The Trump Organization apparently appealed directly to the Panamanian president during a recent dispute over control of its 70-story property in Panama City, The Associated Press reports, an event that further blurs the line between Donald Trump's role as president of the United States and his status as owner of his eponymous company. The request from the Trump Organization specifically asked Panama's president to "ignore that country's separation of powers and intervene in its judicial process," AP writes.
The request stems from a dispute over control of Panama City's Trump International Hotel, which is owned by Miami-based Cypriot businessman Orestes Fintiklis. Fintiklis argued that the Trump Organization had poorly managed the hotel and that the undesirability of the brand had hurt revenue, while the Trump Organization maintained that its contract was still valid. Judicial officials in Panama sided with Fintiklis and later an arbitrator in the U.S. ruled that while the Trump Organization should not have been evicted during arbitration, the company would not have its management reinstated. The hotel has since been renamed, and the "TRUMP" name pried off with a crowbar.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Kill the Boer: Elon Musk and the anti-apartheid songUnder the radar Billionaire reignites controversy by linking South African 'struggle song' to 'white genocide'
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzzfeature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto KnightsFeature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loomSpeed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panelsSpeed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of businessSpeed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pausesSpeed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocksSpeed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor dealSpeed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US SteelSpeed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons mergerSpeed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
