Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images.
Just as he said he would, everyone’s favorite Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is suing José Andrés’ Think Food Group for pulling out of a deal to open a restaurant in Trump’s new D.C. hotel.
Following Trump’s now-infamous remarks on immigrants, Andrés’—after much pressure from a petition—pulled out of a deal to open a restaurant in Trump’s new D.C. hotel in the Old Post Office Pavilion. At the time, Andrés’ said this to the Post:
“Donald Trump’s recent statements disparaging immigrants make it impossible for my company and I to move forward with opening a successful Spanish restaurant in Trump International’s upcoming hotel in Washington, D.C.,” he wrote. “More than half of my team is Hispanic, as are many of our guests. And, as a proud Spanish immigrant and recently naturalized American citizen myself, I believe that every human being deserves respect, regardless of immigration status.”
Afterward, Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. said they they would go after Andrés for ten years of rent, which was allegedly agreed upon in their contract. And, well, the Trump camp is making good on their threat.
Trump—under the name Trump Old Post Office LLC—filed a lawsuit in a D.C. court today against Think Food Group seeking $10 million in lost rent, as well as other breaches of contract. The lawsuit, which is below via Young & Hungry, alleges Think Food Group pulled out of the deal because the comments made in Trump’s announcement speech “violated the covenants of quiet enjoyment and good faith and fair dealing” and “constructively evicted” them. But the lawsuit says that nowhere in the contract or sublease was a provision saying the deal is off because of “personal offense with respect to comments made by the landlord its principals or affiliates, including Mr. Trump.”
In fact, in quite wordy language, the lawsuit questions the timing of Andrés actions because “…of the fact that Mr. Trump’s publicly shared views on immigration have remained consistent for many years, and Mr. Trump’s willingness to frankly share his opinions is widely known.”
You can read the full lawsuit below:
