Locals sue to block prime Miami land from becoming Trump presidential library
By Steve Contorno, CNN
(CNN) — A handful of South Florida residents filed a lawsuit Wednesday seeking to block the state from handing over a prime piece of Miami’s waterfront to the foundation tasked with building a legacy library for President Donald Trump.
The lawsuit accuses Trump, the foundation, top Florida officials and Miami Dade College of violating the Domestic Emoluments Clause in the US Constitution, which prohibits states from giving a financial benefit to a sitting president.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state officials moved last September to donate 2.63 acres of state-owned land in downtown Miami to the Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit formed last year in Florida by Trump’s son Eric Trump; his son-in-law Michael Boulos; and James Kiley, a lawyer who has represented the Trump Organization. The land, valued by the local property appraiser at about $63 million, previously belonged to Miami Dade College until the board voted last year to turn it over to the state.
Eric Trump has since announced plans for the site that include a massive tower emblazoned with the Trump name and a lobby that features a 747 Air Force One. President Trump himself has suggested the library would feature a hotel or offices and more closely mirror his other real estate endeavors than the museums built by his predecessors.
“I don’t believe in building libraries or museums,” Trump told reporters last year. He also said the land sits on the “best block in Miami.”
In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs said these statements “make clear that President Trump intends to monetize this skyscraper, generating significant profit for himself and his family.” The lawsuit also claims that the land is likely worth hundreds of millions of dollars given other recent property sales nearby and could double Miami Dade College’s endowment if sold on the open market.
“These funds could have been used to advance the college’s research needs, offer more bachelor’s degree programs, secure more world-class facilities and faculty, or reduce student expenses,” it said.
The lawsuit was filed jointly Wednesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida by the Constitutional Accountability Center, a liberal Washington DC think tank, and the Florida law firm Gelber Schachter & Greenberg.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include a Miami Dade College student; a nonprofit owned by local activist Marvin Dunn that hoped to operate on the land; and two Miami residents who say the proposed Trump skyscraper would block their sightlines.
In a statement to CNN, White House spokesman Davis Ingle did not address the lawsuit but said the library would be “one of the most magnificent buildings in the world and a living testament to the indelible impact” of Trump.
CNN has also requested comment from the the library foundation, Miami Dade College and the state of Florida.
Efforts by Florida officials to quickly find a home in the Sunshine State for Trump’s post-presidency project started soon after he returned to the White House.
A bill passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature and signed into law by DeSantis last year barred local governments from regulating presidential libraries in anticipation that Trump would move to build one in his adopted home state.
Later that fall, the Miami Dade College board conducted a meeting to discuss “potential real estate transactions.” No other details about the transaction were included in the public notice and the agenda stated only that the board would discuss conveying property to the state. A presidential library was not mentioned.
Shortly after the vote, DeSantis announced that the Cabinet would vote a week later to give the land from Miami Dade College to the Trump foundation. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also posted a pre-recorded and edited video on social media about the plans.
Dunn, the local activist, sued to stop the handoff in a lawsuit that accused Miami Dade College of violating the state’s opening meeting laws. In November, a judge granted a temporary injunction to block the transfer of land.
But the judge lifted the injunction a month later after the Miami Dade College board held a second vote that included more details about the purpose of the land transfer and allowed for public comment.
The state officially transferred the land to the library foundation in January, according to local records.
This article has been updated with additional developments.
The-CNN-Wire
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