Donald Trump's company has launched a lawsuit against New York City for the alleged wrongful termination of contracts the firm had to operate city-owned facilities.
Per The New York Times, the filing claims that the contracts were terminated for political reasons - namely the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, which many have accused the former president of inciting.
The Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses, and vineyards, filed the suit on Monday, June 21, after the City ended contracts with the firm to run two Central Park ice skating rinks, the Central Park Carousel, and the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point.
It came as a blow to the 74-year-old Republican as his company made roughly $17 million a year from the facilities.
While some of the contracts were due to expire earlier this year, a contract allowing the firm to operate the golf course at Ferry Point was not set to expire until 2032.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had announced his plans to end the contracts in the wake of the US Capitol riot, per ABC News.
He said at the time: "The President incited a rebellion against the United States government that killed five people and threatened to derail the constitutional transfer of power.
"The City of New York will not be associated with those unforgivable acts in any shape, way or form, and we are immediately taking steps to terminate all Trump Organization contracts."
In a statement regarding the lawsuit, the Trump Organization officials said, per the outlet: "The City has no right to terminate our contract. Mayor [Bill] de Blasio's actions are purely politically motivated, have no legal merit, and are yet another example of the mayor's efforts to advance his own partisan agenda and interfere with free enterprise.
"There can be no dispute that we are not just meeting, but exceeding our obligation to operate a first-class, tournament quality daily fee golf course."
According to ABC News, a spokesman for the City's law department said that it would "vigorously defend" the decision to put an end to the contract and that it "looked forward to selecting a new vendor for Ferry Point."
The spokesman continued: "The actions of Mr. Trump to incite a deadly riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 caused a breach of the Ferry Point contract by eliminating options for hosting championship events."
