Judge orders Trump-owned golf resort to pay millions

Florida

IN A highly unusual turn of events for a sitting president, a federal judge in Florida on Wednesday ordered a golf resort owned by US President Donald Trump to pay US$5.7 million for refusing to refund deposits to members who wanted to resign from the club.

In his ruling, the judge said that Mr Trump, by sending a letter in late 2012 denying access to members who wanted to resign from the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter - a process that could take years - had set off a contract clause that should have resulted in an immediate refund of their membership fees. Instead, the money was withheld.