AN ACTION IN THE SUPERIOR COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ALLEGING UNFAIR COMPETITION BASED UPON THE OWNERSHIP AND OPERATION OF THE TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL

The Complaint  The Lease  The Plaintiff  The Attorneys 

This website is dedicated to a single currently pending lawsuit filed in the District of Columbia in March of 2017. In the lawsuit, Cork Wine Bar, a District of Columbia hospitality establishment, has brought claims against the owners and operators of the Trump International Hotel. The filed Complaint, which can be found in full on this website, sets forth the unfair advantage that the Hotel, and its beneficial owner Donald J. Trump, obtain by operating the Hotel in the District of Columbia, while Trump remains the President, and in violation of the Lease for the Hotel space from the Federal Government.

The lawsuit was filed by a team of District of Columbia attorneys and law professors for the express purposes of seeking judicial intervention to prevent unfair competition, and to seek an Order from the Court remedying the unfair competition of the Trump International Hotel. Neither the Plaintiff nor the attorneys are seeking any monetary compensation, and merely want the Court to ensure a level playing field for DC businesses.

The Trump organization signed a lease with the Federal Government for the building in which they currently operate the hotel and its dining establishments. That lease forbids anyone with an ownership interest in the hotel from receiving benefits from the hotel while that person holds a federal office. Since his election and swearing in, President Trump has not divested himself from ownership interest in the hotel and its restaurants, and is using this breach of the lease, and other methods, to unfairly compete with local businesses. President Trump is exploiting his position as President in order to advantage his private business opportunities at the expense of all others operating in the city.