Judge rules for Trump Organization in NYC golf course fight

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump’s company can keep running a public golf course in the Bronx, a judge ruled Friday, saying New York City offered a baseless rationale for canceling the Trump Organization's contract to run the course after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last year.

The ruling sends the matter back to the city “for further proceedings.” It wasn't immediately clear what those might be; a request for comment was sent to city officials.

The Trump Organization declared the decision a victory for the company and “a win for justice” and New Yorkers.

The city's move to cancel the contract to run the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point Park was “nothing more than a political vendetta,” the company said in a statement.

After Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol to try to stop the certification of President Joe Biden's presidential victory on Jan. 6, 2021, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio announced he was scrapping the golf course contract, saying Trump had engaged in “criminal activity” by whipping up the rioters.

Around the same time, the PGA of America cancelled an upcoming tournament at one of Trump’s golf clubs in New Jersey. De Blasio seized upon that decision as evidence that Trump had breached what the city characterized as a contract requirement to maintain a course that could attract professional tournaments.

Trump is a Republican. De Blasio and Biden are Democrats.

The president's son Eric Trump lashed out at the city's decision at the time, calling it an example of “cancel culture” and saying the city would have to pay his family firm $30 million to make it go away.

Many lawyers and contract experts were doubtful from the start that the city would prevail.

The contract terms never stated specifically that Trump is required to attract tournaments, only...