Wedding-Crasher-in-Chief: Town Attorney Rules That Trump Can Live at Mar-a-Lago as a ‘Bona Fide Employee’

Sarah RumpfMay 7th, 2021, 5:31 pm
 
mar a lago

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images.

Good news for locals hoping to have a former president crash their wedding: former President Donald Trump can keep living at Mar-A-Lago, the Palm Beach town attorney has decided.

The controversy arose when Trump decamped to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House and settled in. A 1993 agreement Trump signed with the city when he sought to transform the property, the former home of cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, from a private residence to a for-profit club, prohibited club members from living there long term.

But Trump prevailed by arguing that he was not just a club member, but also an employee. Palm Beach Town Attorney John “Skip” Randolph had previously issued a letter to the town council recommending they allow Trump to be classified as an employee.

After reviewing the evidence, Randolph issued a final ruling this week, pointing to both the town’s zoning code, which allow private clubs to provide living quarters to a “bona fide employee,” and the evidence provided by Trump’s attorney, John Marion. According to the Palm Beach Daily News, Marion argued that the former president was performing duties such as “overseeing the property, evaluating the performance of employees, suggesting improvements to the club’s operations, reviewing the club’s financials, attending events, greeting guests and recommending candidates for membership.”

Trump is expected to go back north soon, however, making plans to return to his Bedminster, NJ golf club until the Florida weather cools again.

Until then, partygoers at Mar-a-Lago can expect there’s always a chance Trump could pop into their weddings or other parties, to regale them with his favorite fairy tales about the 2020 election.

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.