NY town threatens legal action over Libyan tent

[samanthajane13]

By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer Jim Fitzgerald, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 32 mins ago

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – A suburban New York town is threatening criminal action if work continues at Donald Trump's estate, where the Libyan government pitched a tent that could be used by Moammar Gadhafi, the town's attorney said Wednesday.

Inspectors went to the property Wednesday in Bedford, about 40 miles north of Manhattan.

"If no activity has been undertaken, so far as either removing the tent or other equipment, or removing any individuals who may be residing in the tent, then we would then proceed to take one of two types of enforcement actions," said attorney Joel Sachs, who represents the town.

He said a criminal summons could be served for violating town codes, or the town might "seek an injunction to have the tent taken down and individuals residing in the tent removed from the property."

Sachs said it was not immediately clear what entity would be the target of any legal action. On Tuesday, officials found workers constructing the tent but could not communicate with them because they didn't speak English. They gave the stop work order to the property's caretaker.

The Trump Organization said Gadhafi would not be coming to the property and insisted that Trump has not rented property to him. But it said part of the estate "was leased on a short-term basis to Middle Eastern partners, who may or may not have a relationship to Mr. Gadhafi."

A call to Trump's office requesting further comment was not immediately returned on Wednesday.

The sprawling, flat-topped tent was not visible from the road on Wednesday. Police closed off the area near the property's iron-gated entrance, flanked by a vast, well-tended field and a small but stately forest.

Stone walls and cobblestone driveways dot the bucolic neighborhood of estates and preserves. Horses and deer abound.

A wooden sign bears the Trump property's name, "Seven Springs LLC," and the words "Private property." Messages left on an intercom near the gate summoned a man in a pickup truck who told a reporter to leave.

Sachs said Trump once proposed an 18-hole golf course on the site. Those plans fell through, and he's now seeking approval for "a high-end residential development" there.

A State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of diplomatic sensitivity and protocol concerns, told the AP that the property was obtained for the duration of this week's United Nations General Assembly. The official said no one would be staying there overnight.

Gadhafi's motorcade arrived at the Libyan Mission to the United Nations in Manhattan, just blocks from U.N. headquarters Tuesday evening. Dozens of police and Secret Service officers blocked off the venue.

Several dozen pro-Gadhafi demonstrators rallied near the office building housing the mission, carrying his portraits and chanting pro-Libyan slogans.

In Bedford, no-parking signs went up near Trump's Seven Springs estate. Area residents include Martha Stewart and Ralph Lauren. TV helicopters showed a tent on the Trump property. Police would not comment, and Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan would say only that the agency does not discuss the schedules or logistics of people it's protecting.

As word got out, local officials quickly objected to Gadhafi's anticipated presence. Gadhafi will likely face protests over Scotland's recent release of Libyan Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, who was convicted of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 which killed 270 people.

Gadhafi had wanted to pitch a tent at Libya's five-acre estate in Englewood, N.J., and live and entertain there during the UN assembly. But local opposition turned him away.

Later, the Libyan government asked to use Manhattan's Central Park for a tent, but the request was denied.

U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey said Gadhafi had shown a lack of remorse for the bombing and was "unwelcome throughout the New York area."

___

Associated Press Writers Kiley Armstrong and Matthew Lee contributed to this report from New York City.


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[samanthajane13]

Gadhafi tent taken down at NY Trump estate
By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer Jim Fitzgerald, Associated Press Writer – 19 mins ago

BEDFORD, N.Y. – An elaborate tent for Moammar Gadhafi that prompted stop-work orders and public indignation has been taken down at Donald Trump's suburban estate.

The white-topped tent — lined with a tapestry of camels and palm trees and outfitted with leather couches and coffee tables — was no longer visible on Friday at the bucolic property.

Alison Bradley, of the public relations firm representing the Libyan leader, said Gadhafi and most of his delegation would be leaving the country Friday.

"That would be welcome news," said Bedford Town Supervisor Lee Roberts.

Bradley wouldn't say where Gadhafi was going, but he is expected Saturday at a meeting of African and South American leaders in Venezuela, where President Hugo Chavez said Gadhafi is more than welcome to put up his tent.

The tent had been pitched for a second time Thursday, one day after being dismantled when town officials declared it an illegal use of a residence.

Roberts said the town won't go to court "as long as there is no move toward re-erecting the tent."

Late Thursday night, Bedford Town attorney Joel Sachs, escorted by two police officers, moved onto the property and handed fresh stop-work orders and criminal summonses to representatives of the landowner — Trump's Seven Springs LLC — and the tenant of record.

He said he was unsure "exactly which entity" had rented the property to the Libyans.

Sachs told reporters at the scene that if the tent was not taken down — again — by midmorning Friday, the town would probably seek a state court injunction. The criminal summonses, answerable next week in Town Court, could result in fines of $1,000 a day, he said.

Sachs said he was told the tent would be down by sunset, but it was still up as darkness fell. A Trump spokeswoman said by e-mail later that it was dismantled. She did not answer a question about whether Trump's permission had been sought for rebuilding the tent.

Khalifa Khalifa, a Libyan official, insisted the tent was legal. He said it was meant to honor the Libyan leader, although Gadhafi apparently never made it to Bedford.

"The tent is a symbol for the country and the president. It goes up everywhere they go," he said.

Khalifa, speaking through a translator, said the Trump property was rented "specifically to have a space for a tent." He said he didn't know if Trump was aware the tent had been re-erected.

Khalifa also said he was unaware that Gadhafi's anticipated visit to the suburbs had gotten a "chilly reception."

Reporters had been invited to the estate Thursday night for a possible meeting with Gadhafi, who was in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. They were served tea and allowed to examine the tent but then were ordered off the property after the town officials stormed in. Khalifa said Gadhafi's plans had changed.

Sachs said he began to suspect the tent had been rebuilt when a State Department attorney called to say a Gadhafi visit was possible and the department might not back up the town's fight against the tent.

Westchester County Executive Andrew Spano said through a spokeswoman that the Libyans were "thumbing their noses" at the county and the town.

Trump had been praised by Roberts for "defusing the issue" on Wednesday. He said he had asked his unidentified "tenant" to take the tent down and the tenant had complied.

Roberts also said Trump told her that he "had no idea" when the rental deal was made that it would involve Gadhafi.

The Libyan leader has had a difficult time finding a place to spend time while in the New York area. Requests for space in Central Park, Englewood, N.J., and Manhattan's Upper East Side were all rejected. Gadhafi stayed at the city's Libyan Mission after arriving Tuesday.

(This version CORRECTS UPDATES with Gadhafi expected Saturday in Venezuela, where Chavez says he's welcome to pitch his tent. corrects which alleged violation would carry fines. `Khalifa Khalifa' is cq. Will be updated. AP Video.)


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