Two small businesses have filed liens alleging that they were not paid for work on President-elect Donald Trump’s new luxury hotel in Washington, D.C., according to a Thursday report.
Family-owned plumbing and HVAC firm Joseph J. Magnolia, Inc., claims that it is out $2.98 million for more than two years of work on the Trump International Hotel, The Washington Post reported.
In a lien filed in December 2016 the company said it “completed all plumbing, mechanical and HVAC work, along with site sewer, water, storm and water services” on the project. It named Trump’s D.C. hotel company as well as a construction manager, Lendlease US, among the parties responsible, according to the report.
John D. Magnolia, president of the firm, told the Post that he voted for Trump in November but became worried that ownership of the hotel might change before the Trump family paid for his work in full.
“They have been decent people and so forth but the issues that are going on now, with all the talk about removing him from the lease we are concerned about what is going to happen there,” he said. “So it’s basically a business decision that we had to make.”
Contracting firm A&D Construction of Sterling, Virginia, also claims that it is out $79,700 for wall base and crown molding work performed on the hotel just three weeks before Trump held an opening celebration, according to the report.
Richard M. Sissman, an attorney for the firm, said that A&D Construction “did not contract directly with Trump” but rather with another contractor on the project.
“I have not heard from anyone. My client is a small-time operator so he does not have deep pockets,” he told the Post.
Spokespersons for Trump’s transition team, the Trump Organization and Lendlease did not immediately comment to the Post.
