Summary
Donald Trump has turned the presidency into a cash cow to support his business interests around the country and the world. His refusal to fully separate himself from his business has meant that foreign governments and political interests have spent untold amounts corruptly buying their way into Trump’s good graces. At the same time, Trump and his children have turned the presidency into an infomercial in an attempt to benefit their bottom line.
- As President, Donald Trump remained able to withdraw funds from his businesses through a trust controlled by his adult sons and lawyer
- Trump used the office of President to promote his business - earning free media coverage and inflating sales.
- Trump directed almost $2 million in U.S. taxpayer money directly to Trump Properties for security during Trump, family, administration, and military visits to Trump properties. Trump’s administration is trying to hide records for the full cost of the trips.
- Overall, Trump’s golf Trips have cost U.S. taxpayers over $140 million.
- U.S. taxpayers have spent over $350,000 on business trips for Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
- Trump personally profited from payments by Irish police during official visits by both the President and Vice President to Trump Doonbeg.
- Unknown sums have been spent at Trump Properties by foreign and domestic groups trying to buy favors from the administration.
- Since 2016, Trump has personally profited off political campaign spending at Trump properties in excess of $22 million.
- Trump Inaugural committee spent $1 million at Trump Hotel D.C. in an alleged abuse of non-profit funds for personal benefit
- At least 20 policy decisions or proposals made by Trump Administration appeared to benefit Trump’s business interests
¶ President Trump Refused To Fully separate From His Business; Can Draw Funds At Any Time
¶ Trump Could Withdraw Money From His Businesses Through Trust At Any Time
Donald Trump Can Withdraw Money From Any Of His 400 Business Through His Trust Without Disclosing It. According to ProPublica, “Trump can draw money from his more than 400 businesses, at any time, without disclosing it. The previously unreported changes to a trust document, signed on Feb. 10, stipulates that it ‘shall distribute net income or principal to Donald J. Trump at his request’ or whenever his son and longtime attorney ‘deem appropriate.’ That can include everything from profits to the underlying assets, such as the businesses themselves.” [ProPublica, 4/3/17]
¶ Trump’s Sons and Longtime Lawyer Control The Trust
Donald Trump Jr. And Trump Organization Executive Allen Weisselberg Were Appointed Trustees Of The Donald J Trump Revocable Trust. According to CNN Money, “Three weeks into his administration, neither the president nor his company has released paperwork to show the public how such a trust will work. But a newly surfaced document provides a peek into how Trump’s assets are being managed. The document, made public by ProPublica last week, was filed in January with an alcohol board in Washington, D.C. It notifies the agency that Trump’s stake in the historic post office that he rebuilt as a luxury hotel has been transferred to the trust. Attached to the notice is a summary that reveals the existence of a revocable trust -- one created ‘to hold assets for the exclusive benefit’ of Trump. His son Donald Trump Jr. and Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg were appointed trustees the day before the inauguration, but Trump can remove them at any time. Trump’s other adult son, Eric, is not listed on the trust document. He appears on other business registration paperwork and retains a key executive role with the Trump Organization.” [CNN Money, 2/8/17]
¶ Eric Trump Gave His Father Quarterly Reports On The Business
Eric Trump Said He Would Give His Father Quarterly Reports On The Business. According to Forbes, “But less than two minutes later, he concedes that he will continue to update his father on the business while he is in the presidency. ‘Yeah, on the bottom line, profitability reports and stuff like that, but you know, that’s about it.’ How often will those reports be, every quarter? ‘Depending, yeah, depending.’ Could be more, could be less? ‘Yeah, probably quarterly.’ One thing is clear: ‘My father and I are very close,’ Eric Trump says. ‘I talk to him a lot. We’re pretty inseparable.’” [Forbes, 3/24/17]
¶ Trump Used Office Of The President To Promote His Business Earning Free Media Coverage And Inflating Sales
¶ Trump Promoted His BUsiness Once Every Five Days
Trump Promoted His Businesses Once Every Five Days Since Becoming President. According to Newsweek, “President Donald Trump has promoted his businesses, on average, once every five days since entering the White House nearly three years ago, data compiled by a Washington ethics watchdog shows. According to CREW, which is tracking the president’s many conflicts of interest, Trump has promoted his businesses on 217 occasions since coming to office back in January 2017. The president has, at the time of writing, held office for 1,011 days. That’s a 4.66 average.” [Newsweek, 10/29/19]
¶ Trump Used Office Of The President To Promote His Business Earning Free Media Coverage And Inflating Sales
¶ Trump Promoted His BUsiness Once EveryFive Days
Trump Promoted His Businesses Once Every Five Days Since Becoming President. According to Newsweek, “President Donald Trump has promoted his businesses, on average, once every five days since entering the White House nearly three years ago, data compiled by a Washington ethics watchdog shows. According to CREW, which is tracking the president’s many conflicts of interest, Trump has promoted his businesses on 217 occasions since coming to office back in January 2017. The president has, at the time of writing, held office for 1,011 days. That’s a 4.66 average.” [Newsweek, 10/29/19]
¶ Trump Increased Rate Of Promoting Properties As Election Approaches
Trump Has Increased The Rate He Promotes Properties As 2020 Approaches. According to Newsweek, “What’s more, the number of promotions by both Trump and his White House officials is, according to CREW, rising sharply as the 2020 election approaches. There were 59 promotions of Trump properties in 2017. In 2019 to date, there were 159 promotions, a rise of 144 percent.” [Newsweek, 10/29/19]
¶ Room Rates At Trump Properties Increased In Concert With Official And Campaign Events
¶ 2020 RNC Winter Meetings Caused Trump Doral Room Rates To Increase, Potentially Costing Taxpayers At Trump’s Benefit
Doral Doubled Room Rates Ahead Of The White House Announcing Trump’s Visit Which May Have Increased Taxpayer Cost. According to The Huffington Post, “The president’s Miami golf resort that puts money into his pocket more than doubled its room rates just before the White House announced his Thursday visit ― possibly increasing taxpayer costs for staff who must travel there in advance. Donald Trump‘s plan to address the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting at Trump National Doral next to the Miami airport has been in the works since mid-January, about the same time that the resort raised the nightly rate for its least expensive rooms from $254 to $539.” [Huffington Post, 1/23/20]
Doral Raised Hotel Room Rates To $539, Just Under The Maximum Per-Night Rate Federal Rules Permit. According to The Huffington Post, “Donald Trump‘s plan to address the Republican National Committee’s winter meeting at Trump National Doral next to the Miami airport has been in the works since mid-January, about the same time that the resort raised the nightly rate for its least expensive rooms from $254 to $539. That higher figure is just under the maximum per-night rate federal government rules permit for a hotel in South Florida, and is triple the normal ‘per diem’ rate employees are supposed to follow.” [Huffington Post, 1/23/20]
Robert Weissman, Public Citizen, Called This Incident Another Example Of Trump’s Use Of The Office Of The President To Enrich Himself With Free Publicity And Taxpayer Funds. According to The Huffington Post, “Robert Weissman, president of the liberal watchdog group Public Citizen, said the episode illustrates Trump’s continued use of his office to enrich himself. ‘What better way to defend yourself in an impeachment trial over abuse of power than to jet to your private golf resort on the public dime, secure lots of publicity for the club on the public dime, and then, possibly, rip off taxpayers by forcing them to pay extra for the staff whose costs at the resort are billed to ‘we the people,’’ Weissman said.” [Huffington Post, 1/23/20]
¶ GOP Fundraiser At Trump Hotel D.C. Led To Massive Surge In Room Rates
Leading Up To GOP Fundraiser Room Rates For Trump Hotel D.C. “Surged As High As $6,719.” According to AP, “In the weeks leading up to the invitation-only event, advertised rates for a standard room at the Trump International Hotel surged to as high as $6,719 — more than a dozen times the posted price for rooms on other weekends.” [AP, 12/18/19]
Trump Hotel DC Appeared To Have All 263 Rooms Booked “At The Sky-High Prices.” According to AP, “Even at the sky-high prices, the website for Trump’s hotel indicated last week that all 263 guest rooms and suites were booked.” [AP, 12/18/19]
CREW: Room Rates At Trump Hotel D.C. Were 13x Higher Over The Weekend While The RNC Hosted A Trump Victory Fundraiser. According to CREW, “In November, we noticed a mysterious spike in the price of available rooms at Trump’s DC hotel for a Saturday night in December. The minimum cost was 13 times the average, but we couldn’t identify a reason for the spike, until photos surfaced of the Trump Victory Committee’s winter retreat at Trump’s Hotel on that exact night, which appears to have sold out much of the venue. While the least expensive room for a one-night stay at the hotel was around $500 on surrounding days, the cheapest room on December 14 was a whopping $6,719. With access to Trump, Pence, and other top officials, and a bonus invitation to the White House holiday party for donors, we no longer have to wonder why. On November 7th, CREW flagged a massive spike in the cost of a room on December 14, suggesting that every less expensive room in the hotel was sold out, leaving only pricey suites. Presumably, rooms were taken up by donors to Trump Victory Committee, a joint fundraising committee of the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign. The exorbitant cost is even more evidence that hosting fundraisers at the Trump International Hotel is one of the best ways to sell out the notoriously empty venue, sending donor money right into Trump’s pocket.” [CREW, 12/18/19]
¶ Trump Hotel D.C. Expected To Make More Money Than Usual On Election Night
CREW: “Trump Will Be Making More Money Than Usual From His DC Hotel On The Nights Around The 2020 Presidential Election.” According to CREW, “The high rate on November 4th suggests that the hotel’s unavailability on the two days before has to do with high demand: Perhaps the hotel sold out because Trumpworld insiders already booked their rooms, or a political group booked up blocks of rooms for a party. No matter what, President Trump will be making even more money than usual from his DC hotel on the nights around the 2020 presidential election.” [CREW, 1/10/20]
Trump Hotel D.C. Rooms Are Unavailable 11/2 And 11/3 2020. According to CREW, “Is President Trump already planning a re-election party at his DC hotel on election night? Maybe so, as rooms at Trump International Hotel are entirely unavailable on November 2nd and 3rd. Those dates just happen to be the day before and the night of the 2020 presidential election. And not only that: The night after the election a basic room costs $1,600, a major spike of nearly 5 times the average cost, which is around $331.” [CREW, 1/10/20]
Room Rates On 11/4 Are High Suggesting High Demand Over The Entire Week. According to CREW, “The high rate on November 4th suggests that the hotel’s unavailability on the two days before has to do with high demand: Perhaps the hotel sold out because Trumpworld insiders already booked their rooms, or a political group booked up blocks of rooms for a party. No matter what, President Trump will be making even more money than usual from his DC hotel on the nights around the 2020 presidential election.” [CREW, 1/10/20]
¶ Trump Uses Office And Position In Republican Party To Generate “Billions” In Earned Media For Himself
In Press Conference Trump Noted The Benefit Of Earned Media Saying “Its Worth Billions.” According to remarks during press conference, “Q Mr. President, first off, I personally think it’s very good to have you here because a free press and this type of engagement — THE PRESIDENT: I do, too. Actually? I do, too. Q Yes. It’s vital to democracy. THE PRESIDENT: It’s called “earned media.” It’s worth billions. Go ahead.” [White House Transcript, 11/7/18]
Candidate Trump Received Approximately $5 Billion In Earned Media In 2016. According to The Street, “The real estate magnate got $4.96 billion in free earned media in the year leading up to the presidential election, according to data from tracking firm mediaQuant. He received $5.6 billion throughout the entirety of his campaign, more than Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan and Marco Rubio combined.” [Street, 11/17/16]
¶ Press Coverage During G7 Controversy Earned Trump Doral Over $1 Million In Earned Media
Ad Buyer: The Press Coverage Trump Doral Got During G7 Controversy Would Have Cost Trump $1.2 Million. According to Los Angeles Magazine, “The ad buyer tells us that if, under current pricing, Trump purchased 96 30-second spots (one every hour for four days) across the three news networks he would have had to shell out roughly $1.2 million, which would be a waking nightmare for a self-proclaimed billionaire who famously hates to pay for anything. And that’s not counting the millions of mentions the Doral has received in print and online media since the story broke.” [Los Angeles Magazine, 10/22/19]
¶ Trump Tweets About His Properties From Official Account
Donald Trump Retweeted Trump Organization Tweet Promoting Mar-A-Lago, Called It “The Southern White House!” [Twitter.com, @realDonaldTrump, 12/12/19]
¶ President Trump And The RNC Helped Sell Donald Trump Jr.’s Book “Triggered” Making It A NYT Bestseller
Donald Trump Tweeted About “Triggered” Four Times In November 2019. [Twitter.com, accessed 1/30/20]
The RNC Spent Nearly $100,000 On Bulk Orders Of “Triggered.” According to The Washington Post, “Sales also reportedly got a boost from the Republican National Committee, which confirmed to the New York Times that it spent $94,800 last month on copies for a donor promotion. The purchase, disclosed in a recent Federal Election Commission filing, could explain the caveat that accompanied the bestseller listing for ‘Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us’ — and prompted speculation about what propelled Trump Jr.’s book to the coveted spot. A small dagger next to the book’s blurb in the ranking indicates ‘institutional, special interest, group or bulk purchases,’ which the Times says are factored into rankings at editors’ discretion.” [Washington Post, 11/22/19]
¶ Kellyanne Conway Promoted Ivanka Trump’s Products In Possible Ethics Violation
Kellyanne Conway From White House Briefing Room: “Go Buy Ivanka’s Stuff Is What I Would Say.” According to The New York Times, “‘Go buy Ivanka’s stuff is what I would say,’ Ms. Conway said in a Thursday morning interview with Fox News, speaking from the White House briefing room. ‘I’m going to give a free commercial here: Go buy it today, everybody; you can find it online.’” [New York Times, 2/9/17]
Conway’s Comments May Have Violated Conflict-Of-Interest Rules Using The Executive Branch To Endorse Products On Behalf Of Friends Or Relatives. According to The New York Times, “Federal ethics rules state that an employee of the government’s executive branch cannot use public office for personal gain or to endorse products or services on behalf of friends or relatives. Legal experts said Ms. Conway, whose title is counselor to the president, appeared to have violated that and possibly other conflict-of-interest rules, which do not apply to the president and vice president, but do apply to their staffs.” [New York Times, 2/9/17]
¶ American Taxpayers Have Spent Almost $1 Million Directly To Trump’s Properties
¶ Secret Service Has Spent $970,000 At Trump Properties Since Trump Was Elected President (That We Know Of)
Washington Post Identified At Least $970,000 In Payments From The U.S. Government To Trump Properties Since Trump Took Office. According to The Washington Post, " The U.S. government has paid at least $970,000 to President Trump’s company since Trump took office — including payments for more than 1,600 nightly room rentals at Trump’s hotels and clubs, according to federal records obtained by The Washington Post. Since March, The Post has catalogued an additional $340,000 in such payments. They were almost all related to trips taken by Trump, his family and his top officials. The government is not known to have paid for the rooms for Trump and his family members at his properties but it has paid for staffers and Secret Service agents to accompany the president." [Washington Post, 5/14/20]
- Mar-A-Lago Charged Secret Service $400-650 A Night For Dozens Of Stays In 2017 And 2018. According to The Washington Post, “At Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club, the Secret Service was charged the $650 rate dozens of times in 2017, and a different rate, $396.15, dozens more times in 2018, according to documents from Trump’s visits.” [Washington Post, 2/7/20]
- Trump Bedminster Charged Secret Service $17,000 A Month For Cottage, Well Above Area Rents. According to The Washington Post, “And at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, the Secret Service was charged $17,000 a month to use a three-bedroom cottage on the property, an unusually high rent for homes in that area, according to receipts from 2017. Trump’s company billed the government even for days when Trump wasn’t there.” [Washington Post, 2/7/20]
- Trump Hotel Las Vegas Charged Secret Service $29 Per Room Resort Fees Adding $4,379 To A $20,183 Bill To Protect Mike Pence At Republican Jewish Coalition Meeting In 2017. According to The Washington Post, “In early 2017, for instance, Pence visited Las Vegas to speak to a Republican Jewish Coalition gathering. He stayed one night at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, newly released receipts show. The Secret Service was charged for 151 rooms, at about $102 per room per night — the maximum rate for Las Vegas at the time under normal federal per-diem rules. Secret Service agents are allowed to exceed the limit while on protective duty. In Las Vegas, the Trump hotel also tacked on $29 per room in “resort fees,” receipts show. That added $4,379 to the bill, for a total of $20,183. The hotel’s website said the fee covered services such as coffee, shoe shines and shuttle service to the shopping mall at the Caesars Palace casino. The Trump Organization did not say why it had charged resort fees to working Secret Service agents.” [Washington Post, 8/27/20]
- Trump Turnberry Charged Secret Service $1,300 Plus Tax For “Furniture Removal Charge” In 2018. According to The Washington Post, “Another extra charge: When President Trump spent two nights at his Turnberry resort in Scotland in 2018, the Secret Service needed furniture removed from rooms. Records show that Trump’s club levied a “furniture removal charge” of $1,300 plus tax.” [Washington Post, 8/27/20]
Secret Service Paid Trump Properties Over $250K In Trump’s First 5 Months As President. According to Politico, “The Secret Service spent more than a quarter of a million dollars at President Donald Trump’s properties over the course of five months in 2017, newly released documents show. The documents outline Secret Service credit card expenditures for Trump properties and businesses between Jan. 27 and June 9, 2017, and were obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request via the nonprofit watchdog group Property of the People.” [Politico, 11/21/19]
Trump D.C. Employee Said “The Secret Service Is Always There” And “Its Like Being In The White House.” According to The Washington Post, ““The Secret Service is always there,” said one former employee at the Trump hotel in Washington. With all the visits by the president, his children and top officials, the former employee said, “it’s like being in the White House — that’s how I felt working there.” The former employee spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relationships at the hotel.” [Washington Post, 8/27/20]
¶ Secret Service Paid For Rooms At Trump Hotels With Credit Cards Rather Than Make Formal Contracts
Secret Service Did Not Make Formal Contracts With Trump Properties But Made Payments Through Federal Credit Cards. According to The Washington Post, “The Secret Service’s payments to Trump’s companies have been made through federal credit cards, not formal contracts. They are not listed in public databases. The Post and watchdog groups including Public Citizen have assembled some details of the Secret Service’s spending at Trump properties through public-records requests, one receipt at a time.” [Washington Post, 3/5/20]
¶ Secret Service Has Only Released Records of 21 Trips To Trump Properties – There Are At Least 100 More Known Visits To Trump Properties
Secret Service Has Not Released Records Beyond The First Five Months Of Trump’s Term Including At Least 100 More Visits To Trump Properties Since Then. According to The Washington Post, “The Secret Service records released Thursday cover only the first five months of Trump’s term, during which he made 21 visits to Trump properties, by The Washington Post’s count. Since then, Trump has made more than 100 additional visits to his properties. The Secret Service has not released records about those visits.” [Washington Post, 11/21/19]
¶ Trump Administration Was Trying To Hide True Costs Of Trips
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin Refused To Turn Over Costs Incurred By Secret Service For Protection At Trump Properties Until After 2020 Election.According to the Washington Post, “The Trump administration is seeking to delay a Democratic effort to require the Secret Service to disclose how much it spends protecting President Trump and his family when they travel — until after the 2020 election, according to people familiar with the discussions. The issue has emerged as a sticking point in recent weeks as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and key senators have been negotiating draft legislation to move the Secret Service back to his department, its historic home. Mnuchin has balked at Democratic demands that the bill require the Secret Service to disclose the costs related to the travel of the president and his adult children within 120 days after it is passed, according to people with knowledge of the talks. Mnuchin has agreed to Democrats’ push for a requirement that the Secret Service report its travel expenses but wants such disclosures to begin after the election.” [Washington Post, 1/8/20]
- Secret Service Spent $33,154 (137 Nights At Rate Of $242/Night) At Trump Hotel D.C. To Guard Secretary Mnuchin While He Lived At Trump Hotel For Several Months Between January 2017 And June 2017. According to The Washington Post, " The Secret Service rented a room at President Trump’s Washington hotel for 137 consecutive nights in 2017 — paying Trump’s company more than $33,000 — so it could guard Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin while he lived in one of the hotel’s luxury suites, according to federal documents and people familiar with the arrangement. […] For that room, the Trump hotel charged the maximum rate that federal agencies were generally allowed to pay in 2017: $242 per night, according to the billing records. The Secret Service checked in Jan. 25, according to billing records obtained by The Washington Post, and didn’t make its last payment until June 12. The total bill was $33,154." [Washington Post, 4/30/20]
- Mnuchin Was Not Aware The Secret Service Paid For The Adjoining Room While He Lived At Trump Hotel. According to The Washington Post, " In a written statement, a Treasury Department spokesperson confirmed that the Secret Service had rented the room next to Mnuchin’s. The Post asked if Mnuchin had considered that cost to taxpayers, in deciding how long he would stay. ‘The Secretary was not aware of what the U.S. Secret Service paid for the adjoining room,’ the spokesperson said." [Washington Post, 4/30/20]
Secret Service Has Only Filed 2 Of Required 6 Spending Reports Related To Protecting Trump Since 2016. According to The Washington Post, “The Secret Service is required to tell Congress twice a year about what it spends to protect Trump at his properties. But since 2016, it has only filed two of the required six reports, according to congressional offices. The reasons, according to Secret Service officials: key personnel left and nobody picked up the job.” [Washington Post, 2/7/20]
¶ February: House Committee Requested Secret Service Records
House Oversight Committee Requested Documents On Secret Service Spending At Trump Properties. According to The Washington Post, “The House Oversight Committee on Wednesday asked the Secret Service to provide a full accounting of its payments to President Trump’s private company after The Washington Post revealed that the Secret Service had been charged as much as $650 per night for rooms at Trump clubs. In a letter to the Secret Service, signed by Chair Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.) and member Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), the committee asked for records of payments to Trump properties, and copies of contracts between the Secret Service and Trump clubs.” [Washington Post, 2/12/20]
¶ Records Indicated Secret Service Paid For Rooms At Trump Properties Even When Trump Was Not There
Secret Service Began Spending More Nights At Mar-A-Lago, Even When Trump Was Not There. According to The Washington Post, “In 2018, the room rate charged to the Secret Service was lower: $396.15 per night, according to public records obtained by the watchdog group Judicial Watch. One possible reason for the drop in price: The 2018 receipts list the Secret Service as an ‘honorary member’ of the club, which could have made it eligible for a member discount. But in 2018, receipts show, the Secret Service tended to book more rooms and stay longer than they had in 2017 — in one case, when Trump came for two weekends in a row, the Secret Service rented four rooms for nine nights apiece. They stayed all week, even while Trump was gone.” [Washington Post, 2/7/20]
2017: Secret Service Rented Bedminster Cottage For 3 Months At $17,000 A Month While Trump Was Only There For A Third Of That Time. According to The Washington Post, “In Bedminster, records show, the Secret Service went further: It paid not by the day — but for a whole month at a time. The Secret Service rented the club’s ‘Sarazen Cottage,’ a three-bedroom building near Trump’s own villa, from July 1 to Oct. 1, 2017. The former senior administration official said the cottage was needed to store equipment and provided living space for five or six agents. So — even though Trump was only there about a third of the time — the equipment was there every day. So they paid every day. ‘You can’t rent the villa part of the year to someone else because it has to stay a Secret Service space,’ said the official.” [Washington Post, 2/7/20]
¶ Air Force Crews Stayed At President Trump’s Turnberry Resort Spending Almost $200,000 Over 40 Stays During “Not Advisable” Refueling Stops
U.S. Air Force Revealed 6% (Or 40 Stays) Of Aircrew Overnight Stays In The Vicinity Of Prestwick Airport Were At Trump Turnberry Between 2015 And 2019. According to The Washington Post, ‘The U.S. Air Force said Thursday it reviewed overnight stays by crew members who stopped at Glasgow Prestwick Airport between 2015 and 2019 to refuel and found about 6 percent stayed at President Trump’s Scottish golf resort. The House Oversight Committee has been investigating an uptick in stays by the military at the five-star coastal Trump Turnberry hotel, which is about 30 miles from the airport, to determine whether the president has improperly directed crews to stay at his family-owned property. ‘We reviewed the vast majority [of] the 659 overnight stays of Air Force crews in the vicinity at Glasgow Prestwick Airport between 2015 and 2019. Approximately six percent of those crews stayed at the Trump Turnberry,’ said an Air Force spokesman in an emailed statement. ‘As a practice, we generally send aircrews to the closest, most suitable accommodations within the government hotel rate. The review also indicated that about 75 percent of the crews stayed in the immediate vicinity of the airfield and 18 percent stayed in Glasgow.’’ [Washington Post, 9/12/19]
The U.S Military Spent Almost $200,000 Of Taxpayers Money On Lodging At Trump’s Turnberry Resort. According to Politico, “Since Donald Trump took office, the U.S. military has spent nearly $200,000 at the president’s luxury Scotland resort, according to figures and documents the Pentagon provided to the House Oversight Committee. The spending, which has all occurred since August 2017, paid for the equivalent of hundreds of nights of rooms at the Turnberry resort over approximately three dozen separate stays, the committee said.” [Politico, 9/18/19]
¶ USAF Acknowledged Air Crew Stays At Trump Properties Were “Not Advisable” And Gave Perception They Were “Not Being Good Stewards Of Taxpayer Funds”
USAF Statement: ‘U.S. Service Members Lodging At Higher-End Accommodations, Even If Within Government Rates, Might Be Allowable But Not Advisable.’ According to Air Force Statement, ‘Air Force leadership directed Air Mobility Command to review all guidance pertaining to selection of airports and lodging accommodations during international travels… While initial reviews indicate that aircrew transiting through Scotland adhered to all guidance and procedures, we understand that U.S. Service members lodging at higher-end accommodations, even if within government rates, might be allowable but not advisable. Therefore, we are reviewing all associated guidance. Even when USAF aircrews follow all directives and guidance, we must still be considerate of perceptions of not being good stewards of taxpayer funds that might be created through the appearance of aircrew staying at such locations. (review will include active duty, Guard Reserve).’ [Air Force Statement, 9/8/19]
USAF Statement: ‘Even When USAF Aircrews Follow All Directives And Guidance, We Must Still Be Considerate Of Perceptions Of Not Being Good Stewards Of Taxpayer Funds That Might Be Created Through The Appearance Of Aircrew Staying At Such Locations.’ According to Air Force Statement, ‘Air Force leadership directed Air Mobility Command to review all guidance pertaining to selection of airports and lodging accommodations during international travels… While initial reviews indicate that aircrew transiting through Scotland adhered to all guidance and procedures, we understand that U.S. Service members lodging at higher-end accommodations, even if within government rates, might be allowable but not advisable. Therefore, we are reviewing all associated guidance. Even when USAF aircrews follow all directives and guidance, we must still be considerate of perceptions of not being good stewards of taxpayer funds that might be created through the appearance of aircrew staying at such locations. (review will include active duty, Guard Reserve).’ [Air Force Statement, 9/8/19]
¶ The Department Of Defense Spent Nearly $300,000 At Trump Properties Since 2017
Department Of Defense Personnel Have Charged More Than $300,000 At Trump-Branded Resorts, Golf Clubs, And Restaurants. According to CNN, “Defense Department personnel have charged more than $300,000 at Trump-branded properties since the start of Donald Trump's presidency through last November, according to internal agency documents obtained by CNN. The transactions range from lodging expenses at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to restaurant tabs at the Trump International Hotel in Washington to parking fees at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami […] Defense Department personnel have charged more than $300,000 at Trump-branded properties since the start of Donald Trump's presidency through last November, according to internal agency documents obtained by CNN. The transactions range from lodging expenses at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to restaurant tabs at the Trump International Hotel in Washington to parking fees at the Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami.” [CNN, 4/10/19]
Some Of The Charges Incurred By The DOD Overlap With Trump’s Travel. According to CNN, “Some of the transactions appear to overlap with Trump's travel. For example, between May and November of 2018, Defense Department officials charged nearly $79,000 to travel cards for accommodation costs at Trump's Bedminster club. Trump spent more than 20 days at the Bedminster club during that time, in which he hosted fundraisers and dined with supporters. He has insisted that such stays do not amount to vacations, though he has been photographed golfing.” [CNN, 4/10/19]
¶ State Department Paid Out £69,000 And $46,000 For Hotel Rooms Securing Trump And Family Visits To Trump’s European Golf Resorts
¶ July 2018: State Department Paid SLC Turnberry Limited £50,000 For Trump’s Stay During An Official Visit To The UK
State Department Paid £52,477 To SLC Turnberry LLC. According to The Scotsman, ‘Donald Trump’s Turnberry firm was paid more than £50,000 by his own government to cover the accommodation bill for his weekend stay at his loss-making resort, The Scotsman can reveal. US federal government spending records seen by this newspaper show a series of payments worth a total of £52,477 were made by the State Department to SLC Turnberry Limited, the company behind the South Ayrshire hotel and golf course.’ [The Scotsman, 7/18/18]
Money Was For Trump’s Two-Night Stay At Trump Turnberry In July 2018. According to The Scotsman, ‘The US taxpayers’ money went towards hotel rooms used by Mr Trump and his staff during his two-night stay at Turnberry, which the president said would be dominated by meetings and calls. He ended up playing two rounds of golf at the historic course. Along with his son, Eric, Mr Trump was joined at Turnberry by several high-ranking officials, including John Kelly, his White House chief of staff, Sarah Sanders, his press secretary, and Dan Scavino, his director of social media. Documentation of the transactions show that the payments were made in two tranches.’ [The Scotsman, 7/18/18]
¶ State Department Paid Trump Turnberry £5,600 For An Early 2018 Visit By ‘VIP’ Members Of The Administration
April 2018: The State Department Paid £5,600 To Trump Turnberry To Accommodate A Visit By Unidentified ‘VIP’ Members Of The Administration. According to The Scotsman, ‘Donald Trump’s flagship Scottish resort received thousands of pounds in US taxpayers’ money to host VIP visits by officials from his administration, an investigation by The Scotsman can reveal. The US president’s resort at Turnberry received more than £5,600 in federal funds to provide accommoda-tion for the trip earlier this year. […] The payments to Turnberry, which was last month named Hotel of the Year at the Scottish Hotel Awards, were authorised by the State Department’s bureau of European and Eurasian affairs, which is responsible for developing and implementing US foreign policy. The money was subsequently awarded to Mr Trump’s firm via the American Embassy in London. Purchase orders obtained by The Scotsman detail the payment as being for ‘hotel rooms for VIP visit.’ They show that an initial payment of $10,113 (£7,447) was transferred to SLC Turnberry Limited on 5 April. Some $2,444 (£1,799) was returned to the State Department a few weeks later on 26 April.’ [The Scotsman, 5/12/18]
¶ 2019: State Department Paid £11,000 For Eric Trump’s Summer Visit To Turnberry Resort
July 2019: US State Department Paid £11,000 For Rooms At Turnberry Resort. According to The Scotsman, ‘Donald Trump’s flagship Scottish hotel and golf course has received another five-figure windfall from his own government to cover accommodation costs at the loss making resort, The Scotsman can reveal. The US State Department authorised the payment, worth more than £11,000, for rooms at Trump Turnberry over the next three weeks.’ [Scotsman, 7/9/19]
¶ April 2017: Eric Trump Visited Doonbeg For Business Meetings Where U.S. Government Paid Trump Doonbeg $39,000
¶ Secret Service Spent $11,000 At Trump Properties, Nearly $15,000 Total To Protect Eric Trump On His Business Trip
Secret Service Spent $11,261 For Hotel Costs, $4,030 For Limos Protecting Eric Trump In Ireland And UK Visits To Golf Courses. According to Mail Online, “The U.S. government is paying more than $4,000 for limos used for Eric Trump’s travel to Ireland and Great Britain this week on a trip where the president’s son advocated for a Trump golf property. The president’s son, who gets Secret Service protection when he visits Trump properties that are located around the globe, has taken five international trips this year. The Secret Service, which must position agents in advance and otherwise prepare for the trip, spent $11,261 for hotel costs, purchasing orders obtained by CBS News reveal. Costs for limousines for his visit totaled $4,030, the records showed.” [Mail Online, 4/14/17]
¶ State Department Paid Out $28,000 To Trump Doonbeg During April 2017 Visit
State Department Paid $28,000 To Trump Doonbeg Coinciding With Eric Trump Visit In April 2017. According to Irish Examiner, “Documents seen by this newspaper show that the US State Department approved invoices totalling almost $28,000 ( 24,000) for Secret Service visits to the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg in early 2017. The Secret Service activity coincided with a visit to Clare by Mr Trump s son Eric in April 2017.” [Irish Examiner, 7/7/18]
¶ July 2017: Eric Trump Visited Doonbeg With 30 American Businesspeople, Where US State Department Paid Trump Doonbeg Over $7,000
State Department Reported A Total Of $7,171.14 Of Expenses To Trump Doonbeg In “Support Of E Trump Visit” Over 6 Transactions Dated Late July 2017.
[State Department Charge Records, accessed 11/22/19]
¶ Vice President Pence Spent Taxpayer Money For Rooms At Trump’s Doonberg Resort In Ireland, Possibly At Trump’s Suggestion
Vice President Pence Stayed At Trump International Golf Links & Hotel In Doonberg. According to the New York Times, “Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence drew sharp criticism this week after the vice president and his coterie of family, aides and security stayed a night at the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg during a trip to Ireland, despite the fact that it was 181 miles from his meetings in Dublin. Government receipts for such stays usually run in the tens of thousands of dollars — or far more, depending on the size of the group and the length of stay. Mr. Pence’s chief of staff initially told reporters that the vice president, who has family roots in Doonbeg, had chosen the accommodation at the “suggestion” of Mr. Trump.” [New York Times, 9/6/19]
Pence’s Lodging Were Paid For With U.S. Taxpayer Dollars. According to MailOnline, “Taxpayers are picking up the tab for the costs of Pence’s lodging and Secret Service protection, just as they would if he were not staying at any other property while he’s outside of Washington, Short told reporters Tuesday as the vice president flew to Dublin. Pence is funding his mother and sister’s travel, the senior aide said.” [MailOnline, 9/3/19]
¶ Marc Short Said Trump Suggested Pence Stay At Doonbeg But Pence And Trump Denied Claims
Marc Short Acknowledged Trump Suggested Pence Stay At Doonbeg But Did Not Demand It. According to MailOnline, “Marc Short acknowledged that Trump was involved in the conversation for the vice president to stay at Trump International Doonbeg and told Pence: ‘Well, you should stay at my place.’ But Short claimed: ‘It wasn’t like a, ‘You must.’ It wasn’t like, ‘You have to.’ It’s a facility that could accommodate the team.’” [MailOnline, 9/3/19]
Mike Pence: “At No Time Did The President Direct Our Office To Stay At His Doonbeg Resort And Any Reporting To The Contrary Is False.” According to MailOnline, “Mike Pence said late Tuesday it was his office’s decision for the vice president and his family to stay at Donald Trump’s Doonbeg resort and the president didn’t ‘direct’ them to overnight at his Irish golf club. The clarification from vice president’s office came after Pence’s chief of staff said Trump ‘suggested’ his resort, leading to questions about the appropriateness of using the president’s personal property for an official visit. ‘Because of some misreporting, we want to clarify that the decision to stay at Trump National in Doonbeg, Ireland was solely a decision by the Office of the Vice President and was based on the requirement to find accommodations near the Vice President’s ancestral hometown that could satisfy meetings on both coasts of the Emerald Isle,’ Pence’s office said in a statement. ‘At no time did the President direct our office to stay at his Doonbeg resort and any reporting to the contrary is
Trump Said He Was Aware Pence Was Going To Doonbeg But He Didn’t Suggest It. According to MailOnline, “However, the president told reporters on Wednesday, ‘I had no involvement, other than it’s a great place.’ He said he was aware that Pence was going to be in the Doonbeg area, because he has extended family in the area, ‘But it wasn’t my idea for Mike to go there.’ ‘I don’t suggest it. I don’t suggest anything,’ he told a reporter who asked if he suggested Doonbeg to Pence.” [MailOnline, 9/4/19]
¶ Trump Family Luxury Recreation Cost Americans Millions
¶ Trump Golf Trips Cost American Taxpayers $141 Million
Trump Golf Trips Cost American Taxpayers $141,000,000. [Trumpgolfcount.com, accessed 9/8/20]
¶ Secret Service Also Spent $25,000 On Jet Skis So The First Family Could Swim
Secret Service Spent $25,338 On Jet Skis To Protect The Trump Family While They Swam. According to The Daily Beast, “The Secret Service has purchased two jet skis that will help keep the Trump family safe while swimming, according to new U.S. government procurement data reviewed by The Daily Beast. Taxpayers will be picking up the $25,338 tab for the pair of personal watercraft, along with a trailer to transport them, which the agency bought from a Kawasaki dealership in Augusta, Georgia. “USSS: TWO RESCUE WATERCRAFT (JET SKI'S) [sic] AND DUAL TRAILER FOR THE RESCUE SWIMMER PROGRAM,” the delivery order says. The funds are coming from the budget of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Procurement Operations.” [Daily Beast, 7/16/20]
¶ Donald Trump Jr.’s Hunting Trip TO Mongolia Cost Over $75,000 Taxpayer Dollars
Secret Service Spent $76,859.36 For Donald Trump Jr. To Travel To Mongolia To Hunt A Rare Sheep. According to Business Insider, “Donald Trump Jr.'s hunting trip in Mongolia last August cost taxpayers more than $75,000 in Secret Service protection, according to documents obtained by the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Documents on the trip's cost were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act filing by Crew, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization. It showed Trump Jr.'s eight-day trip, during which he hunted a rare breed of sheep, cost $76,859.36. A previous FOIA from CREW showed the trip had cost $17,000.” [Business Insider, 6/10/20]
Donald Trump Jr. Received Special Treatment From The Mongolian President Securing Him An Unusual Retroactive Permit For The Rare Sheep And Granting Him A Meeting During His Visit. According to ProPublica, “Trump Jr. received special treatment during his summer trip, according to records obtained by ProPublica as well as interviews with people involved in the hunt. Listen to the episode. The Mongolian government granted Trump Jr. a coveted and rare permit to slay the animal retroactively on Sept. 2, after he’d left the region following his trip. It’s unusual for permits to be issued after a hunter’s stay. It was one of only three permits to be issued in that hunting region, local records show. Afterward, Trump Jr. met privately with the country’s president, Khaltmaagiin Battulga, before departing the capital of Ulaanbaatar back to the U.S., according to Khuantai Khafezyn, a local government official in the region where Trump Jr. hunted the argali and a former government official with knowledge of the meeting. It isn’t clear what was discussed. Trump Jr. wouldn’t answer questions about the meeting. Representatives for Battulga haven’t responded to requests for comment.” [ProPublica, 12/11/19]
¶ U.S. Taxpayers Have Spent At Least $357,156.14 On Security For Business Trips To Foreign Properties By Don Jr. And Eric
¶ Secret Service Spent $178,616 Protecting Eric Trump During A Business Trip To Uruguay
CREW: FOIA Records Revealed Secret Service Spent An Additional $80,786 For A Total Of $178,616 Protecting Eric Trump During Business Trip To Uruguay. According to CREW, “Eric Trump visited a Trump property in development in Uruguay from January 8 to 9, 2019, a two-day business trip that cost taxpayers at least $80,786. CREW obtained records through the Freedom of Information Act today that add to the massive bill of Secret Service protection related to the Trump family’s management of the president’s business empire. The 2019 trip brings Eric Trump’s total up to at least $178,616 in taxpayer funds to work on development of the Trump Organization’s Punta Del Este property alone.” [CREW, 2/27/20]
¶ State Department Spent $97,805 Protecting Donald Trump Jr. During Business Trip To India
Washington Post: Purchase Orders From The Department Of Homeland Security Associated With Trump Jr.’s Trip Added Up To $97,805. According to the Washington Post, “Donald Trump Jr.’s trip to India to sell his family’s luxury condominium projects cost U.S. taxpayers nearly $100,000, documents obtained by The Washington Post show. The Department of Homeland Security, responding to a Freedom of Information request, released 47 pages of purchase orders, requisition forms and planning worksheets showing Trump Jr.’s February trip cost more than $97,805 for hotel rooms, airfare, car rental and overtime for Secret Service agents. The costs were incurred on a February tour of four Indian cities — New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata — where the Trump family has licensed its name to luxury high-rise projects.” [Washington Post, 11/15/18]
¶ Secret Service Spent $273,000 On Business Related Trips To Dubai For Eric And Don Jr.
2017: Secret Service Spent $200,000 On Business Trip For Eric And Donald Trump Jr. To Launch Dubai Golf Club. According to Politico, “In February 2017, Eric and Donald Trump Jr. traveled together to Dubai to open a golf club under the Trump brand. The trip cost the Secret Service $200,000, CREW says. According to the spending documents, the agency paid $125,000 for airfare, $75,000 for hotel rooms and $15,000 for miscellaneous expenses including cellphones and car service.” [Politico, 7/18/18]
2018: Secret Service Spent $73,000 Travelling With Don Jr. And Eric Trump To Dubai For Wedding Of Business Partner’s Daughter. According to Politico, “‘The business trip cost taxpayers significantly more than the $73,000 in Secret Service cost for a 2018 trip to Dubai for the Trump sons to attend the wedding of the daughter of a business partner,’ CREW said.” [Politico, 7/18/18]
¶ Secret Service Spent $30,000 On Travel Costs Associated With Eric Trump’s 2017 Business Trip To The Dominican Republic
Secret Service Spent $30,000 On Travel Costs Associated With Eric Trump’s 2017 Business Trip To The Dominican Republic. According to Politico, “Eric Trump also took a less costly trip to the Dominican Republic in February 2017 to potentially relaunch a Trump resort. His business trip cost the Secret Service some $30,000 on airfare, hotels and other costs, according to CREW.” [Politico, 7/18/18]
¶ 2019: State Department Paid £11,000 For Eric Trump’s Summer Visit To Turnberry Resort
July 2019: US State Department Paid £11,000 For Rooms At Turnberry Resort. According to The Scotsman, ‘Donald Trump’s flagship Scottish hotel and golf course has received another five-figure windfall from his own government to cover accommodation costs at the loss making resort, The Scotsman can reveal. The US State Department authorised the payment, worth more than £11,000, for rooms at Trump Turnberry over the next three weeks.’ [Scotsman, 7/9/19]
¶ US. Government Spent $43,291 Protecting Eric During April 2017 Business Trip To Ireland
¶ Secret Service Spent $11,000 At Trump Properties, Nearly $15,000 Total To Protect Eric Trump On His Business Trip
Secret Service Spent $11,261 For Hotel Costs, $4,030 For Limos Protecting Eric Trump In Ireland And UK Visits To Golf Courses. According to Mail Online, “The U.S. government is paying more than $4,000 for limos used for Eric Trump’s travel to Ireland and Great Britain this week on a trip where the president’s son advocated for a Trump golf property. The president’s son, who gets Secret Service protection when he visits Trump properties that are located around the globe, has taken five international trips this year. The Secret Service, which must position agents in advance and otherwise prepare for the trip, spent $11,261 for hotel costs, purchasing orders obtained by CBS News reveal. Costs for limousines for his visit totaled $4,030, the records showed.” [Mail Online, 4/14/17]
¶ State Department Paid Out $28,000 To Trump Doonbeg During April 2017 Visit
State Department Paid $28,000 To Trump Doonbeg Coinciding With Eric Trump Visit In April 2017. According to Irish Examiner, “Documents seen by this newspaper show that the US State Department approved invoices totalling almost $28,000 ( 24,000) for Secret Service visits to the Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg in early 2017. The Secret Service activity coincided with a visit to Clare by Mr Trump s son Eric in April 2017.” [Irish Examiner, 7/7/18]
¶ July 2017: U.S. State Department Spent $7,171.14 On Eric Trump Business Trip To Ireland
July 2017: Eric Trump Visited Doonbeg To Play Golf With 30 American Businesspeople. According to irishmirror.ie, “Donald Trump’s son Eric has arrived in Ireland with a group of over thirty US business people to play at his dad’s golf club in Doonbeg, Co Clare. Eric,33, Executive Vice President of the Trump Organisation, arrived in Shannon from Prestwick in Scotland today on board the company’s luxury Boeing 757-200 jet. He and his group are on the final leg of a golf trip which has also taken in the two Trump golf resorts in Scotland.” [irishmirror.ie, 7/22/17]
State Department Reported A Total Of $7,171.14 Of Expenses To Trump Doonbeg In “Support Of E Trump Visit” Over 6 Transactions Dated Late July 2017.
[State Department Charge Records, accessed 11/22/19]
¶ Eric Trump Went On Business Trips To Ireland June 2018 And May 2019, Taxpayer Costs Unknown
¶ June 2018: Eric Trump Visited For Golf Trip With Secret Service Security
June 2018: Eric Trump Visited Doonbeg Under Secret Service And Gardai Security. According to irishmirror.ie, “Eric Trump is understood to have played golf in Doonbeg on Friday before taking on the championship course in Lahinch on Saturday. It’s believed he will play one further round of golf on Sunday. Sources have confirmed that in recent days, security personnel believed to be part of the US Secret Service, visited Doonbeg and Lahinch ahead of Mr Trump’s arrival. There was a visible Garda and Secret Service presence in Lahinch yesterday though few locals were aware of Mr Trump’s presence… A spokesman for the Trump International in Doonbeg confirmed that Mr Trump is in Clare for a ‘business and golf’ visit.” [irishmirror.ie, 6/30/18]
¶ May 2019: Eric Trump Took Group Of Trump Charlotte Members To Doonbeg (And UK Golf Courses)
May 2019: Eric Trump Took Large Group Of Trump Charlotte Members On “Ultimate Links Tour” Of Aberdeen, Turnberry, And Doonbeg. According to Aberdeen Evening Express, “Sarah Malone, Trump Internationalâ€(TM)s executive president, said: â€oeWe are delighted to welcome Eric Trump and a large group of members from Trump Charlotte for a day of golf and Scottish hospitality before heading to Trump Turnberry and Trump Doonbeg, as part of the Ultimate Links Tour.— [Aberdeen Evening Express, 5/17/19]
¶ Donald Trump Jr. Travelled To Indonesia For Business Trip, Taxpayer Cost Unknown
August 2018: Donald Trump Jr. Visited Indonesia For Business Trip. According to The New York Times, “ Donald Trump Jr., visiting Indonesia’s capital on Tuesday to promote two Trump-branded resorts, defended his father, President Trump, and their family’s company against allegations that their global business presented conflicts of interest for the president.” [New York Times, 8/13/19]
¶ Secret Service Was Charged $3,300 Protecting Donald Trump Jr. At Trump D.C. For Congressional Testimony
Trump D.C. Charged Secret Service $3,300 Protecting Donald Trump Jr. While He Was In The Capital To Testify Before The Senate Regarding Russian Interference. According to The Washington Post, “In September 2017, for instance, Donald Trump Jr. stayed at the Trump hotel near the White House while in Washington to testify before a Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. His Secret Service detail reported paying the hotel $3,300 for rooms over two days, according to the newly released receipts. It is unclear what nightly room rate the agents were charged — the Secret Service redacted that information before releasing the receipts.” [Washington Post, 8/27/20]
¶ Official Visits To Trump Doonbeg And Turnberry Earned Trump Approximately $140,000
¶ Trump Doonbeg Was Paid Over €110,000 By Irish Police Force For Catering And Lodging Including Additional Tea And Coffee Purchases During “Inclement Weather”
Trump Doonbeg Was Paid Over €110,000 In Catering And Lodging By Irish Police Working During Donald Trump’s Recent Visit. According to Independent, “The figures show that the Trump Doonbeg resort received the highest amount of any enterprise providing catering services to gardaí, at €107,625 for the Presidential visit. In addition, Gardaí paid Trump Doonbeg €5,976 for accommodation.” [Independent, 9/27/19]
Freedom Of Information Report Revealed Irish Police Service Gardai Catering Payments Included €14,000 On Sandwich/Snack Bags, €16,800 For Breakfast, €21,000 For Lunch, €21,000 For Dinner, And €21,700 For Late Night Snacks. According to Independent, “A €14,000 spend by the Gardai on sandwich/snack bags for members was part of the overall €107,625 catering payment to the According to Independent, “Donald Trump owned Trump Doonbeg resort in west Clare. That is according to new figures released by the Gardai concerning its €11.3 million over-time operation put in place to protect US President Donald Trump during his two night stay at his Trump Doonbeg resort in June… The Gardai on overtime at various locations throughout west Clare had their breakfast each morning at the marquee at the Trump Doonbeg resort and the breakfast bill over four days was €16,800 or €4,200 per day. The Gardai also had lunch each day at Trump Doonbeg and the lunch bill over four days came to €21,000 or €5,250 each day. In addition, the Gardaí paid Trump Doonbeg €21,000 for serving dinner over four days at a daily cost of €5,250. The Gardai also paid the resort €21,700 for late night snacks or €5,425 per night.” [Independent, 10/18/19]
¶ Irish Police Paid €3,486 To Trump Doonbeg To Protect Mike Pence During September Visit
Irish Police Spent At Least $4,000 At Doonbeg During Pence’s Visit. According to Politico, “The House launched an investigation last year, demanding the administration and Trump’s company release details about Vice President Mike Pence’s 2019 stay at a Trump resort in Ireland that came at the president’s suggestion. While they refused, new records obtained by POLITICO show the Irish police spent at least $4,000 at Trump Doonbeg while covering Pence’s visit — on top of $145,000 for other visits.” [Politico, 1/20/20]
July 2018: Secret Service Spent $953,261 (£822,649) At Trump Turnberry, Spent $9,662 (£8,338) Directly
Secret Service Spent $953,261 (£822,649) During Trump’s July 2018 Golf Trip To Trump Turnberry. According to The Scotsman, “The US president visited his loss making property in July 2018 for a two night stay, during which time he played two rounds of golf. Now, a breakdown of expenses incurred throughout the trip, published by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the US Department of Homeland Security, shows the total Secret Service expenses totalled at least $953,261 (£822,649).” [Scotsman, 3/24/20]
Secret Service Spent $9,662 (£8,338) Directly To Trump Turnberry During Visit Including $923 (£796) On Golf Carts. According to The Scotsman, “The Secret Service spent $9,662 (£8,338) at Mr Trump’s property, but the OIG said it ‘could not determine how much the resort gained in profits.’ […] However, the breakdown of spending shows extensive spending elsewhere. It includes $4,048 (£3,493) to rent 19 golf cart at Turnberry, with Mr Trump’s company receiving $923 (£796).” [Scotsman, 3/24/20]
¶ Unknown Sums Have Been Spent AT Trump Properties By Groups Trying to Buy Favors Form The Administration
¶ Trump Hotel D.C. Became Meeting Place For Trump Allies And Companies With Business Before The Federal Government To Curry Favor With The President
Forbes: Trump International Hotel, D.C. Performed Well In The Last Year Thanks To Popularity With His Fans And “Those Apparently Looking To Curry Favor With His Administration.” According to Forbes, “Trump’s Washington, D.C., hotel also continues to be a bright spot in his portfolio. Popular with Trump fans and those apparently looking to curry favor with his administration, the hotel had a slight 1% uptick in revenue last year, despite a sluggish local hotel market. That helped push the value of the president’s 77.5% stake in the property up by an estimated $11 million.” [Forbes, 10/2/19]
WaPo: Trump “Converted Political Allies Into Private Customers.” According to The Washington Post, “That arrangement worked for Republicans, because it compressed a city’s worth of networking into one room. It worked for Trump, because he converted political allies into private customers.” [Washington Post, 1/16/20]
¶ Staffers, Administration Officials, And Elected Officials Frequent The Trump Hotel Making It A Place For People To Get Special Access To The U.S. Government
WaPo: Trump Hotel Became “Loose, Anybody-Welcome Hangout For Republicans.” According to The Washington Post, “For three years, Trump’s hotel near the White House has been a loose, anybody-welcome hangout for Republicans. Candidates raise money in the ballrooms. Congressmen and lobbyists dine in the steakhouse. Hangers-on wait at the bar, taking selfies in ‘#americaslivingroom.’” [Washington Post, 1/16/20]
Since Trump Was Elected, 90 Members of Congress And 250 Trump Administration Officials Have Made Visits To Trump Hotel. According to The New York Times, “Since Mr. Trump became president, there have been thousands of visits to his properties, not only by Mr. Trump himself, but by foreign leaders, lobbyists, Republican candidates, members of Congress, cabinet members and others with ties to the president. At least 90 members of Congress, 250 Trump administration officials and more than 110 foreign officials have been spotted at Trump properties since 2017, according to social media posts and counts by various watchdog groups.” [New York Times, 9/7/19]
¶ Arab Princess Successfully Sought Out Help From Trump Administration By Visiting Trump Hotel D.C.
Princess Hend Al Qassemi Of UAE Traveled To Trump International Hotel & Tower In Hopes Of Running Into Influential American Officials. According to The Washington Post, “For two years, the Emirati princess had been battling her estranged husband in Qatari courts for custody of their young son. She was running out of options. So, on the advice of friends ‘in diplomatic circles,’ Princess Hend Al Qassemi traveled from Dubai to a place where she thought she might have a chance encounter with a powerful American official who could help: The Trump International Hotel.” [Washington Post, 10/18/19]
Hend Said She Would Not Have Met Rudy Giuliani Had She Not Spotted Him In The Lobby Of Trump International Hotel & Tower DC. According to The Washington Post, “Hend arrived in Washington on June 22, a date she chose to coincide with an event a Virginia women’s group was throwing to celebrate President Trump’s birthday. There, in the hotel lobby, she spotted none other than Rudolph W. Giuliani, personal attorney to the president of the United States. ‘Lo and behold, there I was at the right place at the right time and met the right people,’ Hend said in a telephone interview with The Washington Post. ‘Had I not been there, I wouldn’t have met Rudy.’” [Washington Post, 10/18/19]
Washington Post: Hend “Believed, Correctly, That She Could Have The Ear Of A Confidant To The President If She Just Showed Up.” According to The Washington Post, “The previously untold story of the princess in Washington is the latest example of foreign interests seeking access to the administration by turning to the president’s lawyer. It is also a vivid illustration of how the Trump hotel is perceived by some abroad as a portal to American power — and of how, in some cases, it can be exactly that. Foreign diplomats, lobbyists, political appointees and aspiring Republican officeholders — all are regulars in a daily spectacle of Washington influence at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. Hend is not a professional in that world but believed, correctly, that she could have the ear of a confidant to the president if she just showed up.” [Washington Post, 10/18/19]
¶ Pay to Play: House Opened Investigation That Business Groups Were Booking Hotel Rooms In Exchange For Presidential Favor
House Opened Investigation Into Allegations That Reservations Had Been Made By Groups At Trump Hotels Without Ever Staying In Them To Curry Favor With The President. According to Politico, “House investigators are looking into an allegation that groups — including at least one foreign government — tried to ingratiate themselves to President Donald Trump by booking rooms at his hotels but never staying in them.” [Politico, 10/2/19]
House Committee Began Investigation That A Trade Association And A Foreign Government Booked Rooms At Trump Hotel But Did Not Use All Of Them. According to Politico, “The investigation began after the committee received information that two entities — a trade association and a foreign government — booked a large quantity of rooms but only used a fraction of them, according to a person familiar with the allegation who isn’t authorized to speak for the committee. The so-called emoluments clause of the Constitution forbids Trump from profiting from foreign governments, or from receiving any money from the U.S. government aside from his annual salary.” [Politico, 10/2/19]
Rep. Connolly: “Now We’re Looking At Near Raw Bribery.” According to Politico, “‘Now we’re looking at near raw bribery,’ said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), a House Oversight Committee member who chairs the subcommittee with jurisdiction over Trump’s hotel in Washington. ‘That was the risk from day one — foreign governments and others trying to seek favor because we know Trump pays attention to this.... It’s an obvious attempt to curry favor with him.’” [Politico, 10/2/19]
¶ T-Mobile Executives Spent $195,000 At Trump Hotel D.C. While Seeking Approval For Sprint Merger
John Legere And Other T-Mobile Executives Spent $195,000 At Trump Hotel D.C. While Seeking Approval For $26 Billion Merger. According to Reuters, “T-Mobile Us Inc’s chief executive, John Legere, and other company leaders have spent $195,000 on hotel stays and other expenses at the Trump International Hotel in Washington since the company sought approval for a $26 billion merger with Sprint last April, documents released on Tuesday show.” [Reuters, 3/5/19]
Both The DOJ And FCC Had To Review The Proposed Merger. According to Reuters, “The Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission are still reviewing the proposed deal to combined the third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers.” [Reuters, 3/5/19]
¶ CatholicVote Spent At Least $2,500 To Trump Hotel The Same Day It Met With Trump Administration Officials To Discuss Fairness For All Act
Political Action Group CatholicVote Held 50 Person Reception At Trump Hotel D.C. On The Same Day It Met With Trump Administration Officials. According to The Washington Post, “CatholicVote, a political action group that lobbies on behalf of candidates who oppose abortion and same-sex marriage, held a 50-person afternoon reception on Dec. 16, the same day it and other Catholic groups met administrative officials for a briefing on ‘religious freedom,’ according to internal hotel documents obtained by The Washington Post. The afternoon reception, offering drinks and appetizers including beef Wellington and jumbo shrimp cocktail, was organized by former Republican congressman Tim Huelskamp, the group’s senior political adviser, according to the documents.” [Washington Post, 1/15/20]
CatholicVote Met With Mick Mulvaney To Discuss Fairness For All Act. According to The Washington Post, “At the Dec. 16 briefing, held in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building the day of CatholicVote’s hotel reception, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and attendees discussed legislation introduced by House Republicans earlier in December. Called the Fairness for All Act, the bill attempts to balance LGBTQ protections with concerns of conservative religious leaders, according to the Catholic Telegraph.” [Washington Post, 1/15/20]
CatholicVote Spent At Least $2,500 For Event At Trump Hotel. The event was modest by luxury hotel standards. Documents show it probably cost at least $2,500 but not the tens of thousands of dollars that large room bookings and events can bring luxury hotels. Mercer declined to provide a total of the group’s spending at the hotel. A Trump Organization spokeswoman did not return a request for comment.” [Washington Post, 1/15/20]
¶ Payday Lending Industry Spent $1 Million On Conferences At Doral As Part Of A Lobbying Effort To Weaken CFPB Rules
¶ CFSA (Payday Lenders) Spent $1 Million On Annual Conventions At Doral In 2018 And 2019
Payday Lending (CFSA) Industry Held 2018 And 2019 Conventions At Trump Doral. According to ProPublica, “This year was the second in a row that the CFSA held its convention at the Doral. In the eight years before 2018 (the extent for which records could be found), the organization never held an event at a Trump property.” [ProPublica, 6/5/19]
Estimates And Tax Filings Revealed CFSA Paid Over $1 Million Into The Trump Organization’s Coffers Over The 2 Conferences. According to ProPublica, “The CFSA and its members have poured a total of about $1 million into the Trump Organization’s coffers through the two annual conferences, according to detailed estimates prepared by a corporate event planner in Miami and an executive at a competing hotel that books similar events. Those estimates are consistent with the CFSA’s most recent available tax filing, which reveals that it spent $644,656 on its annual conference the year before the first gathering at the Trump property. (The Doral and the CFSA declined to comment.)” [ProPublica, 6/5/19]
¶ February 2019: Trump’s CFPB Delivered Victory To Payday Lenders And Gutted Crucial Obama Era Protection
February 2019: Trump’s CFPB Gutted Obama Era Rule To Considered “Death Sentence” To Payday Lenders. According to ProPublica, “They had plenty to be elated about. A month earlier, Kathleen Kraninger, who had just finished her second month as director of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, had delivered what the lenders consider an epochal victory: Kraninger announced a proposal to gut a crucial rule that had been passed under her Obama-era predecessor. Payday lenders viewed that rule as a potential death sentence for many in their industry. It would require payday lenders and others to make sure borrowers could afford to pay back their loans while also covering basic living expenses. Banks and mortgage lenders view such a step as a basic prerequisite. But the notion struck terror in the payday lenders. Their business model relies on customers — 12 million Americans take out payday loans every year, according to Pew Charitable Trusts — getting stuck in a long-term cycle of debt, experts say. A CFPB study found that three out of four payday loans go to borrowers who take out 10 or more loans a year.” [ProPublica, 6/5/19]
AHRI Lobbying Group Spent Over $700,000 On Event At Trump Doral
2017: The Air Conditioning, Heating And Refrigeration (AHRI) Paid $700,650 For Annual Meeting At Trump Doral. According to CREW, “The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), a trade group that lobbies on behalf of heating and cooling product manufacturers, paid President Trump’s Trump National Doral resort near Miami $700,650 for its Annual Meeting event in 2017, according to the group’s tax return for that year. The form provides a rare look at what special interests pay—and how much the president rakes in—when they hold events at Trump properties.” [CREW, 3/11/20]
November 2017L AHRI Appeared To Successfully Lobby The Trump Administration To Support The Kigali Amendment To The Montreal Protocol. According to CREW, “The AHRI’s lobbying disclosure report covering the fourth quarter of 2017 includes lobbying ‘President of the U.S.’ on environmental issues. One of two policies that was lobbied on in that issue area was, ‘Supporting the U.S. ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,’ an Obama-era policy that sets a timeline for phasing out the use of a greenhouse gas commonly used in refrigeration. The AHRI has argued that the policy would create manufacturing jobs and lead to more U.S. exports, and they’ve lobbied in favor of it during each quarter of the last three years. On November 23, 2017, a State Department official announced—in the ‘most explicit and public’ terms to date—that the Trump administration would support the policy. The next day the AHRI tweeted its support for the announcement.” [CREW, 3/11/20]
FL AG Moody Signed Contract That Would Have Directed $70,000 State Dollars To Doral
FL AG Moody Signed Contract With Trump Doral In Potential Violation Of Constitution. According to The Huffington Post, “Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, the state’s top legal officer, contracted with President Donald Trump’s Miami golf resort to host a crime prevention conference, despite the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against his accepting money from a state. The conference, set for late May, has been indefinitely postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic before any payments ‘were made or due,’ said Lauren Cassedy, a spokesperson in Moody’s office.” [Huffington Post, 3/17/20]
An Estimated $70,000 Of Florida Taxpayer Money And $600,000 Total Would Have Been Spent At Trump Doral Though Terms Of Contract And Associated Spending Related To Conference. According to The Huffington Post, “Cassedy, though, would not explain why Moody, a Republican who was elected to the statewide job in 2018 after receiving Trump’s endorsement, chose to award the contract to Trump’s resort in the first place. Under its terms, some $70,000 of Florida taxpayer money likely would have gone to Trump National Doral. Nonprofit groups, local governments and others attending the event that had been set for late May likely would have spent an additional $600,000.” [Huffington Post, 3/17/20]
CREW: “It Would Appear To Be A Pretty Clear Violation Of The Constitution’s Domestic Emoluments Clause […] A State’s Highest Law Enforcement Official Should Know Better.” According to The Huffington Post, “’If the state of Florida is paying money to the business that the president continues to own and profit from, then it would appear to be a pretty clear violation of the Constitution’s domestic emoluments clause,’ said Jordan Libowitz with Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group that has criticized federal payments flowing to Trump since he took office three years ago. ‘This isn’t some obscure local law, this is literally the Constitution. Everyone needs to follow it. A state’s highest law enforcement official should know better.’” [Huffington Post, 3/17/20]
The Contract Between The FL AG Office And Trump Doral Included 250 Rooms At $129 A Night. According to The Huffington Post, “Under the terms of the contract, obtained by the Democratic group American Bridge under Florida’s public records laws, the state Attorney General’s office had agreed to rent an average of 250 rooms at Doral each night for six nights, at a cost of $129 per night for the 2020 ‘National Conference on Preventing Crime.’ Meeting rooms are included in the contract, but meals are not — meaning the 1,500 expected guests would likely spend close to $100 per day each for food at the resort’s restaurants. Also included, according to the contract, was access to a golf clinic, a golf practice area and a free shuttle bus each day to ‘exclusive beach access’ in Miami Beach – even though, under Florida law, all beaches are public.” [Huffington Post, 3/17/20]
- Contract Gave Meeting Rooms Free Of Charge But Not Meals For 1,500 Guests. According to The Huffington Post, “Under the terms of the contract, obtained by the Democratic group American Bridge under Florida’s public records laws, the state Attorney General’s office had agreed to rent an average of 250 rooms at Doral each night for six nights, at a cost of $129 per night for the 2020 ‘National Conference on Preventing Crime.’ Meeting rooms are included in the contract, but meals are not — meaning the 1,500 expected guests would likely spend close to $100 per day each for food at the resort’s restaurants. Also included, according to the contract, was access to a golf clinic, a golf practice area and a free shuttle bus each day to ‘exclusive beach access’ in Miami Beach – even though, under Florida law, all beaches are public.” [Huffington Post, 3/17/20]
¶ Wealthy Lobbyists, Federal Contractors, And Trade Groups Seeking Confidential Face Time With The President By Paying Membership Fees At Trump Golf Clubs
Company Executives, Lobbyists, And Trade Group Officials Were Members Of Trump’s Most Visited Golf Clubs And Many Played On The Same Days President Trump Was There. According to USA Today, “Members of the clubs Trump has visited most often as president — in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia — include at least 50 executives whose companies hold federal contracts and 21 lobbyists and trade group officials. Two-thirds played on one of the 58 days the president was there, according to scores they posted online.” [USA Today, 9/6/17]
USA Today: Wealthy People With Business Interests Before This Federal Government Can Get “Close And Confidential Access To The President As A Result Of Payments That Enrich Him Personally.” According to USA Today, “The review shows that, for the first time in U.S. history, wealthy people with interests before the government have a chance for close and confidential access to the president as a result of payments that enrich him personally. It is a view of the president available to few other Americans. Among Trump club members are top executives of defense contractors, a lobbyist for the South Korean government, a lawyer helping Saudi Arabia fight claims over the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the leader of a pesticide trade group that sought successfully to persuade the Trump administration not to ban an insecticide government scientists linked to health risks.” [USA Today, 9/6/17]
Trump Golf Club Memberships Can Exceed $100,000 Into A Trust In Trump’s Benefit. According to USA Today, “Members of Trump’s clubs pay initiation fees that can exceed $100,000, plus thousands more in annual dues to his companies, held in a trust for his benefit.” [USA Today, 9/6/17]
¶ Membership Fees At Mar-A-Lago Doubled After Trump Was Elected
Mar-A-Lago Membership Fee Doubled To $200,000 After Trump Was Elected President. According to CNBC, “Mar-a-Lago, the Palm Beach resort owned by the Trump Organization, doubled its initiation fee to $200,000 following the election of Donald Trump as president.” [CNBC, 1/25/17]
¶ Conservative PACS, Republican Candidates, And Trumps Inaugural Committee Have Spent Millions At Trump Properties
¶ As Of August 2020: Over $22 Million In Conservative Campaign Or PAC Spending Has Been At Trump Resorts
Campaigns Spent $22,842,988 At Trump Properties Since 2008. [Open Secrets, accessed 9/8/20]
¶ Trump Inaugural Committee Spent Over $1 Million At Trump Hotel DC, Now Facing Legal Action From DC Attorney General
D.C. AG Sued Trump’s Inaugural Committee For Violating Nonprofit Status By Spending Over $1 Million At Trump Hotel D.C. According to The Washington Post, “D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine sued President Trump’s inaugural committee and business Wednesday, alleging that the committee violated its nonprofit status by spending more than $1 million to book a ballroom at Trump’s D.C. hotel that its staff knew was overpriced and that it barely used. During the lead-up to Trump’s January 2017 inauguration, the committee booked the hotel ballroom for $175,000 a day plus more than $300,000 in food and beverage costs, over the objections of its own event planner.” [Washington Post, 1/22/20]
AG Racine Called Trump’s Inaugural Committee Charges At Trump Hotel “Unreasonable And Improperly Served To Enrich” Trump’s Business. According to The Washington Post, “The committee was formed to organize the events around the inauguration, but Racine alleges it instead ‘abandoned this purpose and violated District law when it wasted approximately $1 million of charitable funds in overpayment for the use of event space at the Trump hotel.’ ‘These charges were unreasonable and improperly served to enrich’ Trump’s business, reads the complaint. He alleges that Trump and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, were likely aware of the charges, based on documents Racine subpoenaed from the committee and the Trump Organization.” [Washington Post, 1/22/20]
Racine Alleged Both Donald And Ivanka Trump Were Aware Of The Charges. According to The Washington Post, “The committee was formed to organize the events around the inauguration, but Racine alleges it instead ‘abandoned this purpose and violated District law when it wasted approximately $1 million of charitable funds in overpayment for the use of event space at the Trump hotel.’ ‘These charges were unreasonable and improperly served to enrich’ Trump’s business, reads the complaint. He alleges that Trump and his daughter, Ivanka Trump, were likely aware of the charges, based on documents Racine subpoenaed from the committee and the Trump Organization.” [Washington Post, 1/22/20]