THREAD: The Trump Administration's overt violations of the US Constitution's Domestic Emoluments Clause & PPAA are not bugs, they're features. washingtonpost.com/politics/secre…
I'm humbled to be part of the small team responsible for prying loose the source material in today's story.
David @Fahrenthold's reporting would not have been possible without the tireless #FOIA work of @gunita_singh, @_rshapiro & @_LightLaw at @PropOTP wapo.st/3861512
David @Fahrenthold's reporting would not have been possible without the tireless #FOIA work of @gunita_singh, @_rshapiro & @_LightLaw at @PropOTP wapo.st/3861512
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP This document details USSS payments to Trump Properties (from 1/17 to 6/17). It set off a search for other USSS docs like it in order to learn just how much Trump's businesses are charging the agency when they protect him. It's just the tip of the iceberg.
propertyofthepeople.org/document-detai…
propertyofthepeople.org/document-detai…
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP In November 2019, @NatashaBertrand was first to report on the significance of this document from @PropOTP with this exclusive for @Politico underscoring the USSS spent more than $250K at Trump properties in the first 6 months of the admin. politico.com/news/2019/11/2…
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico In November, David @Fahrenthold advanced this story even further in this piece for The @WashingtonPost —but when you step back to look at the Trump Admin's sprawling tapestry of domestic emoluments violations this ...is only the tip of the iceberg. washingtonpost.com/politics/secre…
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost Today's reporting from David @Fahrenthold & @FOIANate advances the story further with new USSS expenditures at Trump properties & some egregious standouts like this charge of $17,000 for a Trump Bedminster cottage rental in July (Trump was there 1 day🤦🏽♂️). washingtonpost.com/politics/secre… 
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate Whether it's the Secret Service, State Department, Department of Defense, DHS, etc; one thing is abundantly clear —Donald Trump unapologetically routes taxpayer money from Government Agencies to his businesses. @PropOTP is working to find you the receipts: propertyofthepeople.org/profiting-from…
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate While @CREWcrew & @Public_Citizen have been tackling issues surrounding violations of the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause, specifically violations at the Trump Hotel in DC, @PropOTP has been collecting receipts re: Domestic Emoluments violations. propertyofthepeople.org/documentcloud-…
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen One under-reported piece of the Trump Admin's grift tapestry is that each of these Secret Service expenditures also run afoul of the Presidential Protection Assistance Act which states the USSS may spend no more than $200,000 cumulatively on securing "secondary" properties.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen Background: The Presidential Protection Assistance Act (PPAA) of 1976 allows a Secret Service (USSS) protectee to designate one non-governmental property to be fully secured by the Secret Service on a permanent basis.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen President Trump designated Trump Tower in Manhattan for such protection.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen Further, according to the Act, the USSS may spend no more than $200,000 cumulatively on securing any additional properties without the explicit approval of Congress.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen However, the Secret Service has and continues to spend vastly more than $200,000 to secure the President Trump’s extensive portfolio of additional properties, including Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, NJ. 🤔🧐
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen For example, as reported by @AmyJBrittain and @drewharwell for the Washington Post, in 2017, USSS requested $60 million in additional funding for FY 2018 to protect the President, his family, and others while traveling. washingtonpost.com/politics/secre…
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell While $26.8 million of the requested funds were intended to protect the President and First Family at the designated Trump Tower property, $33 million of the USSS request was to protect the President and others while travelling at additional non-governmental properties.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell Though USSS’ funding request was denied by OMB, USSS’ requested $33 million was vastly in excess of the Presidential Protection Assistance Act’s strict cap without Congressional approval of $200,000 in total spending to protect additional non-governmental properties.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell On March 10, 2017, in a letter to DHS, five U.S. Senators requested a full review by DHS of whether USSS costs resulting from the Trump family’s unprecedented use of multiple private properties is in compliance with the PPAA. tomudall.senate.gov/news/press-rel…
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell Given that USSS has reportedly already spent millions of dollars securing Mar-a-Lago and the Trump National Golf Club, it appears likely the Secret Service is in gross violation of the Presidential Protection Assistance Act.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell Further, §9 of the PPAA requires USSS to produce and submit to Congress a “detailed semi- annual report of expenditures”, yet USSS has failed to submit any such reports to Congress. @PropOTP believes Americans have a right to view these vital documents.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell It appears clear that US Secret Service has not been preparing or submitting to Congress these congressionally mandated records. As such, the United States Secret Service is in plain violation of the Presidential Protection Assistance Act.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell Further, the US Secret Service's ongoing violation of the Act’s congressional reporting requirements serves to mask USSS’ likely violation of the Act’s core provision prohibiting excessive spending to secure additional properties for President Trump.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell And we are pretty certain all of this violates the law.
@Fahrenthold @gunita_singh @_rshapiro @_LightLaw @PropOTP @NatashaBertrand @politico @washingtonpost @FOIANate @CREWcrew @Public_Citizen @AmyJBrittain @drewharwell Thank you for coming to my TED talk. I don't have a SoundCloud but if you wanted to donate to contribute to @PropOTP's shoestring budget you can do so here: propertyofthepeople.org/donate/
