Resorts International said its board unanimously rejected...

Resorts International said its board unanimously rejected Hollywood producer Merv Griffin’s merger offer, which had been sweetened to $295 million. Referring to conditions rejected by controlling shareholder Donald J. Trump, the casino operator said the offer was “incapable of acceptance and therefore moot.” Discussions with Griffin would be “futile,” the firm said. The producer’s wholly owned Griffin Co. later announced additional steps “aimed at forcing Donald J. Trump and the board to act responsibly.” One will be to add further legal claims against Trump and the other five Resorts directors in a pending lawsuit. Further, Griffin Co. said it hired as a consultant Martin J. Whitman, managing director of Whitman, Heffernan & Rhein, an investment banker that is “active in mergers and acquisitions and (in) valuation strategies, including statutory appraisal proceedings.”