The New York Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that it is reviewing complaints about the Trump National Golf Club and its alleged use of undocumented workers, some of whom claim they were not paid in full and endured poor working conditions.
The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that the review is the latest development in the spotlight cast on the president’s upscale private country club in Briarcliff Manor. The club was recently the focus of a rally in support of changing New York’s tax law to prevent additional tax reductions for private golf courses around the state, as The Inquisitr reported.
Back in January, undocumented immigrant workers claimed that they were fired from the club due to their legal status as part of an ongoing effort to remove 18 undocumented workers from Trump properties in New York and New Jersey. Now, new allegations reported by The Washington Post suggest that undocumented workers at Trump National Golf club were regularly shortchanged, reportedly forced to work without pay after their regular shifts had concluded.
“The Office of the Attorney General is in receipt of complaints regarding working conditions and wages at the Trump National Golf Club Westchester,” said the office of Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat.
But a Trump Organization spokeswoman, Kimberly Benza, issued a statement denying the accusations, calling them “nonsense.”
“The Trump Organization has extensive policies and procedures in place to ensure compliance with all wage and hour laws.”
“This story is total nonsense and nothing more than unsubstantiated allegations from illegal immigrants who unlawfully submitted fake identification in an effort to obtain employment,” Benza continued.
The New York state attorney general’s office confirmed it’s reviewing complaints from undocumented workers at Trump National Golf Club Westchester. https://t.co/eRmHmvC1oc
— USA TODAY Politics (@usatodayDC) May 1, 2019
Regardless, the club has been the focus of intense scrutiny since Trump was elected president in 2016, especially as he continues to focus on curbing illegal immigration in the United States.
Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, who is sponsoring legislation supporting tax adjustments for golf courses, believes that the investigation is essential.
“If people are working for you, you have to pay them, and if they are working overtime, you have to pay them overtime.”
The New York Attorney General’s Office has been actively investigating Trump for many different reasons. To date, over 100 actions have been taken by the office against his administration. For example, in January, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico claimed that he was fired from Trump’s Stormville property — despite management allegedly having been aware of his status for the 18 years he worked at the golf course.
And two years ago, the club was accused of holding Eric Trump Foundation fundraising events — events involving companies within the Trump Organization that received donations, which is illegal.
