Trump Refuses Settlement In Trump International Hotel Restaurant Lawsuit Case

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly scheduled to give a deposition later this week as mediation aimed at settling a lawsuit against celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian over deserted plans for a restaurant at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., has stalled.

The 70-year-old billionaire’s testimony is expected to be heard behind closed doors at Trump Tower in New York after a judge ruled last month that Zakarian’s side has the authority to depose Trump for up to the seven hours permitted under court rules. However, both sides have not publicly clarified when Trump will testify.

Attorney Rebecca Woods, who is representing the Trump Organization, told D.C. Superior Court Judge Brian Holeman that the mediation process, which began in February 2016 after the lawsuits filed last year against firms connected with Zakarian, has reached an “impasse.”

Holeman on Tuesday set a pre-trial conference for May 17 for the suit. A trial may begin a few months after that, however, at present, the two sides are reportedly keeping the doors open for additional discussions. If the case goes to trial, Trump may be summoned as a witness, though he will not be asked by the court to attend the proceedings.

Trump's side is seeking about $14 million in damages from Zakarian and another chef, Jose Andres, for abandoning the restaurant. Trump’s side argues that the leases for the restaurants are binding, according to Politico.

Zakarian and Andres, however, claim that Trump breached the deal by making questionable comments regarding Mexican immigrants, including calling them “rapists,” ultimately jeopardizing the business venture by alienating potential customers and employees. Andres is fighting Trump with his own countersuit and is seeking at least $8 million in damages, according to Bloomberg.

Deborah Baum, who is an attorney for Zakarian, also agreed with Woods' description of stalled negotiations.

"If liability is decided against my clients, there will be a very serious question regarding mitigation efforts," Baum told the judge while conveying the eventualities that may occur if the judge rules that Zakarian breached the lease agreement. Baum said that the question of how much money Trump is entitled to in damages would be lingering.