CREW requests records on Mar-a-Lago beach replacement
Update: CREW has received records from the New York office of the Army Corps of Engineers which do not indicate interference from Trump or Mar-a-Lago staff. Read them here. The Jacksonville office of the Army Corps of Engineers has told CREW that there were no responsive records for the request.
Learn MoreIt appears that President Trump may have interfered with Army Corps of Engineers’ beach replacement projects in order to protect his own Mar-a-Lago property.
In February, it was reported that The Army Corps of Engineers would pause two emergency beach-replacement projects in New York and instead prioritize Florida beach replacements just a mile away from Trump’s very own Mar-a-Lago. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, these New York projects were meant to protect the beaches from future “extreme weather events.” With no clear rationale for the change in direction, this shift raises questions of whether Trump is interfering with beach-replacement processes to benefit his own properties at the expense of public safety.
CREW requested documents from the Army Corps of Engineers that indicate any interference from Trump or Mar-a-Lago staff in prioritizing beach replenishment efforts in Florida that would benefit Trump’s resort.
Trump has sought every opportunity to promote the properties that he still owns and profits from as President. He has shown foreign governments, special interest groups, and lobbyists that influence can be bought through promoting and patronizing his hotels and clubs. Trump has even benefited more directly by supporting policies (such as environmental rollbacks and real estate tax breaks) that may boost his bottom line. The public must know if Trump is once again reallocating federal resources to protect one of his properties, as it seems to have been and whether public safety was put at risk.