Chairwoman Maloney Releases New Information Showing Trump-Owned Properties Repeatedly Charged Excessive Rates to Secret Service, Fleecing Taxpayers

Oct 17, 2022
Press Release
Charges as High as $1,185 Per Night at Trump Properties Raise New Concerns About the Former President’s Conflicts of Interest

Washington, D.C. (October 17, 2022)—Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, sent a letter to Kimberly Cheatle, Director of the United States Secret Service, requesting compliance with the Committee’s request for a full accounting of the Secret Service’s spending at Trump-owned properties during former President Trump’s presidency.  As part of the Committee’s ongoing investigation into former President Trump’s conflicts of interest, new documents released today indicate that Trump-owned properties repeatedly charged the Secret Service nightly rates far in excess of government per diem rates, including rates as high as $1,185-per room.


“The exorbitant rates charged to the Secret Service and agents’ frequent stays at Trump-owned properties raise significant concerns about the former President’s self-dealing and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” wrote Chairwoman Maloney.

 

Despite repeated claims that the former President would use his businesses to save the federal government money, including representations from Eric Trump that government employees traveling with former President Trump “stay at our properties for free,” documents obtained by the Committee show that the Secret Service was charged rates in excess of the government rate at least 40 times from January 20, 2017 to September 15, 2021.  Records obtained by the Committee show more than $1.4 million in Secret Service spending at Trump-owned properties in the United States, but this data does not appear to be complete.

 

Since February 12, 2020, the Committee has been seeking information from the Secret Service about its expenditures at Trump Organization properties.  However, the Secret Service’s productions have been incomplete and do not provide the Committee with a complete picture of its spending at Trump-owned properties.  The Secret Service has yet to provide the Committee with a complete list of all spending at Trump-owned properties and still does not appear to be able to account for every instance the agency paid excessive nightly rates at the former President’s resorts, hotels, and clubs.

 

“Given the longstanding concerns surrounding the former President’s conflicts of interest and efforts to profit off the presidency, the Commitee has a strong interest in obtaining a complete accounting of federal government spending at Trump properties.  The Committee continues to examine potential legislation to prevent presidential self-dealing and profiteering, as well as to curb conflicts of interest by ensuring that future presidents are prevented from exercising undue influence on Secret Service spending,” wrote Chairwoman Maloney.

 

Chairwoman Maloney has asked Director Cheatle to comply with the Committee’s request for information by October 31, 2022.

 

Click here to read today’s letter.

 

Click here, here, and here, to read the underlying documents.

 

 

117th Congress