It was revealed last month that Mr. Weisselberg testified and was granted a measure of immunity in the investigation of Mr. Cohen.
“The fact that his C.F.O., the guy named on the contracts, has taken immunity, is a big red flag for doing business with the city,” said Adrian Benepe, who was the city’s parks commissioner when the Trump Organization became the operator for the Bronx golf course.
The art of ending the deal
The Trump Organization criticized the de Blasio administration’s approach.
“We are and have been in complete compliance with all our contracts with New York City, in fact we view that as rather absurd,” said Mr. Lieberman, the Trump Organization executive, about the mayor’s new push.
“We have been a terrific partner for New York City, we have been very proud to be associated with these incredible, iconic properties, and we look forward to continuing our relationship,” he said.
Private entities have successfully stripped Mr. Trump’s name, including the Trump SoHo hotel, now the Dominick, and some of the former Trump Place condominiums in Manhattan.
But some legal experts said the city was unlikely to be successful.
“The city does have rules about allowing the city to decide not to contract with people who don’t pay their taxes or who are convicted of bid-rigging or things of that kind,” said Ross Sandler, director of the Center for New York City Law at New York Law School. “It doesn’t sound like it’s really related to anything other than ‘We don’t like Donald Trump.’”
Though there are clauses in the license agreements that entitle the city to terminate at will, they also contain language that forbids “arbitrary” or “capricious” reasons for cancellation.
“‘We don’t like the person or their politics,’ would be arbitrary and capricious,” Mr. Sandler said.
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