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| - The fate of the liquor licenses for Trump’s golf clubs in Colts Neck and Bedminster, New Jersey, was still being determined following Trump’s no-penalty sentencing for his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Stormy Daniels hush-money trial. According to the New Jersey Attorney General's office, these locations were operating on an interim license that will expire on Feb. 28, 2025, pending a final determination. A third club in Pine Hill, New Jersey, operates under a different type of license that was valid until June 30, 2025.
Claims that U.S. President Donald Trump's liquor licenses for his New Jersey-based golf clubs were revoked gained traction on social media in the months prior to his 2025 inauguration.
Though Snopes has received reader emails regarding this subject as far back as 2019, more recent discussions about Trump's alleged liquor license troubles began in the wake of his felony convictions on May 30, 2024, when he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a hush-money payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels in 2016.
In July 2024, the Facebook page (archived) of the website MeidasTouch Network posted an image that stated, "New Jersey did not renew Trump's liquor licenses at both Bedminster and all NJ golf clubs because he is a felon convicted of crimes of 'moral turpitude.' His attempt to transfer the license in the name of Don Jr. failed as well."
The image and its claim spread on social media platforms like Instagram (archived), Threads (archived), and X (archived), and was a popular question from readers in Snopes' email inbox.
However, the claim that Trump's liquor licenses were revoked in New Jersey was false. Following the trial's verdict and initial sentencing date of July 11, 2024, the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) of the New Jersey Attorney General's office requested revocation hearings to determine if it could renew the liquor licenses for two of Trump's New Jersey properties, the Trump National Golf Club in Colts Neck and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster.
Trump has a third club in New Jersey, the Trump National Golf Club in Philadelphia, actually located in the New Jersey suburb of Pine Hill. Official ABC records show the Philadelphia club's liquor license remained in effect until June 30, 2025.
A spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General's office told Snopes via email that the latter is what's known as a "plenary retail consumption license," defined by the state of New Jersey as a license managed by the municipality — in this case, the Borough of Pine Hill — rather than the state. The definition reads:
Plenary Retail Consumption License – Bar, restaurants, clubs, lounges. Licensee can sell alcoholic beverages for on and off premises consumption. However, sales for off premises consumption must be made from the public barroom and goods for sale may only be displayed on the perimeter walls.
By comparison, the Colts Neck and Bedminster licenses are handled by the state as a "Special Golf Permit" with the parameters reading, "Licensee is authorized to sell and serve alcoholic beverages for on premises consumption only within the adjacent grounds and the golf course grounds."
In two separate but similar letters, one addressing the pending liquor license renewal for Trump's Bedminster club and the other addressing the pending renewal for Trump's Colts Neck club, ABC Interim Director Kirstin Krueger wrote, "The Director has determined that a hearing is necessary in order to make her determination on the pending application… The Division has become aware of various public records containing facts that raise concerns as to whether this Licensee remains qualified to hold said license."
(State of New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control)
According to these letters, the ABC issued a temporary license to continue serving liquor and set a hearing date of July 19, 2024, in which each of Trump's New Jersey clubs would have "the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that it is qualified to hold a liquor license."
The letters are addressed to Donald J. Trump Jr., indicating the liquor licenses are actually held in his name rather than his father's. However, the letters also state that since the elder Trump is the primary financial beneficiary of the license through The Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust, a hearing is required to determine eligibility.
The letters go on to cite New Jersey statute 33:1-25, which dictates:
No license of any class shall be issued to any person under the age of 18 years or to any person who has been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude. A beneficiary of a trust who is not otherwise disqualified to hold an interest in a license may qualify regardless of age so long as the trustee of the trust qualifies and the trustee shall hold the beneficiary's interest in trust until the beneficiary is at least the age of majority.
However, Trump's sentencing was delayed multiple times, until Jan. 10, 2025, 10 days before his inauguration into office. Because of this, the revocation hearing was also delayed. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney General's office declined to comment on when the new hearing would take place but did tell Snopes that the interim licenses for the Colts Neck and Bedminster locations were valid until Feb. 28, 2025.
At Trump's sentencing on Jan. 10, 2025, the judge handed down an "unconditional discharge," also called a "no-penalty" sentence, which spares Trump jail time or fines for his crime but keeps the verdict and Trump's status as a convicted felon on record.
According to New Jersey state law and the letters from the interim director of the ABC, it would appear this could eventually have ramifications on the liquor licenses in question, but as per the New Jersey Attorney General's office, final determination was still pending.
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