Newsday
By Matthew Chayes and Emily Ngo
July 1, 2015
Mayor
Bill de Blasio's administration said Wednesday it is reviewing the
city's business relationships with billionaire developer Donald Trump,
who is facing a backlash
for his presidential campaign comments about rapists and drug dealers
among Mexican immigrants.
Karen Hinton, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said the review was underway but could not immediately provide details.
In
April, a $260 million Trump golf course opened on the site of a former
city dump in the Bronx under a deal with the city's Department of Parks
and Recreation. The Trump
Organization was chosen in 2010 to operate the public course -- named
the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point -- by then Mayor Michael Bloomberg's
administration.
The Trump Organization also manages two skating rinks and a carousel in Central Park, according to its website.
Told of the de Blasio administration's review, Trump executive vice president Ronald C. Lieberman said, "that's news to us."
He called the company's relationship with New York City "an incredible, incredible success story" and "a big win for the city."
But he noted that "we have binding contracts" governing the Trump business with the city.
Macy's
Wednesday became the latest business to announce it was breaking its
ties with Trump. The retailer plans to phase out its Trump menswear
collection, which has been
sold at the chain since 2004, saying it has "no tolerance for
discrimination in any form."
Coinciding
with the Macy's announcement, Trump issued a statement saying he had
decided to terminate his relationship with the department store chain
"because of the pressure
being put on them by outside sources."
Trump added that he was not happy that the products under his name were being manufactured in China.
Trump
filed a $500 million lawsuit on Tuesday against Univision over the
Spanish-language TV network's decision to end its contract to broadcast
the Miss USA pageant,
which is co-owned by Trump. NBC also cut its ties with Trump, host of
its long-running "The Apprentice" series.
Companies
have been cutting ties with Trump since June 16, when he announced he
was seeking the Republican presidential nomination for president.
"When
Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best," Trump said
then. "They're sending people that have lots of problems ... They're
bringing drugs. They're
bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."
Lieberman
said his boss's remarks were taken out of context -- "he's referring to
illegal immigrants," Lieberman said -- and that Trump employs thousands
of Mexican workers.
"I know first hand, Donald loves Mexicans," Lieberman said. "We have them at all our properties all over the place."
At
an unrelated news conference Wednesday, several elected officials from
the Bronx condemned Trump's remarks and praised those disassociating
from him.
Assemb.
Marcos Crespo said the Trump Organization deserved credit for getting
the golf course done after previous efforts failed. "As a project, that
golf course had been
delayed and overbudget for many, many years, and it was finally through
the involvement of his business venture that it was finalized," Crespo
said.
But Crespo added that if there was a way to operate the course without Trump, "yes, let's explore it."
Councilman
Andy Cohen said, "Despite his successes and maybe his contributions,
I'm not sure that there's any place for a partnership in New York City
government and Donald
Trump anymore." Cohen added, "I cannot say that I'm particularly proud
that his name is on that golf course."
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State Sen. Gustavo Rivera said, "I commend Univision. I commend NBC. I
commend Macy's. Who's next? I think all ties with this person should be
severed."
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