New Mexico Airport Managers Association Meeting: Fill & Download for Free

21 years ago, I bought a $185 necktie at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco. That evening, my lady friend said wrong color. I never wore the tie and it was still wrapped in the NM gauzy paper.We returned it next day at the Neiman Marcus in the Stanford Shopping Center. I was dressed like a bum — normal for my day off.The sales lady curtly told us they did not carry that brand of necktie. I politely asked to see the Department Manager. Even more sharply, the manager told me Neiman Marcus had never carried that line of ties.Her facial grimace said it all…This old con man is shifting from 3-Card Monte to men’s neckties.I asked them to pull up my Neiman Marcus charge account. The first lady suppressed a snicker. Begrudgingly they checked the computer. They were shocked to find my lengthy account history. The necktie was right at the top. $185 plus tax.I expected Sorry for the misunderstanding or Let me show you some great new ties.But that is not what happened. Instead, the manager looked up at the ceiling and barked: Credit his account. Then, she spun on her heel and walked away without another word.Well, it is their store and their rules.I took the pointed hint: If you visit our store wearing an old T-shirt and rugby shorts, we don’t want your business. No matter how much money you have.Since that day, I have told that story at least 75 times. Maybe more.Two decades later, I now chuckle when visualizing their pinched little faces. Granted, their makeup was perfect.An Irish preacher once said…A man who will generously forgive all injuries will never forget an insult.Stop here unless you enjoy history and gossip. This is a long stroll down Memory Lane…Before those young ladies were born, Stanley Marcus was a legend and I was a customer.In 1905, Stanley was born in Dallas. His father had been working as a salesman in Atlanta, but not making enough money to support a family.In 1906, the extended Marcus family sold their investments and decided to become entrepreneurs. They considered two options:starting a high-end retailer in Texasbuying the tiny Coca-Cola Company of AtlantaStanley Marcus always joked: Our firm was founded on bad business judgment.Neiman-Marcus opened its doors in 1907. From the 1930s to the 1970s, Mr. Marcus personally waited on Texas oil men. They would visit Neiman Marcus in oil-spotted coveralls and work boots. In the late 1960s, some bought $60,000 black sable coats for their wives. I saw it.There are many billionaires and multi-millionaires in Texas who still dress like workmen. Mr. Marcus graciously served everyone. A hedge fund now owns Neiman Marcus. Maybe they have a different philosophy…There are subtle cultural differences between California and Texas consumers. Luxury retailers in Texas are more humorous and brash. Think golf clubs made of 24 karat gold and Big Hair.But condescension is a no-no. Aloof “exclusivity” might work in Manhattan, Palo Alto, or Beverly Hills. But snobbery is less welcome in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and El Paso. (Austin residents are a special case. They live in their own little world.)Plus, it’s difficult to remain aloof when other Texans nearby have billions more than you. Friendly is more important than ritzy.The running joke is this: Texas is the only state where you can dial a wrong number, and still have an extended conversation.The ladies in the Stanford Shopping Center wouldn’t get it.Back in the day, Mr. Marcus appeared frequently in the Dallas Morning News and Houston Chronicle. He was routinely in the Society pages, Women’s Section, or Maxine Mesenger’s gossip column. He was a fun guy. A very fun guy. His philosophy was simple: Only The Best.Mr. Marcus remembered names and faces. He asked about your relatives. He might be photographed with royalty on Monday, Girl Scouts Wednesday, dusty cowboys on Friday.Back when people still dressed for church, Easter Sunday was D-Day at Neiman Marcus. Many society ladies wore their new hats, dresses, and gloves to St. Michael’s. Locals joked it was St. Minks. Confused kids in Sunday School couldn’t find that name in the Bible.One oil man told Mr. Marcus his wife had seen something in the window display she liked. But he was watching football, and not paying attention to what she said.Hard to imagine!Mr. Marcus solved the problem by reconstructing the entire window display in the man’s home, complete with mannequins and lighting.Billionaire H.L. Hunt dropped out of school in the 5th grade and became the richest man in the world. He is pictured third from the right, wearing a white shirt and hat. He had rigs all over the world. One of his oilfields in East Texas was 43 miles long by 9 miles wide.In later years, Mr. Hunt carried his lunch around Neiman Marcus in a brown paper sack. He seemed to believe carrot cake was one of the five major food groups.He and John D. Rockefeller were both Baptists…and cheap. Upon his death, Mr. Hunt’s net worth was 4x all the Rockefellers combined.H.L. would often visit oil rigs with his lawyer. They would stop for lunch wherever a farmer was selling watermelons from the back of his pickup. Mr. Hunt would always negotiate the price. 75 cents was too damn much for a watermelon.Mr. Hunt laughingly referred to himself as a crank. He exercised by moving around his offices on his hands and knees. He called it “creeping.”His employees - at least the smart ones - paid no attention.Mr. Hunt attended the Texas State Fair as a vendor. There, he would pass out free copies of his anti-Communist book. He would man the 6′ x 8′ stall by himself.Tens of thousands would pass by the booth. Mr. Hunt would chat with Fair visitors until the books were gone — about 7 hours. It’s difficult to imagine Bill Gates or Warren Buffett doing that today.Mr. Hunt’s opinion of the carrot cake at the State Fair is not known. He probably took a sack lunch to save money.H.L. Hunt enjoyed crashing private parties and conventions. In whatever hotel he might be staying, he would bluff his way into industry meetings which had nothing to do with the oil business.He once crashed a Russian-only reception for Nikita Khrushchev. Mr. Hunt said, “I’m here to see the Soviet premier with my own eyes.”The KGB promptly threw him out.Mr. Hunt’s first son was Hassie. He had a nose for oil, and expanded the family fortune enormously. Unfortunately, he had an undiagnosed psychological condition which caused him to act erratically.One day, he was walking past a car dealership. He picked up a large rock and heaved it through the plate glass window. The irate car dealer came rushing out to the sidewalk. Hassie apologized. Then, he pulled out cash and paid for the new car in the window. He also paid for the window.Mr. Hunt’s second son was Nelson Bunker Hunt. He was too cheap to shop at Neiman Marcus, so his wife bought his suits at a discounter two blocks away.Bunker left college and volunteered for military duty just after Pearl Harbor. He served aboard the U.S.S. Washington. His battleship saw intense action at the Battle of Guadalcanal, sinking the battleship Kirishima, destroyer Ayanami, and other ships.Bunker later said: That’s the only time I’ve been skinny. I didn’t like Navy food, and didn’t have enough pocket money to buy candy.Bunker was good-natured about receiving the annual Bonehead Award in Dallas. In 1980, most people assumed the Hunts had attempted to corner the silver market for financial profit and failed. But their real goal was to avoid paper assets like the U.S. dollar.The Hunts believed U.S. government debt would soon skyrocket and the dollar would fall. Both happened. But these events occurred too late for the Hunts to profit.Bunker inherited his Dad’s thriftiness and usually flew Economy Class. When Bunky needed to get somewhere fast, he would charter an entire jumbo jet. But he still preferred Economy.Bunker was listed in the phone directory and answered the phone himself. To him, people with unlisted phone numbers were a bit snobby.William Herbert Hunt is son #3. As a teenager, he started as a roughneck on oil rigs. He has made billions and lost billions. He recently doubled his net worth from $1.5 billion to $3.1 billion in the Bakken. He is now quietly retired in Dallas.Lamar Hunt was son #4. In college, his football teammates nicknamed him Po’ Boy. Lamar was principal founder of the American Football League (AFL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and World Championship Tennis.Lamar was the driving force behind the first Super Bowl. He devised the name because his kids were playing with a Super Ball when Pete Rozelle called.A reporter once asked H.L. if he was concerned about Lamar losing $1 million per year as owner of the Kansas City Chiefs.Mr. Hunt replied: Sure, I’m worried. If this keeps up, he’ll be dead broke in 150 years.This is how eccentrics are described in Texas:Multi-billionaires - a real characterBillionaires - couple of buttons missingMillionaires - one sandwich shy of a picnicRegular folks - nutty as a fruitcakeH.L.’s daughter is billionairess Caroline Rose Hunt. She got her first job at Neiman Marcus as a sales clerk. Mr. Hunt told his rich daughter always do more work than expected.While working at Neiman Marcus, she met and married a military pilot named Sands. She followed him to various military bases and had 5 kids. She later bought the Hotel Bel-Air, The Carlyle, The Hana-Maui, and 16 other luxury hotels.In her spare time, she still authors cookbooks, runs a wellness business, and does church volunteer work. She was the wealthiest woman in Texas for years — until some Waltons moved in from Arkansas.Carpetbaggers.This cartoon appeared in the New Yorker.People have always had a fascination with Texas oil men. Some are interested in the crazy lifestyle. Some by the kismet of being dirt-poor one moment, and fabulously wealthy the next. And some folks still believe Big Oil is somehow nefarious.One thing is certain: the oil patch is never boring. Stanley Marcus fit in perfectly.Spindletop occurred in 1901. Within 3 months, those 20 wells east of Houston were producing more oil than the rest of the world combined. The gushers of oil soared higher than 10-story buildings, throwing steel drilling pipe through the air like matchsticks. Some drilling rigs were destroyed when subterranean pressures were unleashed on the surface.Most of the profits went North — to the Rockefellers, Mellons, and Pews. They owned most of the leases and infrastructure.Many wildcatters had been soldiers in the Civil War. Sending Texas oil money to Yankees was about as popular as sending a porcupine to a nudist colony. But a deal is a deal. When the next boom hit in the 1930s, most of the profits stayed in Texas.Howard Hughes, Sr. developed a new drill bit in 1907 and made a fortune.When the senior Howard Hughes died, Sonny took over Hughes Tool Company at age 18. He was instantly wealthy, and later grew the fortune enormously.Already one of the richest men in the world, Howard Hughes used a false name to get a position with American Airlines. His job was copilot and baggage handler.He wanted to learn the airline business “from the ground up” so he could start TWA. Within two months, he was recognized by a passenger. American immediately fired him.Gittings Portraits eventually installed studios inside Neiman Marcus stores. Many famous portraits were taken there.After Roger Staubach completed his military service, he played quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He is now worth $600 million, mainly accumulated through Texas real estate.One oilman said: Sophia could make a preacher kick a hole in a stained glass window.The family photos of Gloria Vanderbilt were so enchanting Mr. Marcus asked if he could use them in the Christmas Wishbook.In this candid shot, that’s CNN reporter Anderson Cooper on the floor.If I looked like Anderson Cooper, I bet they would sell me a necktie…Clint Murchison was also extremely wealthy. He attended Duke and MIT, and later owned the Dallas Cowboys. He used Braniff Airlines to transport his players. He greatly enjoyed the company of Braniff stewardesses, and purchased many gifts at Neiman Marcus.Mr. Murchison was a very generous man who was let down by some friends later in life. But he wisely let Tom Landry run the Cowboys, resulting in 20 consecutive winning seasons.Mr. Marcus had a much more conservative lifestyle than Mr. Murchison. Their personal backgrounds, religious beliefs, and political views were very different. But they always remained friendly. Business is business.The Murchisons and their fun-loving friends would sometimes “borrow” a 747 from Braniff. They used Fat Albert, the aircraft scheduled Dallas-Honolulu three times a week. But it’s difficult to be secretive when you’re flying around in a giant pumpkin. The Murchisons exercised good judgment and soon returned to private jets.Eventually, Mr. Murchison would visit the Braniff Academy for flight attendants before the ladies received their wings. More gifts from Neiman Marcus…The helmet wasn’t for oxygen. Maybe it was designed to keep oil men from getting fresh…Governor James “Big Jim” Hogg named his only daughter Ima. Ima Hogg.Mr. Marcus and Miss Hogg were lifelong friends. They were joint patrons of Symphony, Opera, and the arts. Snoot-free arts. They funded museums in Texas, New Mexico, and Virginia.Someone in the White House once asked them to arrange a political event with a Western theme. With a twinkle, Mr. Marcus replied: Sir, running those poor steers back and forth in the heat is ridiculous. We ought to put the steers in the convention hall, and run the politicians back and forth.James M. West was a neighbor of Miss Hogg in Houston. He built an oil, cattle, and lumber empire. He was nicknamed Silver Dollar Jim because he would give a silver dollar to each person he met on the street.If he entered a crowded bar, he would throw fistfuls of silver dollars into the corner. While patrons scrambled for the silver, he would grab a bar stool and order a beer.Mr. West kept 26 Cadillacs in the garage behind his home. Each was outfitted with 3 police radios, 2 pistols, and 1 Thompson sub-machine gun. He viewed himself as a “private crime fighter.” When a police call came over the radio, he would respond — often arriving ahead of the police.The Houston Police Department liked Mr. West because he gave large amounts of money to support the Police Benevolent Association, as well as cops injured on the job.Mr. West helped with the arrest of several criminals. His personal bravery was well-known. It all came to a halt after a burglary call one night.The burglar was shot. But a police lieutenant was nicked by a ricochet from Mr. West’s pistol. Newspaper editorials questioned why rich amateurs were involved in police work. That was the end of Mr. West’s crime fighting.When Mr. West died, they found a hidden underground vault beneath his mansion in River Oaks. He had large mounds of silver coins and Neiman Marcus jewelry. He also had $2 bills stacked to the ceiling. No one knows why. It took 7 armored cars to haul it all away.After he died, his hunting ranch became the site of NASA.When dignitaries broke ground for the Astrodome, they used Colt pistols instead of shovels. If you plan on a career in burglary, Houston may not be the best locale.President Bush (41) and President Bush (43) were both fighter pilots and both oil men.Wives Barbara and Laura Bush enjoy shopping at Neiman Marcus - especially Laura. Alas, the younger President Bush is cheap. As Southerners say: tight as a wet boot.When Laura bought a $1,000 antique pillow, President Bush jokingly wrote to Anne Johnson of Neiman Marcus:Thanks for all your advice and help in decorating. Yours in poverty, GeorgeJeff Bezos of Amazon is worth $140 billion — more than Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Mr. Bezos is now the richest man in the world.Jeff attended public school in Houston. He spent summers working cattle at his family’s ranch near Cotulla. He was also a fry cook at McDonald’s.This is Jeff Bezos with his grandfather circa 1970. Jeff’s net worth back then: two dogs. Pay no attention to pessimists who deride our country. Anyone can get rich in America.The Lazy G is down the road from King Ranch. At 825,000 acres, King Ranch is bigger than Rhode Island. Perhaps King Ranch should get its own U.S. Senators...The size of Texas surprises many foreigners, including folks from Europe and New Jersey. It is further across Texas (Spindletop to El Paso) than it is from El Paso to Los Angeles. This is the local joke:Texan: Not to brag…but I can drive my pickup all day and never leave my own ranch.Cajun: I used to own a truck like dat.A cowboy’s life is remarkably unchanged since 1870. Back then, a steer was worth $10 in South Texas, $20 in Abilene, and $30 in Chicago. Today a steer can bring $1,000.When they met, Mr. Bezos and Mr. Marcus “hit it off” right away. In my opinion, the biographers of Mr. Bezos misunderstood that connection. It had little to do with retailing and everything to do with Houston.Of the 100 biggest cities in world, Houston is #1 in lack of zoning and regulation. Government stays out of the way. If you want to build something gigantic, knock yourself out. Your bankers will discern whether you are Genius … or dumb as a bag of hammers.These are gasoline prices. There are many oil wells and refineries in California. But California prices are 50% higher than Texas — mainly due to regulation.Broadly speaking, Texans mistrust government and embrace free enterprise. It’s been that way for 200 years. Texans believe bureaucrats raise the cost of everything - not just gasoline. With low taxes and few government roadblocks, the collective mindset is this:Grow and expand! Everything should be bigger. Move it!100 X … 10,000 X … 1 million X!In high school, Mr. Bezos wrote: I want to build space hotels, amusement parks, and colonies for 3 million people who would live in orbit.His plans for Amazon reflect the same level of humility.A New Yorker asks: What’s your return on equity?A Houstonian says: Who cares? This thing is going to be HUGE!Texas kids constantly hear: Think Big, Boy!Through a Seattle law firm, Mr. Bezos “secretly” started buying enormous ranches in West Texas for his new spaceport. Helpful hint to all you clever lawyers…Any cattleman who owns 250,000 acres is smart enough to hire private detectives. They will find out who you are, and what you want. Everyone in West Texas hopes Mr. Bezos launches the first trip to Mars from Corn Ranch.Near Mr. Bezos’ spaceport are the mineral springs purchased by H.L. Hunt in San Jeronimo so many years ago. Once when he was returning to Dallas, Mr. Hunt stopped to visit at the county courthouse. The judge there complained of pain in his feet.Mr. Hunt got down on his knees, pulled off the judge’s shoes and socks, and started massaging his feet with mineral water. The judge later told his bailiff that although he felt a lot better, it wasn’t right for the richest man in the world to massage someone’s feet.Some Hunts are Baptist, some Presbyterian, and a couple are atheists. H.L. and Bunker were big supporters of Campus Crusade for Christ.H.L. Hunt performed some sketchy deeds as a young man. He did not take religion seriously until later in life. As an older man, he would smile and say:I’ve made a great deal. I’ve traded the Here for the Hereafter.Mr. Hunt’s funeral was conducted by preacher W.A. Criswell at First Baptist.Southern Baptist funerals have a slightly different flavor compared to other religions. Baptists believe a funeral is not really for the departed. That soul is long gone. Instead, a funeral should counsel and guide the mourners — to save their souls.Due to events in the Middle East, the price of Arabian crude oil rose over 1,200% in the 1970s. While many Americans suffered, Texas was booming. Neiman Marcus was booming. The Hunts were booming. And H.L. had been at the center of everything.1700 people attended the funeral, including many billionaires, politicians, movie stars, and athletes. The pastor effusively praised Mr. Hunt and his many good works. But then he turned on a dime.Brother Criswell directed some blunt comments toward billionaires in the congregation who were Living Large and almost out of control. You could hear a pin drop.It was a mesmerizing sermon and invitation. W.A. Criswell was Old School — a fiery Revival preacher from Oklahoma. The congregation nodded in silent agreement.Afterward, a few people made real changes. But most of the wealthy continued as before. The parties in Las Vegas and Mexico became more outrageous. The private jets became private jumbo jets. As the price of oil skyrocketed, so did profits at Neiman Marcus.Imagine you are Prime Minister of an unaligned nation or a rebel leader fighting a dictator. Or maybe you are a foreign spymaster who wants to cut a deal before it’s too late.You are secretly flown into the country on a U.S. military jet to avoid news reporters and passport control. You are only here for 36 hours, trying to forge an agreement with the U.S. government.After the endless briefings with American diplomats and spooks, where do you go next? Not to the Jefferson Memorial or the Smithsonian. You go to Neiman Marcus!Back in the day, Mr. Marcus would personally escort VIP/DV guests around the store after hours. He was a patriot and loved his country. These visits were also good for business. Visitors ranged from Madame Nhu to the Shah of Iran to assorted Crown Princes.A few would denounce U.S. “cultural imperialism” to their countrymen, and then shop for hours at Neiman Marcus. Go figure.On one occasion, members of a royal family (and true friends of the U.S.) shopped Neiman Marcus after hours. As they were leaving, they said they wanted Chinese food. Uh-oh. All restaurants had long since closed.The Diplomatic Security Service of the U.S. State Department contacted the Protocol Officer at the police department. (Most big departments have these protocol liaisons.)He swung into action and awoke a friendly restaurateur. A squad car was dispatched. The Royals quickly received their breakfast — a huge smorgasbord of Chinese food.Helpful Hint: This was done to avoid a diplomatic incident. It is never a good idea to dial 911 and ask for #7 with fried rice.Mr. Stanley, as his employees called him, would have been disappointed by my experience in California. No Customers = No Fun.Mr. Marcus was dedicated to having fun.In his first Christmas catalog, he offered a live Black Angus steer paired with a sterling silver barbeque grill. Mr. Marcus promised: We will gift wrap the steer as best we can.Neiman Marcus also sold a violin case which could be used to carry liquor. Some roughnecks developed a sudden interest in Mozart.Christmas 1963, Neiman Marcus sold the first Ampex video recorder for home use. Elvis bought two at $30,000 each. Those in the awl & gas bidness bought more.Later, Mr. Marcus offered his-and-her camels. For the couple who has everything.One Fort Worth socialite saw the camels arrive at the airport on the local 6 PM news. She asked her daughter: What darn fool would give camels as a Christmas present?You guessed it. The camels were on her front lawn Christmas morning.In 1969, Neiman Marcus offered this 100-pound computer. It could only be used for kitchen recipes and required a 2-week training course. Price: $10,600Tagline: If only she can cook as well as Honeywell computes.For budget shoppers awaiting their first gusher, Mr. Marcus offered an engraved hammer for $9 or five tubes of brandy toothpaste for $10. Both gifts for $19.Fortunately, there were no arrests for HWI - Hammering While Intoxicated.Regrettably, some gifts were not best sellers.10,000 gallons of Aramis ($5 million) went unclaimed.The stockyards between Lubbock and Amarillo should have loaded up.One year, Mr. Marcus offered his-and-her mummy cases for $8,000. But when the cases arrived from the Middle East, the curator found an actual mummy inside the female sarcophagus. The mummy was quickly shipped back to Egypt in a dignified manner.Here is my advice to Neiman Marcus…In the future, wait a few weeks. Most Lunch Ladies in Texas are well-preserved. Consider it professional courtesy.Mr. Marcus also offered plug-in versions of both you or your spouse. Each had a customized physique and face to match the real world — you.20 different languages were available. There was a remote control to ensure your spouse laughs at all your jokes, for as long as you like. There was also a portable model for those who might need a stand-in at work. No more boring meetings!In my opinion, Create Your Own Twin was pure genius. Are you skeptical about the need for an Identical Twin?Try attending a bridal shower during football playoffs.This is the Neiman Marcus Mouse Ranch. It made you Ranch Foreman for a herd of rodents.Neiman Marcus even included a tiny branding iron — customized to you — to thwart mouse rustlers. The branding iron used ink instead of heat. Mr. Marcus’ own livestock brand was N-M.Snooty? Aloof? Exclusive? Not so much.But the Rodent Rodeo was lots of fun! Even in Palo Alto.More recently, Neiman Marcus offered Cupcake Cars for only $25,000. Frosting included.My favorite item was in 1970:Noah’s ArkTotal price $588,247. All animals included.Full staff including a French chef, masseuse, and veterinarian from Texas A&M.Stanley Marcus died in 2002 at age 96.

Our boy Trump has spent a lot of time and money in and out of court. The following very long and ongoing list of court cases won and lost, is compliments of Wikipedia:Trump and his businesses have been involved in 3,500 legal cases in U.S. federal courts and state court, an unprecedented number for a U.S. presidential candidate.[1]Of the 3,500 suits, Trump or one of his companies were plaintiffs in 1,900; defendants in 1,450; and bankruptcy, third party, or other in 150.[1]Trump was named in at least 169 suits in federal court.[2]Over 150 other cases were in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida (covering Broward County, Florida) since 1983.[3]In about 500 cases, judges dismissed plaintiffs' claims against Trump. In hundreds more, cases ended with the available public record unclear about the resolution.[1]Where there was a clear resolution, Trump won 451 times, and lost 38.[4]The topics of the legal cases include contract disputes, defamation claims, and allegations of sexual harassment. Trump's companies have been involved in more than 100 tax disputes, and on "at least three dozen" occasions the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has obtained tax liens against Trump properties for nonpayment of taxes.[1]On a number of occasions, Trump has threatened legal action but did not ultimately follow through.[5]Of Trump's involvement in the lawsuits, his lawyer Alan Garten said in 2015 that this was "a natural part of doing business in [the United States]",[5][6]and in the real estate industry, litigation to enforce contracts and resolve business disputes is indeed common.[5]Trump has, however, been involved in far more litigation than fellow real-estate magnates; the USA Today analysis in 2016 found that Trump had been involved in legal disputes more than Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., Donald Bren, Stephen M. Ross, Sam Zell, and Larry Silverstein combined.[1]The Trump lawsuits[5][6]have attracted criticism from Trump's opponents, who say that this is not a trait that conservatives should support.[5]James Copland, director of legal policy at the conservative-leaning Manhattan Institute, states that "Trump clearly has an affinity for filing lawsuits, partly because he owns a lot of businesses" and has sometimes used litigation as a "bullying tactic".[5]Although Trump has said that he "never" settles legal claims, Trump and his businesses have settled with plaintiffs in at least 100 cases (mostly involving personal injury claims arising from injuries at Trump properties), with settlements ranging as high as hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars[1]and recently as high as tens of millions of dollars.[7]Among the most well-known Trump legal cases was the Trump University litigation. Three legal actions were brought alleging fraud, one by the New York State Attorney General and the others by class action plaintiffs.[8]In November 2016, Trump agreed to pay $25 million to settle the litigation.[7]In 1985, New York City brought a lawsuit against Trump for allegedly using tactics to force out tenants of 100 Central Park South,[17]which he intended to demolish together with the building next door. After ten years in court, the two sides negotiated a deal allowing the building to stand as condominiums.[18]In 1988, the Justice Department sued Trump for violating procedures related to public notifications when buying voting stock in a company related to his attempted takeovers of Holiday Corporation and Bally Manufacturing Corporation in 1986. On April 5, 1988, Trump agreed to pay $750,000 to settle the civil penalties of the antitrust lawsuit.[19]In late 1990, Trump was sued for $2 million by a business analyst for defamation, and Trump settled out of court.[20]Briefly before Trump's Taj Mahal opened in April 1990, the analyst had said that the project would fail by the end of that year. Trump threatened to sue the analyst's firm unless the analyst recanted or was fired. The analyst refused to retract the statements, and his firm fired him for ostensibly unrelated reasons.[21]Trump Taj Mahal declared bankruptcy in November 1990, the first of several such bankruptcies.[22]After, the NYSE ordered the firm to compensate the analyst $750,000; the analyst did not release the details of his settlement with Trump.[23]In 1991, Trump sued the manufacturers of a helicopter that crashed in 1989, killing three executives of his New Jersey hotel casino business.[24]The helicopter fell 2,800 feet after the main four-blade rotor and tail rotor broke off the craft, killing Jonathan Benanav, an executive of Trump Plaza, and two others: Mark Grossinger Etess, president of Trump Taj Mahal, and Stephen F. Hyde, chief executive of the Atlantic City casinos.[25][26][27]One of the defendants was owned by the Italian government, providing a basis for removing it to federal court, where the case was dismissed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit upheld the dismissal in 1992, and the Supreme Court denied Trump's petition to hear the case in the same year.[28]In 1991, Trump Plaza was fined $200,000 by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission for moving African American and female employees from craps tables in order to accommodate high roller Robert LiButti, a mob figure and alleged John Gotti associate, who was said to fly into fits of racist rage when he was on losing streaks.[29]There is no indication that Trump was ever questioned in that investigation, he was not held personally liable, and Trump denies even knowing what LiButti looked like.[29]In 1991, one of Trump's casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was found guilty of circumventing state regulations about casino financing when Donald Trump's father bought $3.5 million in chips that he had no plans to gamble. Trump Castle was forced to pay a $30,000 fine under the settlement, according to New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement Director Jack Sweeney. Trump was not disciplined for the illegal advance on his inheritance, which was not confiscated.[30]In 1993, Donald Trump sued Jay Pritzker, a Chicago financier and Trump's business partner since 1979 on the Grand Hyatt hotel. Trump alleged that Pritzker overstated earnings in order to collect excessive management fees.[31]In 1994, Pritzker sued Trump for violating their agreement by, among other ways, failing to remain solvent.[32]The two parties ended the feud in 1995 in a sealed settlement, in which Trump retained some control of the hotel and Pritzker would receive reduced management fees and pay Trump's legal expenses.[33]In 1993, Vera Coking sued Trump and his demolition contractor for damage to her home during construction of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino.[34]In 1997, she dropped the suit against Trump and settled with his contractor for $90,000.[35]Coking had refused to sell her home to Trump and ultimately won a 1998 Supreme Court decision that prevented Atlantic City from using eminent domain to condemn her property.[36][37]In 1996, Trump was sued by more than 20 African-American residents of Indiana who charged that Trump reneged on promises to hire 70% of his work force from the minority community for his riverboat casino on Lake Michigan. The suit also charged that he hadn't honored his commitments to steer sufficient contracts to minority-owned businesses in Gary, Indiana. The suit was eventually dismissed due to procedural and jurisdiction issues.[38][39]In the late 1990s, Donald Trump and rival Atlantic City casino owner Stephen Wynn engaged in an extended legal conflict during the planning phase of new casinos Wynn had proposed to build. Both owners filed lawsuits against one another and other parties, including the State of New Jersey, beginning with Wynn's antitrust accusation against Trump.[40][41]After two years in court, Wynn's Mirage casino sued Trump in 1999 alleging that his company had engaged in a conspiracy to harm Mirage and steal proprietary information, primarily lists of wealthy Korean gamblers. In response, Trump's attorneys claimed that Trump's private investigator dishonored his contract by working as a "double agent" for the Mirage casino by secretly taping conversations with Trump. All the cases were settled at the same time on the planned day of an evidentiary hearing in court in February 2000, which was never held.[42]Personal and sexualIn 1992, Trump sued ex-wife Ivana Trump for not honoring a gag clause in their divorce agreement by disclosing facts about him in her best-selling book. Trump won the gag order.[43][44][45]The divorce was granted on grounds that Ivana claimed Donald Trump's treatment of her was "cruel and inhuman treatment".[46][47]Years later, Ivana said that she and Donald "are the best of friends".[48]A sexual assault claim from 1994 for child rape was filed against Trump on October 14, 2016,[49]a case that was dropped and refiled, remaining in suspension as of November 4, 2016.[50]In April 1997, Jill Harth Houraney filed a $125,000,000 lawsuit against Trump for sexual harassment in 1993, claiming he "'groped' her under her dress and told her he wanted to make her his 'sex slave'". Harth voluntarily withdrew the suit when her husband settled a parallel case. Trump has called the allegations "meritless".[51][52]Lawsuits 2000–2009[edit]In 2000, Donald Trump paid $250,000 to settle fines related to charges brought by New York State Lobbying Commission director David Grandeau. Trump was charged with circumventing state law to spend $150,000 lobbying against government approval of plans to construct an Indian-run casino in the Catskills, which would have diminished casino traffic to Trump's casinos in Atlantic City.[53][54]From 2000 on, Trump tried to partner with a German venture in building a "Trump Tower Europe" in Germany. The company founded for this, "TD Trump Deutschland AG" was dissolved in 2003, several lawsuits following in the years thereafter.[55]In 2001, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission brought a financial-reporting case against Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc., alleging that the company had committed several "misleading statements in the company's third-quarter 1999 earnings release". Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc. consented to the Commission's cease-and-desist order, said the culprit had been dismissed, and that Trump had personally been unaware of the matter.[56][57][58]Trump sued Leona Helmsley,[59]and Helmsley counter-sued Trump[60]due to contentions regarding ownership and operation of the Empire State Building. In 2002, Trump announced that he and his Japanese business partners, were selling the Empire State Building to partners of his rival Leona Helmsley.[61][62]In 2003, the city of Stuttgart denied TD Trump Deutschland AG, a Trump Organization subsidiary, the permission to build a planned tower due to questions over its financing. Trump Deutschland sued the city of Stuttgart, and lost. In 2004 Trump's German corporate partner brought suit against the Trump Organization for failure to pay back a EUR 200 million pre-payment as promised. In 2005, the German state attorney prosecuted Trump Deutschland and its partners for accounting fraud.[63][64][65]In 2004, Donald Trump sued Richard T. Fields in Broward County Circuit Court (in Florida); Fields was once Trump's business partner in the casino business, but had recently become a successful casino developer in Florida apart from Trump. Fields counter-sued Trump in Florida court. Trump alleged that Fields misled other parties into believing he still consulted for Trump, and Fields alleged improprieties in Trump's business.[66]The two businessmen agreed in 2008 to drop the lawsuits when Fields agreed to buy Trump Marina in Atlantic City, New Jersey, for $316 million,[67]but the deal was unsettled again in 2009 because Trump resigned his leadership of Trump Entertainment after Fields lowered his bid.[68]Fields never bought the company, which went into bankruptcy about the same time and was sold for $38 million.[69][70]Trump's lawsuit was dismissed after a hearing in 2010.[71]In 2004, the Trump Organization partnered with Bayrock Group on a $200 million hotel and condo project in Fort Lauderdale Beach, to be called Trump International Hotel & Tower. After proceeding for five years, real estate market devaluation stymied the project in 2009 and Trump dissolved his licensing deal, demanding that his name be removed from the building. Soon after this, the project defaulted on a $139 million loan in 2010.[72]Investors later sued the developers for fraud. Trump petitioned to have his name removed from the suit, saying he had only lent his name to the project. However his request was refused since he had participated in advertising for it.[73]The insolvent building project spawned over 10 lawsuits, some of which were still not settled in early 2016.[74]In 2006, the Town of Palm Beach began fining Trump $250 per day for ordinance violations related to his erection of an 80-foot-tall (24 m) flagpole flying a 15 by 25 feet (4.6 by 7.6 m) American flag on his property. Trump sued the town for $25 million, saying that they abridged his free speech, also disputing an ordinance that local businesses be "town-serving". The two parties settled as part of a court-ordered mediation, in which Trump was required to donate $100,000 to veterans' charities. At the same time, the town ordinance was modified allowing Trump to enroll out-of-town members in his Mar-a-Lago social club.[75]Trump International Hotel and Tower in ChicagoAfter the 2008 housing-market collapse, Deutsche Bank attempted to collect $40 million that Donald Trump personally guaranteed against their $640 million loan for Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago. Rather than paying the debt, Trump sued Deutsche Bank for $3 billion for undermining the project and damage to his reputation.[76]Deutsche Bank then filed suit to obtain the $40 million. The two parties settled in 2010 with Deutsche Bank extending the loan term by five years.[77]In 2008, Trump filed a $100 million lawsuit for alleged fraud and civil rights violations[78]against the California city of Rancho Palos Verdes, over thwarted luxury home development and expansion plans upon part of a landslide-prone golf course in the area, which was purchased by Trump in 2002 for $27 million.[78]Trump had previously sued a local school district over land leased from them in the re-branded Trump National Golf Club, and had further angered some local residents by renaming a thoroughfare after himself.[78]The $100 million suit was ultimately withdrawn in 2012 with Trump and the city agreeing to modified geological surveys and permit extensions for some 20 proposed luxury homes (in addition to 36 homes previously approved).[79][80]Trump ultimately opted for a permanent conservation easement instead of expanded housing development on the course's driving range.[81]In 2009, Donald Trump sued a law firm he had used, Morrison Cohen, for $5 million for mentioning his name and providing links to related news articles on its website. This lawsuit followed a lawsuit by Trump alleging overcharging by the law firm, and a countersuit by Morrison Cohen seeking unpaid legal fees.[82]The suit was dismissed in a 15-page ruling by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Eileen Bransten, who ruled that the links to news articles concerned "matters of public interest."[83]In 2009, Trump was sued by investors who had made deposits for condos in the canceled Trump Ocean Resort Baja Mexico.[84]The investors said that Trump misrepresented his role in the project, stating after its failure that he had been little more than a spokesperson for the entire venture, disavowing any financial responsibility for the debacle.[85]Investors were informed that their investments would not be returned due to the cancellation of construction.[84]In 2013, Trump settled the lawsuit with more than one hundred prospective condo owners for an undisclosed amount.[86]Lawsuits 2010–presentConstruction and property law matters[edit]In 2011, Donald Trump sued Scotland, alleging that it built the Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm after assuring him it would not be built. He had recently built a golf course there and planned to build an adjacent hotel. Trump lost his suit, with the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom unanimously ruling in favor of the Scottish government in 2015.[87][88]In 2013, 87-year-old Jacqueline Goldberg alleged that Trump cheated her in a condominium sale by bait-and-switch when she was purchasing properties at the Trump International Hotel and Tower.[89]In 2015, Trump initiated a $100 million lawsuit against Palm Beach County claiming that officials, in a "deliberate and malicious" act, pressured the FAA to direct air traffic to the Palm Beach International Airport over his Mar-a-Lago estate, because he said the airplanes damaged the building and disrupted its ambiance.[90]Trump had previously sued the county twice over airport noise; the first lawsuit, in 1995, ended with an agreement between Trump and the county; Trump's second lawsuit, in 2010, was dismissed.[90]Trump is suing the town of Ossining, New York, over the property tax valuation on his 147-acre (59 ha) Trump National Golf Club Westchester, located in Briarcliff Manor's portion of the town, which Trump purchased for around $8 million at a foreclosure sale in the 1990s and to which he claimed, at the club's opening, to have added $45 million in facility improvements.[91]Although Trump stated in his 2015 FEC filing that the property was worth at least $50 million, his lawsuit seeks a $1.4 million valuation on the property, which includes a 75,000-square-foot clubhouse, five overnight suites, and permission to build 71 condominium units,[91]in an effort to shave $424,176 from his annual local property tax obligations.(91A) Trump had to pay nearly $300,000 in attorney’s fees in Doral painter’s lawsuit related to unpaid bills brought by a local paint store against the Trump National Doral Miami golf resort, ordered the billionaire politician’s company to pay the Doral-based mom-and-pop shop nearly $300,000 in attorney’s fees. All because, according to the lawsuit, Trump allegedly tried to stiff The Paint Spot on its last payment of $34,863 on a $200,000 contract for paint used in the renovation of the home of golf’s famed Blue Monster two years prior.[92]Trump filed the action after separately being sued by Briarcliff Manor for "intentional and illegal modifications" to a drainage system that caused more than $238,000 in damage to the village's library, public pool, and park facilities during a 2011 storm.[92]In October 2016, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that Trump, together with two principals of a connected developer, could be sued for various claims, including oppression, collusion and breach of fiduciary duties, in relation to his role in the marketing of units in the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Toronto, Canada.[93]A subsequent application for leave to appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Canada in March 2017.[94]Also in October 2016, JCF Capital ULC (a private firm that had bought the construction loan on the building) announced that it was seeking court approval under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act to have the building sold in order to recoup its debt, which then totaled $301 million.[95]The court allowed for its auction[96]which took place in March 2017, but no bidders, apart from one stalking horse offer, took part.[97]Defamation mattersAlso in 2011, an appellate court upheld a New Jersey Superior Court judge's decision dismissing Trump's $5 billion defamation lawsuit against author Timothy L. O'Brien, who had reported in his book, TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald (2005), that Trump's true net worth was really between $150 and $250 million. Trump had reportedly told O'Brien he was worth billions and, in 2005, had publicly stated such.[98]Trump said that the author's alleged underestimation of his net worth was motivated by malice and had cost him business deals and damage to his reputation.[99]The appellate court, however, ruled against Trump, citing the consistency of O'Brien's three confidential sources.[100]In 2014, the former Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin ultimately settled a $5 million arbitration judgment against her, having been sued by Trump after alleging that the Miss USA 2012 pageant results were rigged. Monnin wrote on her Facebook page that another contestant told her during a rehearsal that she had seen a list of the top five finalists, and when those names were called in their precise order, Monnin realized the pageant election process was suspect, compelling Monnin to resign her Miss Pennsylvania title. The Trump Organization's lawyer said that Monnin's allegations had cost the pageant a lucrative British Petroleum sponsorship deal and threatened to discourage women from entering Miss USA contests in the future.[101]According to Monnin, testimony from the Miss Universe Organization and Ernst & Young revealed that the top 15 finalists were selected by pageant directors regardless of preliminary judges' scores.[102]As part of the settlement, Monnin was not required to retract her original statements.[101]On January 17, 2017, Summer Zervos, represented by attorney Gloria Allred, filed a defamation suit against President-Elect Donald Trump for claiming that she had lied in her public sexual assault allegations against him.[103]Financial mattersIn July 2011, New York firm ALM Unlimited filed a lawsuit against Trump, who ended payments to the company in 2008 after nearly three years. ALM was hired in 2003 to seek offers from clothing companies for a Trump fashion line, and had arranged a meeting between Trump and PVH, which licensed the Trump name for dress shirts and neckwear. ALM, which had received over $300,000, alleged in the lawsuit that Trump's discontinuation of payments was against their initial agreement. In pre-trial depositions, Trump and two of his business officials – attorney George H. Ross and executive vice president of global licensing Cathy Glosser – gave contradictory statements regarding whether ALM was entitled to payments. Trump, who felt that ALM had only a limited role in the deal between him and PVH, said "I have thousands of checks that I sign a week, and I don't look at very many of the checks; and eventually I did look, and when I saw them (ALM) I stopped paying them because I knew it was a mistake or somebody made a mistake."[104]In January 2013, a judge ordered that the case go to trial, after Trump and ALM failed to settle the lawsuit.[105]During the trial in April 2013, Trump said that ALM's role in the PVH agreement was insubstantial, stating that Regis Philbin was the one who recommended PVH to him. Trump's attorney, Alan Garten, said ALM was not legally entitled to any money.[105][106][107]The judge ruled in favor of Trump later that month because a valid contract between him and ALM was never created.[107]Trump University litigationMain article: Trump University § Allegations of impropriety and lawsuitsIn 2013, in a lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Trump was accused of defrauding more than 5,000 people of $40 million for the opportunity to learn Trump's real estate investment techniques in a for-profit training program, Trump University, which operated from 2005 to 2011.[108][109][110]Trump ultimately stopped using the term "University" following a 2010 order from New York regulators, who called Trump's use of the word "misleading and even illegal"; the state had previously warned Trump in 2005 to drop the term or not offer seminars in New York.[111][112][113]Although Trump has claimed a 98% approval rating on course evaluations, former students recounted high-pressure tactics from instructors seeking the highest possible ratings, including threats of withholding graduation certificates,[114]and more than 2,000 students had sought and received course refunds before the end of their paid seminars.[114]In a separate class action civil suit against Trump University in mid-February 2014, a San Diego federal judge allowed claimants in California, Florida, and New York to proceed;[115]a Trump counterclaim, alleging that the state Attorney General's investigation was accompanied by a campaign donation shakedown, was investigated by a New York ethics board and dismissed in August 2015.[116]Trump filed a $1 million defamation suit against former Trump University student Tarla Makaeff, who had spent about $37,000 on seminars, after she joined the class action lawsuit and publicized her classroom experiences on social media.[85]Trump University was later ordered by a U.S. District Judge in April 2015 to pay Makaeff and her lawyers $798,774.24 in legal fees and costs.[85][117]Breach of contract matters2013]In 2013 Trump sued comedian Bill Maher for $5 million for breach of contract.[118]Maher had appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and had offered to pay $5 million to a charity if Trump produced his birth certificate to prove that Trump's mother had not mated with an orangutan. This was said by Maher in response to Trump having previously challenged Obama to produce his birth certificate, and offering $5 million payable to a charity of Obama's choice, if Obama produced his college applications, transcripts, and passport records.[119][120]Trump produced his birth certificate and filed a lawsuit after Maher was not forthcoming, claiming that Maher's $5 million offer was legally binding. "I don't think he was joking," Trump said. "He said it with venom."[119]Trump withdrew his lawsuit against the comedian after eight weeks.[121]2014[edit]In 2014, model Alexia Palmer filed a civil suit against Trump Model Management for promising a $75,000 annual salary but paying only $3,380.75 for three years' work. Palmer, who came to the US at age 17 from Jamaica under the H-1B visa program in 2011,[122]claimed to be owed more than $200,000. Palmer contended that Trump Model Management charged, in addition to a management fee, "obscure expenses" from postage to limousine rides that consumed the remainder of her compensation. Palmer alleged that Trump Model Management promised to withhold only 20% of her net pay as agency expenses, but after charging her for those "obscure expenses", ended up taking 80%.[123]Trump attorney Alan Garten claimed the lawsuit is "bogus and completely frivolous".[124][125]Palmer filed a class-action lawsuit against the modeling agency with similar allegations.[126]The case was dismissed from U.S. federal court in March 2016, in part because Palmer's immigration status, via H1-B visa sponsored by Trump, required labor complaints to be filed through a separate process.[123][127]2015[edit]In 2015, Trump sued Univision, demanding $500 million for breach of contract and defamation when they dropped their planned broadcast of the Miss USA pageant. The network said that the decision was made because of Trump's "insulting remarks about Mexican immigrants".[128]Trump settled the lawsuit with Univision CEO Randy Falco out of court.[129]In July 2015, Trump filed a $10 million lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court for breach of contract against Spanish celebrity chef José Andrés, claiming that he backed out of a deal to open the flagship restaurant at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.[130][131]Andrés replied that Trump's lawsuit was "both unsurprising and without merit"[132]and filed an $8 million counterclaim against a Trump Organization subsidiary.[131][133]Also in July 2015, Chef Geoffrey Zakarian also withdrew from the Washington, D.C., project with Andrés in the wake of Trump's comments on Mexican illegal immigrants, and is expected to lose his own $500,000 restaurant lease deposit as a result.[132]Trump denounced and then sued Zakarian in August 2015 for a sum "in excess of $10 million" for lost rent and other damages.[134]Trump's lawsuit called Zakarian's offense at his remarks "curious in light of the fact that Mr. Trump's publicly shared views on immigration have remained consistent for many years, and Mr. Trump's willingness to frankly share his opinions is widely known".[134][135]Disputes with both chefs were eventually settled in April 2017.[136]In 2015, restaurant workers at Trump SoHo filed a lawsuit that from 2009 to at least the time of the filing, gratuities added to customers' checks were illegally withheld from employees. The Trump Organization has responded that the dispute is between the employees and their employer, a third-party contractor. Donald Trump has been scheduled to testify in court on September 1, 2016.[137][138]2018[edit]In 2018, Noel Cintron, the personal driver for Donald Trump before he became the President of the United States, filed a lawsuit Cintron v Trump Organization LLC with the Supreme Court of the State of New York (Manhattan). The lawsuit claims that during his 25-year employment by Trump, he was not compensated for overtime and the second time his salary was raised he was induced to surrender his health insurance, an action which saved Trump approximately $17,866 per year.[139]The lawsuit seeks $178,200 of overtime back pay, plus $5,000 in penalties that are seen under the New York State Labor Law.[140]Assault claims[edit]In September 2015, five men who had demonstrated outside of a Trump presidential campaign event at Trump Tower in New York City sued Donald Trump, alleging that Trump's security staff punched one of them. They also allege that Trump's security guards had been advised by city police that they were permitted to protest there. Several people videotaped the incident.[141][142]In June 2015, the Culinary Workers Union filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that the owners of Trump Hotel Las Vegas "violated the federally protected rights of workers to participate in union activities" and engaged in "incidents of alleged physical assault, verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats by management".[143]In October 2015, the Trump Ruffin Commercial and Trump Ruffin Tower I, the owners of Trump Hotel Las Vegas, sued the Culinary Workers Union and another union, alleging that they had knowingly distributed flyers that falsely stated that Donald Trump had stayed at a rival unionized hotel, rather than his own non-unionized hotel, during a trip to Las Vegas.[5][143]Poll watching controversy[edit]On October 31, 2016, a New Jersey federal judge, John Michael Vazquez, ordered the Republican National Committee (RNC) to hand over all communications with the Trump campaign related to poll watching and voter fraud. He asked for testimony and documents relating to Kellyanne Conway, RNC officials Ronna Romney McDaniel of Michigan, and Rob Gleason from Pennsylvania.[144]It is claimed Gleason, McDaniel, and Roger Stone recruited poll watchers to check for voter fraud. The state Democratic parties of Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Ohio filed lawsuits against Trump for encouraging illegal voter intimidation. The states' Democratic parties are also suing their respective Republican party counterparts, along with Roger Stone, who is allegedly recruiting poll watchers and organizing ballot security efforts in a number of states. Stone runs the group "Stop the Steal." It claims Trump supporters yelled at voters outside Las Vegas area polling places when they said they weren't voting for the Republican nominee, and that Stone is asking supporters to conduct an illegitimate "exit polling" initiative aimed at intimidating voters of color.Pat McDonald, the director of Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in Ohio, reported that "Trump supporters have already visited the county elections board identifying themselves as poll observers, even though they did not appear to be credentialed as poll observers as required under Ohio law." Election officials have expressed concern about "instability on Election Day," one lawsuit claims, and discussed the possibility of bringing police to polling sites to address conflicts. In Clark County of Nevada, a lawsuit claims: "A Trump supporter harassed and intimidated multiple voters outside of the Albertson's supermarket early voting location on Lake Mead Boulevard, repeatedly asking voters for whom they were voting, and then yelling at them belligerently and attempting to keep them from entering the voting location when they stated they were not voting for Donald Trump." When poll staffers told the Trump supporters to stop harassing voters, "the Trump supporter told poll workers that he had 'a right to say anything he wanted to the voters.'" Poll staffers called police, and the Trump supporter left. The lawsuit also claims similar incidents took place in neighboring Nye County as well. In Pennsylvania, Murrysville City Councilman Josh Lorenz supposedly posted instructions for the way Clinton supporters could vote online, even though there is no online voting in Pennsylvania. Eight registered electors, mostly from the Philadelphia area, challenged the portion of the state Election Code that prevents poll watchers from observing elections outside of the counties where they live.[145][146][147]In Pompano Beach, Florida, police asked two poll watchers to leave a polling site. Two precinct clerks were also fired for not adhering to policy and training. No arrests were made. No other incidents were reported in South Florida.[148][149]Nevada early voting Latino turnout controversy[edit]On November 8, 2016, Trump filed a lawsuit claiming early voting polling places in Clark County, Nevada, were kept open too late. These precincts had high turnout of Latino voters. Nevada state law explicitly states that polls are to stay open to accommodate eligible voters in line at closing time. Hillary Clinton campaign advisor Neera Tanden says the Trump campaign is trying to suppress Latino voter turnout. A political analyst from Nevada, Jon Ralston tweeted that the Trump lawsuit is "insane" in a state that clearly allows the polls to remains open until everyone in line has voted. Former Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, posted the statute that states "voting must continue until those voters have voted". Miller said: "If there are people in line waiting to vote at 7 pm, voting must continue until everyone votes.... We still live in America, right?"[150]A Nevada judge denied Trump's request to separate early voting ballots. Judge Gloria Sturman, of the District Court for Clark County Nevada, ruled that County Registrar of Voters Joe P. Gloria was already obligated by state law to maintain the records that the Trump campaign is seeking. Sturman said: "That is offensive to me because it seems to go against the very principle that a vote is secret."[151][152]Diana Orrock, the Republican National Committeewoman for Nevada and a vocal Trump ally, said she was unaware of the lawsuit before Politico contacted her. "I know that the [Clark County] registrar was on TV this morning saying that anybody who's in line was allowed to participate in the voting process until all of them came through," she said. "If that's what they did, I don't have a problem with that ... I don't know that filing a suit's going to accomplish anything." Orrock doubts the lawsuit will have any impact.[153]Lawsuit for inciting violence at March 2016 campaign rally[edit]During a campaign rally on March 1, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky, Trump repeatedly said "get 'em out of here" while pointing at anti-Trump protesters as they were forcibly escorted out by his supporters. Three protesters say they were repeatedly shoved and punched while Trump pointed at them from the podium, citing widely shared video evidence of the events. They also cited previous statements by Trump about paying the legal bills of supporters who got violent, or suggesting a demonstrator deserved to be "roughed up."[154][155][156][157]The lawsuit accuses Donald Trump of inciting violence against protesters in Louisville, Kentucky. The plaintiffs are Kashiya Nwanguma (21), Molly Shah (36) and Henry Brousseau (17). The suit is against Trump, his campaign, and three Trump supporters (Matthew Heimbach, Alvin Bamberger and an unnamed defendant). One defendant, Bamburger, who was wearing a Veteran's uniform in the video, apologized to the Korean War Veterans Association immediately after the event, writing that he "physically pushed a young woman down the aisle toward the exit" after "Trump kept saying 'get them out, get them out."[154]Trump's attorneys requested to get the case dismissed, arguing he was protected by free speech laws, and wasn't trying to get his supporters to resort to violence.[156][158]They also stated that Trump had no duty to the protesters, and they had assumed the personal risk of injury by deciding to protest at the rally.[154]On Friday, April 1, 2017, Judge David J. Hale in Louisville ruled against the dismissal of a lawsuit, stating there was ample evidence to support that the injuries of the protesters were a "direct and proximate result" of Trump's words and actions. Hale wrote, "It is plausible that Trump's direction to 'get 'em out of here' advocated the use of force," and, "It was an order, an instruction, a command." Hale wrote that the Supreme Court has ruled out some protections for free speech when used to incite violence.[159]Defendant Heimbach requested to dismiss the discussion in the lawsuit about his association with a white nationalist group, and also requested to dismiss discussion of statements he made about how a President Trump would advance the interests of the group. The request was declined, with the judge saying the information could be important for determining punitive damages because they add context.[154]Hale also declined to remove the allegation that Plaintiff Nwanguma, who is African-American, was victim to ethnic, racial and sexist slurs at the rally from the crowd. The judge stated that this context may support claims by the plaintiffs' of incitement and negligence by Trump and the Trump campaign. The judge wrote, "While the words themselves are repulsive, they are relevant to show the atmosphere in which the alleged events occurred."[154]The judge stated that all people have a duty to use care to prevent foreseeable injury. "In sum, the Court finds that Plaintiffs have adequately alleged that their harm was foreseeable and that the Trump Defendants had a duty to prevent it." The case was referred a federal magistrate, Judge H. Brent Brennenstuhl, who will handle preliminary litigation, discovery and settlement efforts.[160]Heimbach filed a separate counterclaim in April 2017, arguing that Trump was "responsible for any injuries" he [Heimbach] "might have inflicted because Mr. Trump directed him and others to take action". Heimbach, "a self-employed landscaper", and a member of the Traditionalist Youth Network, "which advocates separate American 'ethno states', "spends much of his time" online writing "against Jews, gays and immigrants and urging whites to stand up for their race." He wrote his own lawsuit which requested that Trump pay Heimbach's "legal fees, citing a promise Mr. Trump made at an earlier rally to pay legal costs of anyone who removed protesters."[161]Heimbach's "counterclaim" against Trump has "probed the limits of free speech and public protest while confronting the courts with a unique legal argument".[161]On May 5, Trump's lawyers submitted legal filings that argue that Heimbach's "indemnity claim should be dismissed on the same grounds". According to a University of Virginia law professor, Leslie Kendrick, this indemnity or "impleader" case is "highly unusual."[161]New York University's Samuel Issacharoff, a professor of constitutional law, argued that care must be taken to not allow speech, in the "context of a political rally" to be "turned into something that is legally sanctionable."[161]Payments related to alleged affairs[edit]See also: Stormy Daniels–Donald Trump scandal and Karen McDougal § Alleged affair with Donald TrumpAdult film actress Stormy Daniels has alleged that she and Trump had an extramarital affair in 2006, months after the birth of his youngest child.[162]Just before the 2016 presidential election Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was paid $130,000 by Trump's attorney Michael Cohen as part of a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), through an LLC set up by Cohen; he says he used his own money for the payment.[163]In February 2018, Daniels filed suit against the LLC asking to be released from the agreement so that she can tell her story. Cohen filed a private arbitration proceeding and obtained a restraining order to keep her from discussing the case.[164]According to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump has denied the allegations.[165]On March 6, 2018, Daniels sued Trump in California Superior Court, claiming among other things that the NDA never came into effect because Trump did not sign it personally.[166]On March 16 Cohen, with Trump's approval, asked for Daniels' suit to be moved from state to federal court, based on the criteria that the parties live in different places and the amount at stake is more than $75,000; Cohen asserted that Daniels could owe $20 million in liquidated damages for breaching the agreement.[167]The filing marked the first time that Trump himself, through his personal attorney, had taken part in the Daniels litigation.[168]In early April 2018, Trump said that he did not know about Cohen paying Daniels, why Cohen had made the payment or where Cohen got the money from.[169]On April 30, Daniels further sued Trump for defamation.[170]In May 2018, Trump's annual financial disclosure revealed that he reimbursed Cohen in 2017 for expenditures related to the Daniels case.[171]In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws, admitting paying hush money of $130,000 and $150,000 "at the direction of a candidate for federal office", to two women who alleged affairs with that candidate, "with the purpose of influencing the election". The figures match sums of payments made to Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal.[172][173]American Media, Inc. had reportedly in 2016 bought for $150,000 the rights to a story by McDougal alleging an affair with a married Trump from 2006 which lasted between nine months to a year.[174][175][176]David Pecker (AMI CEO/Chairman and friend of Trump), Dylan Howard (AMI chief content officer) and Allen Weisselberg (chief financial officer of The Trump Organization) were reportedly granted witness immunity in exchange for their testimony regarding the illegal payments.[177][178]In response, Trump said that he only knew about the payments "later on"; Trump also said regarding the payments: "They didn't come out of the campaign, they came from me."[179]The Wall Street Journal reported on November 9, 2018 that federal prosecutors have evidence of Trump’s "central role" in payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal that violated campaign-finance laws.[180][181]Special Counsel investigation[edit]Main article: Special Counsel investigation (2017–present)The Special Counsel investigation is a United States law enforcement investigation of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and any Russian (or other foreign) interference in the election, including exploring any possible links or coordination between Trump's campaign and the Russian government, "and any matters that arose or may arise directly from the investigation."[182]Since May 2017, the investigation has been led by a United States Special Counsel, Robert Mueller, a former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation(FBI). Mueller's investigation took over several FBI investigations including those involving former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.It has been noted that Trump has experienced a high turnover with respect to the attorneys handling this matter, as well as a large number of prominent lawyers and law firms publicly declining offers to join Trump's legal team.[183][184]Attorneys known to have been approached include Robert S. Bennett of Hogan Lovells,[185]Paul Clement and Mark Filip, both with Kirkland & Ellis,[186][186]Robert Giuffra Jr. of Sullivan & Cromwell,[185]Theodore B. Olson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher,[187]and Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. of Williams & Connolly.[186]Other firms with attorneys who have decided not to represent Trump include Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan,[188]Steptoe & Johnson,[188]and Winston & Strawn.[citation needed]Former U.S. Attorney Joseph diGenova and his wife Victoria Toensing were briefly slated to join Trump's legal team, but withdrew their services from Trump in March 2018, citing conflicts of interest.[189]In an article describing the "unique circumstance" of Rudy Giuliani's unpaid leave of absence from Greenberg Traurig while representing Trump, possibly because of "potential conflicts", Christine Simmons said some other law firms may have turned down representing Trump in the Russia case due to "public relations headaches or business and recruitment concerns".[190]Trump has called such views a "Fake News narrative".[191][192]In a National Law Journal article, Ryan Lovelace described how white-collar lawyers must weigh the "risks" and "stigma" of joining the Trump team. He quoted a prominent defense attorney's concerns about "the constant shuffle of attorneys in and out of the president's legal team", and the possibility that an attorney could invest resources and reputation in such representation "only to find yourself on the sidelines a short time later because the president saw someone he liked better on Fox News".[192]The quoted attorney also noted "a stigma to being linked to this president" that might impact business with other clients.[192]A list of other reasons for not wanting to represent Trump is provided by Jill Abramson for The Guardian:The problem for the white-collar defense bar's crème de la crème is that Donald Trump is so blatantly the client from hell. He won't listen. He won't obey instructions. He is headstrong. He is a bully. Sometimes, he doesn't pay his bills. Most of all, it's possible that he isn't capable of discerning fact from fiction. This last foible could get any lawyer who represents him into very deep legal hot water. No one wants to get disbarred for the fame and fortune of representing President Trump. Then there's the justifiable concern over all the unforced legal errors that the defense side, led by Trump himself, has already committed.[193]An Above the Law article states that some law firms have refused to represent the President of the United States because "Donald Trump has somehow turned POTUS into a dog of a client self-respecting lawyers do not want to touch", expressing concern that "[i]f all the good attorneys — the ones with reputations to preserve and ethics to uphold — refuse to represent the president, what's left are the 'bad' attorneys. The ones who don't have the slightest idea what a moral and ethical principle is".[194]Allegations of business links to organized crime[edit]Journalists David Cay Johnston and Wayne Barrett, the latter of whom wrote an unauthorized 1992 Trump biography, have claimed that Trump and his companies did business with New York and Philadelphia families linked to the Italian-American Mafia.[195][196]A reporter for The Washington Post writes, "he was never accused of illegality, and observers of the time say that working with the mob-related figures and politicos came with the territory."[197]Trump helped a financier for the Scarfo family get a casino license, and constructed a casino using firms controlled by Nicodemo Scarfo.[198]Trump also bought real estate from Philadelphia crime family member Salvatore Testa, and bought concrete from companies associated with the Genovese crime family and the Gambino crime family.[195][196][197]Trump Plaza paid a $450,000 fine leveled by the Casino Gaming Commission for giving $1.6 million in rare automobiles to Robert LiButti, the acquaintance of John Gotti already mentioned.[29]Starting in 2003, the Trump Organization worked with Felix Sater, who had a 1998 racketeering conviction for a $40 million Mafia-linked stock fraud scheme, and who had then become an informant against the mafia.[199]Trump's attorney has said that Sater worked with Trump scouting real estate opportunities, but was never formally employed.[200]Use of bankruptcy laws[edit]Trump has never filed for personal bankruptcy, but hotel and casino businesses of his have been declared bankrupt four times between 1991 and 2009 to re-negotiate debt with banks and owners of stock and bonds.[201][202]Because the businesses used Chapter 11 bankruptcy, they were allowed to operate while negotiations proceeded. Trump was quoted by Newsweek in 2011 saying, "I do play with the bankruptcy laws – they're very good for me" as a tool for trimming debt.[82][203]According to a report by Forbes in 2011, the four bankruptcies were the result of over-leveraged hotel and casino businesses in Atlantic City: Trump's Taj Mahal (1991), Trump Plaza Hotel (1992), Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts (2004), and Trump Entertainment Resorts (2009).[204][205]Trump said "I've used the laws of this country to pare debt.... We'll have the company. We'll throw it into a chapter. We'll negotiate with the banks. We'll make a fantastic deal. You know, it's like on The Apprentice. It's not personal. It's just business."[206]He indicated that many "great entrepreneurs" do the same.[204]1991[edit]In 1991, Trump Taj Mahal was unable to service its debt and filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[206]Forbes indicated that this first bankruptcy was the only one where Trump's personal financial resources were involved. Time, however, maintains that $72 million of his personal money was also involved in a later 2004 bankruptcy.[207]1992[edit]On November 2, 1992, the Trump Plaza Hotel filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Trump lost his 49 percent stake in the luxury hotel to Citibank and five other lenders.[208]In return Trump received more favorable terms on the remaining $550+ million owed to the lenders, and retain his position as chief executive, though he would not be paid and would not have a role in day-to-day operations.[209]1994[edit]Trump Plaza Hotel and Casinoclosed in 2014By 1994, Trump had eliminated a large portion of his $900 million personal debt through sales of his Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plazaassets,[210]and significantly reduced his nearly $3.5 billion in business debt. Although he lost the Trump Princess yacht and the Trump Shuttle (which he had bought in 1989), he did retain Trump Tower in New York City and control of three casinos in Atlantic City, including Trump's Castle. Trump sold his ownership of West Side Yards (now Riverside South, Manhattan) to Chinese developers including Hong Kong's New World Development, receiving a premium price in exchange for the use and display of the name "Trump" on the buildings.[211]2004[edit]Donald Trump's third corporate bankruptcy was on October 21, 2004, involving Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, the publicly-traded holding company for his three Atlantic City casinos and some others.[212]Trump lost over half of his 56% ownership and gave bondholders stock in exchange for surrendering part of the debt. No longer CEO, Trump retained a role as chairman of the board. In May 2005[213]the company emerged from bankruptcy as Trump Entertainment Resorts Holdings.[214]In his 2007 book, Think BIG and Kick Ass in Business and Life, Trump wrote: "I figured it was the bank's problem, not mine. What the hell did I care? I actually told one bank, 'I told you you shouldn't have loaned me that money. I told you the goddamn deal was no good.'"[215]2009[edit]Trump's fourth corporate bankruptcy occurred in 2009, when Trump and his daughter Ivanka resigned from the board of Trump Entertainment Resorts; four days later the company, which owed investors $1.74 billion against its $2.06 billion of assets, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. At that time, Trump Entertainment Resorts had three properties in Atlantic City: Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino (closed in 2014), and Trump Marina (formerly Trump's Castle, sold in 2011). Trump and some investors bought the company back that same year for $225 million. As part of the agreement, Trump withdrew a $100 million lawsuit he had filed against the casino's owners alleging damage to the Trump brand. Trump re-negotiated the debt, reducing by over $1 billion the repayments required to bondholders.[216][217]In 2014, Trump sued his former company to remove his name from the buildings since he no longer ran the company, having no more than a 10% stake; he lost the suit.[218]Trump Entertainment Resorts filed again for bankruptcy in 2014[219]and was purchased by billionaire philanthropist Carl Icahn in 2016, who acquired Trump Taj Mahal in the deal.[220]Campaign contributions[edit]According to a New York state report, Trump circumvented corporate and personal campaign donation limits in the 1980s – although he did not break any laws – by donating money to candidates from 18 different business subsidiaries, rather than giving primarily in his own name.[197][221]Trump told investigators he did so on the advice of his lawyers. He also said the contributions were not to curry favor with business-friendly candidates, but simply to satisfy requests from friends.[197][222]Donald J. Trump Foundation[edit]During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, media began reporting in detail on how the Donald J. Trump Foundation was funded and how Donald Trump used its funds. The Washington Post in particular reported several cases of possible mis-use, self-dealing and possible tax evasion.[18] [19] [20]Regarding the various irregularities in the Trump Foundation, former head of the Internal Revenue Service's Office of Exempt Organizations Division Marc Owens told The Washington Post: "This is so bizarre, this laundry list of issues.... It's the first time I've ever seen this, and I've been doing this for 25 years in the IRS, and 40 years total.[21]When interviewed for the Post's article, Trump spokesperson Boris Epshtein said that Trump did not knowingly violate any tax laws.[18]The office of New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman investigated the foundation "to make sure it's complying with the laws governing charities in New York."[22]Controversy over tax returns[edit]In October 2016, The New York Times published some tax documents from 1995. These documents indicate that Trump might have evaded paying taxes on as much as 916 million dollars in income at one time. Trump likely gave some of his creditors shares of his failing businesses to avoid taxes on hundreds of millions of dollars he was given in debt relief, which is illegal. Legal scholar Edward Kleinbard of the University of Southern California believes Trump forged tax documents. Trump claimed on his tax returns that he lost money, but did not recognize it in the form of canceled debts. He likely avoided paying 425 million dollars in taxes, says Steven M. Rosenthal, an attorney at the Tax Policy Center. Rosenthal claims he "borrowed other people's money and spent it in spectacular fashion." Trump might have performed a stock-for-debt swap. This would have allowed Trump to avoid paying income taxes for at least 18 years. An audit of Trump's tax returns for 2002 through 2008 was "closed administratively by agreement with the I.R.S. without assessment or payment, on a net basis, of any deficiency." Tax attorneys believe the government may have reduced what Trump was able to claim as a loss without requiring him to pay any additional taxes.[223][224]It is unknown whether the I.R.S. challenged Trump's use of the swaps because he has not released his tax returns. Trump's lawyers advised against Trump using the equity for debt swap, as they believed it to be potentially illegal.[225]Marc Kasowitz, name partner of the Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman firm, wrote a letter threatening The New York Times over publication of the 1995 documents. Kasowitz's action drew attention to the fact that the biglaw firm had done extensive legal work for Donald Trump and his businesses since at least 2001 including also bankrupt casino restructuring.[226]In early 2017, firm member and former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman introduced Pres.-elect Trump's nominee for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension committee.[227]Destruction of documents[edit]In June 2016, a USA Today article reported that Donald Trump and his companies have been deleting emails and other documents on a large scale,[228]including evidence in lawsuits, sometimes in defiance of court orders and under subpoena since as early as 1973.[229][230][231]In October 2016, Kurt Eichenwald published new research findings in Newsweek. The findings were first published by Paul Singer[232]on June 13, 2016[233]and gained larger attention[234][235]after a new report in Newsweek on October 31, 2016. According to Newsweek, Trump and his companies "hid or destroyed thousands of documents" involving several court cases from as early as 1973."Over the course of decades, Donald Trump's companies have systematically destroyed or hidden thousands of emails, digital records and paper documents demanded in official proceedings, often in defiance of court orders.... In each instance, Trump and entities he controlled also erected numerous hurdles that made lawsuits drag on for years, forcing courtroom opponents to spend huge sums of money in legal fees as they struggled—sometimes in vain—to obtain records."— Kurt Eichenwald, Donald Trump's Companies Destroyed Emails in Defiance of Court Orders Newsweek, October 31, 2016In 1973 Trump, his father and their company were in court for civil charges for refusing to rent apartments to African Americans. After their lawyers had delayed court requests for documents for several months, Trump, then being under subpoena, said his company had destroyed corporate records of the past six months "for saving space". In a court case beginning in 2005 against Power Plant Entertainment, LLC, an affiliate of real estate developer Cordish Cos., it was revealed that Trump's companies had deleted the data requested by court.[236]Cordish Cos. had built two American Indian[237]casinos in Florida under the Hard Rock brand and Donald Trump accused them of cheating him out of that deal. Nonetheless, Trump's lawyers had refused to instruct workers to keep all records related to the case during litigation.[229]Trump had established a procedure to delete all data from their employees' computers every year at least since 2003,[234]despite knowing at least since 2001 that he might want to file a lawsuit. Even after the lawsuit was filed, Trump Hotelsdisposed of a computer of a key witness without having made a backup of the data. A former general counsel of the Trump casino unit confirmed that all data were deleted from nearly all companies' computers annually. Trump and his lawyers claimed they were not keeping records and digital data although it was revealed that Trump had launched his own high-speed internet provider in 1998 and an IBM Domino server had been installed for emails and digital files in 1999.[229][235]

Lots of great tips have already been shared - here’s a few I didn’t see:Planning your tripStay as flexible as you can about either your dates or your destination. When you try to book your “perfect” vacation to a very specific place you’ve been dreaming about, on exactly the most perfect dates for you — that’s when travel becomes really expensive. Something always has to give between destination, dates, and price, so be flexible to keep things cheap as you start to figure out how to make your trip happen.Use an old-school itinerary spreadsheet to keep track of everything as you book it:a) Once you’ve booked your flights and know where you’ll go on each leg of your trip, create an itinerary in an Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheet and add your flights. (Here’s the spreadsheet I use - it’s free.)b) Then go in and fill in all the other flights you’ll need to take to get from point B to C, and C to D, etc., all the hotels you’ll need to book, and ground transportation you’ll need to figure out. Highlight them in yellow to indicate that you still need to book those things.c) As you book them, replace with the actual details (hotel address, confirmation numbers, etc.) and de-highlight them.This is a great way to stay organized as you plan your trip and always know what still needs to be reserved or figured out.Before you go, export it as a PDF, view it on your phone, and take a screenshot. That way you can access all your details even without wifi. Also a good idea to print it in case your phone dies.Getting aroundI love Ulmon’s CityMaps2Go app. Once you download the map to your destination, you can access it offline - and it knows where you are even with data roaming turned off, just by triangulating your phone via cell phone towers.Cheap flightsGet alerted about ultra-cheap fares from your home city by following The Flight Deal. I am on Facebook at least once a day, so I follow them there and selected “See First” to get their posts at the top of my timeline whenever I login. They’re geo-targeted, which means I’ll usually only see their posts about fares from my home airport. Remember my point above about flexibility, though - the fares will go away within 1–2 days so if you see something you want to book, do it right away!I used this tip to fly to Spain for $368 roundtrip from Dallas, and to get a $190 roundtrip flight to Mexico City.Travel hackingDon’t get a travel rewards card that is associated with a specific airline. Choose a card that is airline-agnostic and lets you accrue points that can be redeemed at many airlines. The best card out there right now for this is Chase Sapphire or Chase Sapphire Reserve.HotelsGet the Citi Prestige card - it gives you the fourth night free at any hotel. I’ve used this perk on several trips. Really fun to use this on expensive hotels - still a splurge in that case, but brings the overall average nightly rate down to a more palatable level.Don’t be afraid of hostels - many offer private rooms with en suite bathrooms, which makes them basically like a bed and breakfast. Plus, the term “hostal” or “hostel” in other countries may not mean what we think it does - it may actually be more like a normal 1–2 star hotel. I like Hostelworld.com.Booking.com has many smaller, harder to find hotels that will allow you to cancel for free very close to your dates. It’s a great way to stay flexible and is now usually the first place I go when I start researching hotels for a trip.Always look on the hotel’s own website before booking to see if you can get a lower rate there. Hotels always prefer it when guests book directly with them, because they pay fewer fees, and many will pass the cost savings onto the guest by offering a low rate for direct. Not every site has a very user friendly booking tool, but that’s changing more and more every year.Phone serviceGoogle’s Project Fi wireless plan provides unlimited access to data and cell phone service in 135+ countries around the world. I switched from an iPhone to a Google Pixel and one of the biggest reasons was so I could have Project Fi (you can’t have an iPhone on Project Fi). I love being able to use my phone almost anywhere in the world just like I’m in the US. Provides a sense of safety and makes it easy to look up new places to go next while I’m there. Also - my cell phone bill is way cheaper on Project Fi than it ever was on Verizon or AT&T.PackingThese Eagle Creek compression bags are a lifesaver. I used to think that compression bags required a vacuum or some kind of crazy attachment, but these do not. You can re-compress them during your trip. I don’t know how I managed to travel on my longer 2+ week trips with just a carry-on before I started using these.I have a ton more packing tips on my blog post: “Ultimate carry-on packing guide + free printable checklist”Having an authentic experience:Get tickets to a Sofar Sounds concert. I believe this started in the US, but is now all over the globe. These are concerts performed by local bands in a local house or business. Great way to hang out with locals while enjoying and supporting local musicians. Get on their email list at sofarsounds.com to be alerted to shows. Bonus: you don’t find out who’s playing until you get there. Pretty fun!Go on a street food tour as early as you can in your trip. These obviously vary in quality so do your research carefully, but I’ve found street food tours to be one of the best ways to quickly learn about new and authentic/regional foods. If you go on the tour early in your trip, you’ll discover foods you want to return to again and again… would be a huge bummer to go on your last day and never get an opportunity to go back for more!Take public transportation. Generally, do as the locals do, and taking a bus or subway is one of the easiest ways to experience a city like you live there. If you’re a blonde gringa like me, you might feel like you stand out like a sore thumb on the subway in Mexico City, but it’s actually great for getting a feeling of communion with a new city. You’re just going about your day, like anyone else.Join a language exchange group or website before you go - or find out about language meet-ups in your destination city. You’ll meet outgoing people who want to practice their English, and you might even make a new friend for life. I did this for my first trip to Bogota, and became friends with a woman and her fiance who even were so kind as to pick us up from the airport! We stayed Facebook friends, and 5 years later I held my wedding in Cartagena, Colombia - and despite not having seen them in 5 years, they made the trip! It was so special to have them there. :)