Donald Trump firm charged Secret Service ‘exorbitant’ hotel rates, US lawmakers reveal
- This included bills as high as US$1,100 per night for rooms, according to documents released by a congressional committee
- In total, the Trump Organisation charged the agency at least US$1.4 million, with the real sum likely to be higher
Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties in excess of government-approved rates at least 40 times during his presidency, including two charges for more than US$1,100 per night, according to documents released Monday by a congressional committee.
The Secret Service was charged room rates of more than US$800 per night at least 11 times when agents stayed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the Trump hotel in Washington, and other properties, the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee said. It noted that Trump made over 500 trips to his properties while president.
The “exorbitant” rates point to a possible “taxpayer-funded windfall for former president Trump’s struggling businesses”, wrote New York congresswoman Carolyn Maloney in a letter Monday to the Secret Service requesting more information.
The Trump Organisation denied that the Secret Service charges were a problem and said it provided rooms and other services at cost, at big discounts or for free.
“The Trump family is likely the first family in American history to have not profited off of the United States government,” said Eric Trump in a statement.