its assets.
In addition to the financial fallout, the company also faces an investigation by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, who is probing Trump and his company for potential crimes. New York Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a civil investigation into Trump’s business, exploring whether it overvalued its assets to secure financing and tax breaks.
[Washington Post, NYT] — Keith Larsen