Trump overcharged Secret Service 300% for staying at his D.C. hotel: report
By Sarah K. Burris,
6 hours ago
Secret Service agent outside Doanld Trump's vehicle (Photo by Thomas Samson for AFP)
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released the second part of their report about Donald Trump's use of his Washington, D.C., hotel while in office. Among the findings was that he overcharged Secret Service agents, NBC News cited from the report.
Part two, released on Friday, says that the Trump Corporation increased the price of hotel rooms on the property by as much as 300% if they were booked by Secret Service agents.
"The report points specifically to Nov. 28, 2017, when the Secret Service paid $600 apiece for several rooms for agents guarding Trump’s son Eric and his wife, Lara," NBC reported. "On the same night, records show, more than 80 rooms were rented out at the Trump hotel at less than $600 a night."
The investigation also found that U.S. ambassadors, three people that Trump appointed to the federal bench, two governors, a state legislative delegation and a Trump Cabinet secretary also spent money at the hotel during the 11-month period the committee investigated.
Kelly Craft, who Trump appointed to be a U.S. ambassador to Canada and ultimately as the United Nations ambassador, was one such individual. Craft spent 20 nights at the Trump hotel over an 11-month period. It cost her nearly $30,000. Communications between Craft and her staff revealed that she was offered a less expensive hotel option while in Washington for a conference. Still, Craft maintained she must stay at the Trump hotel.
There were also people seeking pardons from Trump. Albert Pirro, the ex-husband of Fox host Jeanine Pirro, spent more than $2,000 at the Trump Hotel in 2018. He scored " one of a flurry of pardons ," NBC reported, which Trump issued when leaving office. He was convicted of federal conspiracy and tax evasion.
The committee ultimately sorted through about $300,000 in payments to the Trump Corporation over 11 months that they believe violated the emoluments clause in the Constitution . The law prevents presidents from making money off of foreign or domestic governments while in office.
The first report found that the Saudis , Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, spent more than $700,000 at Trump's D.C. hotel during the first two years of his presidency alone.
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