Fallon Roth | (TNS) The Philadelphia Inquirer
The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General has decided to not renew liquor licenses at two of former President Donald Trump’s golf courses in the state, after weeks of reviewing whether revoking the permits should be a consequence of Trump’s 34 felony convictions.
New Jersey law says that no one who has been “convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude,” should possess a liquor license, and the AG’s Division of Alcohol Beverage Control determined that Trump directly financially benefits from the permits, according to a statement from the office.
The two clubs affected — Trump National Golf Club Colts Neck and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster — will serve alcohol under a temporary permit until a July 19 renewal hearing in Trenton. The hearing — eight days after Trump’s felony sentencing — will determine the official fate of the licenses, which expired on Sunday. License applicants are required to prove at the hearings that they can maintain their licenses.
“A final judgment of conviction that raises the prospect of disqualifying Mr. Trump from an interest in a New Jersey liquor license due to the guilty verdict in New York will not be entered until after his sentencing, currently scheduled for July 11,” according to the AG’s office.
Trump’s third Jersey golf club, Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia in Pine Hill, was not affected by the decision.
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Both notices for the renewal hearings are addressed to the former president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., whose name is on the liquor licenses. The senior Trump, however, benefits from the profits and revenue from the licenses and is “the sole beneficiary of the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, under which all of the organization assets are held,” according to the notice of hearing documents from the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.
Trump became the first former United States president to be convicted of a felony after a 12-person jury found him guilty on 34 counts in an effort to sway the 2016 election through hush money payments.
In the wake of the May 31 conviction, New Jersey officials began a review to determine the impact of Trump’s convictions on his liquor licenses in the state. The review included evaluating Trump’s criminal history and whether they are of “reputable character” and have the ability to operate the business in “a reputable manner.”
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