A group of Miami residents has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump and the state of Florida, alleging that prime waterfront land was improperly transferred for the president's personal gain. The lawsuit, brought in US district court for the southern district of Florida by the Constitutional Accountability Center (CAC), claims that almost three acres of land once belonging to Miami Dade College (MDC) were illegally gifted to Trump by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
The suit cites the domestic emoluments clause of the US constitution, which prohibits a sitting president from receiving any personal profit or advantage from their position. The plaintiffs argue that the land, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, is no longer available to serve MDC's student community and downtown Miami, and will instead house a Trump hotel that enriches the president.
Plans for the project, unveiled in March, include a 50-storey tower block with a giant golden statue of Trump and a controversial $400m Boeing jumbo jet gifted by Qatar in its lobby. Trump has stated the building is 'most likely going to be a hotel'. The CAC noted that Florida required the conveyed land to include only 'components of a Presidential library, museum, and/or center', leaving the door open for Trump to develop the property as he sees fit.
This is the second lawsuit over the library; the first claimed MDC trustees, mostly appointed by DeSantis, erred by handing the land to the state in an unadvertised meeting. The board later held a do-over and voted unanimously to proceed.
