SIGN UP FOR OUR 
Wikimedia Commons
Business magnate Donald Trump is pretty busy these days. Not only is he trying to claim the Republican party ticket for the upcoming presidential elections in the United States; he is also involved in litigation against some of his former business partners who chose to terminate their relationships with Mr. Trump after his offensive and xenophobic comments against Mexican people.
As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, one of the organizations that decided to break off its business relationship with Mr. Trump is the Miss Costa Rica pageant, which has elected to not send a candidate to the Miss Universe pageant owned by presidential hopeful. Miss Costa Rica is owned by television network Teletica; prior to making the announcement of its decision, the network evaluated popular sentiment in our country on this issue. One would expect that Teletica would be the respondent in a lawsuit filed by Mr. Trump as plaintiff; however, he has a history of suing cities, counties, Native American tribes, and even entire countries.
Mr. Trump is known as a serial litigant. In a recent article published by The Daily Beast, author Olivia Nuzzi details a long list of lawsuits filed by Mr. Trump over the last few decades. Some of the most interesting lawsuits were filed against the State of New York over a video game, the State of New Jersey over a casino tunnel, New York City over its real estate market, the City of Palm Beach over a flag, Scotland over a wind farm, and he considered suing the Native American Eastern Pequot people over a business deal gone sour.
Based on Mr. Trump’s litigious background, it would not be unusual for him to sue Costa Rica over a beauty pageant. Here’s a report from our international news wire partner Agencia EFE on the latest lawsuit by Mr. Trump:
Chef Jose Andres says Trump’s lawsuit against him “without merit”
Washington, Aug 3 (EFE).– Spanish chef Jose Andres, who backed out of a contract with Donald Trump to open a new restaurant in one of the magnate’s hotels because of his xenophobic remarks about immigrants, considers “without merit” the Republican presidential hopeful’s lawsuit against him for $10 million in compensation.
“This lawsuit is both unsurprising and without merit,” Andres’ ThinkFoodGroup said in a communique.
Andres decided last month to break off his contract with Trump because of his offensive comments that Mexican immigrants are “bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Just as a number of companies and prominent people have done, Jose Andres decided to cancel his association with Trump due to the mogul’s demeaning words about Mexican immigrants and his statement that a “great wall” should be built along the Mexican border, which he made on June 16 when he announced his run for the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election.
In response, Trump filed a breach of contract suit Friday alleging that, because of the chef’s refusal to create and run the main restaurant of the Trump International Hotel in Washington, he “has suffered and will continue to suffer damages of an amount hat will be determined by the trial, but is expected to exceed $10 million.”
In the suit, Trump’s lawyers insist that Jose Andres always knew about “Mr. Trump’s willingness to frankly share his opinions” on immigration before deciding to collaborate with him on the restaurant, which was scheduled to open next year.
Andres, who directs 18 restaurants in the United States, where he has lived for more that 20 years and recently obtained citizenship, said in a communique that he tried to “negotiate an amicable resolution” with the magnate, but felt forced to terminate the lease and break off the agreement to create the restaurant.
“Donald Trump’s recent statements disparaging immigrants make it impossible for my company and I to move forward with opening a successful Spanish restaurant in Trump International’s upcoming hotel in Washington, D.C.,” said the chef, who has among his restaurants the popular Washington eateries Jaleo and Oyamel.
Trump’s incendiary remarks have cost him a number of contracts, including those with television networks Univision, ESPN and NBC, the retailer Macy’s and NASCAR.
At the same time, well-known personalities like actresses Roselyn Sanchez and America Ferrera, Colombian model and current Miss Universe Paulina Vega, and many of Trump’s rivals for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, have slammed his xenophobic remarks.
On top of all that, Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica have announced they will no longer take part in the Miss Universe contest, organized by Trump. EFE
