The Trump Organization charged the Secret Service “exorbitant” fees — more than $1.4 million over four years — for protecting the former president and his family on their properties, according to documents released by the House Oversight Committee.
The commission found that the company charged the Secret Service “excessive nightly rates on dozens of trips” of up to $1,185 per night, despite the company’s claim that federal employees traveling with the then-president would stay at those properties “free” or “at cost price”.
“The exorbitant fees charged to the Secret Service and the agents’ frequent stays at Trump properties raise significant concerns about the former president’s self-employment and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for Former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” committee chairwoman Carolyn Maloney wrote in a letter.
When he was president, Trump frequently traveled to properties his company ran as businesses, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. While he was there, some agents and officials stayed in rooms at those properties, while others rented rooms at nearby hotels.
Charging his protective staff to stay at places on his property was a controversial practice when Trump was in office and has continued after the end of his presidency.
Representatives for the Trump Organization could not be immediately reached for comment.