A “Top Chef’’ judge and other restaurateurs say President Trump is illegally using his position to build up his own establishments — at their expense.
A group of restaurant owners whose members include TV judge and Gramercy Tavern co-founder Tom Colicchio on Tuesday joined a federal lawsuit alleging that Trump is violating the Constitution by taking payments from foreign governments who dine at his restaurants and other entities, particularly in New York and Washington, DC.
More foreign dignitaries are flocking to the president’s eateries to “curry favor” with the commander in chief, creating an unfair advantage, the group says.
“It’s clearly a competitive advantage for him using his name,” Colicchio told The Post.
“All presidents have divested themselves in their businesses. Jimmy Carter sold his peanut farm. We need transparency.
“It puts the rest of the industry at a competitive disadvantage,’’ the star chef added.
Colicchio and the other restaurateurs, including Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in California, are represented in the lawsuit by plaintiff Restaurant Opportunities Centers, which consists of more than 25,000 restaurant workers and 200 eateries.
The White House deferred comment to the Trump Organization, which didn’t return an e-mail seeking comment.
Additional reporting by Lia Eustachewich and Marisa Schultz