Trump Organization settles with District of Columbia over payments to hotel for 2017 inauguration

Former President Trump said Tuesday that his eponymous organization has reached an agreement with District of Columbia's attorney general to settle a suit over payments made to the Trump International Hotel during his 2017 inauguration. 

The company agreed to pay $750,000 to settle the suit, which was filed in January 2020 and alleged that the former president's inaugural committee coordinated with the Trump Organization to overpay for event space. 

According to Trump, the settlement with D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, which contained "absolutely no admission of liability or guilt," was reached due to the impending sale of the hotel, just a few blocks from the White House.

"As crime rates are soaring in our Nation's Capital, it is necessary that the Attorney General focus on those issues rather than a further leg of the greatest Witch-Hunt in political history," wrote Trump via an email blast.

Racine tweeted on Tuesday: "We clawed back $750,000 from the Trump Organization to give to local nonprofits educating youth about democracy and civics.

"We're resolving our lawsuit and sending the message that if you violate D.C. nonprofit law — no matter how powerful you are — you'll pay."

Trump called the investigation by the Democrat attorney general's office "yet another example of weaponizing Law Enforcement against the Republican Party and, in particular, the former President of the United States."