Here's what we *do* know: the Trump administration has spent $1.2 million+ in taxpayer money at @realdonaldtrump's businesses.
And Trump's business did not keep a promise to charge the govt "like $50" for rooms. Their rates went as high as $650/night. washingtonpost.com/politics/secre…
NEW: the Post’s lawyers just filed this motion, asking a judge to make @StateDept release more of the 448 pages of records it’s holding back. (Which show hidden government payments to @realdonaldtrump’s businesses)
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Backstory: we sued the @StateDept to get records about its payments to Trump properties.
They told a judge they had 450 pages, and would “aspire” produce up to 300 pages on Thursday.
When Thursday came, however, @StateDept released....2 pages!
Here they are. They show that when @LaraLeaTrump went to Trump’s golf course in Ireland, Trump Org charged her Secret Service agents $8,300 for their rooms. Taxpayers paid the bill.
Hello! We’re trying to answer a simple question: how much taxpayer money has been paid to @realDonaldTrump’s private business?
Here’s what we’ve learned so far, in four tweets:
First we learned what @realdonaldtrump’s company *said* was happening.
They said that, when Trump’s aides and Secret Service agents needed rooms at Trump properties, the company charged super-low rates. “Like $50 bucks,” per night, @erictrump said.
So we looked for evidence to confirm Trump Org’s claim — like receipts showing they had actually charged the government that $50 per night rate.
One day — July 25, 2017 — shows how @realdonaldtrump and his family have turned their Secret Service protection into a moneymaker for their private business.
On that day, Trump Org did business with the US govt in 3 countries at the same time.
Here’s how:
In IRELAND that day, @realdonaldtrump’s Doonbeg course got paid $6,500 by the government.
@erictrump had visited recently, and charged the Secret Service to come with him.
In CANADA that day, agents were arriving at @realdonaldtrump’s Vancouver hotel, preparing for a visit by @DonaldJTrumpJr. The Trump hotel would charge the Secret Service $5,775 (in US dollars) for their rooms.
NEW: @realdonaldtrump’s businesses have charged the US government $1.1 million in private transactions — and Trump’s Bedminster club kept billing taxpayers for room rentals **even while it was closed** for covid. washingtonpost.com/politics/secre…
Heres the email from Trump Bedminster’s GM, announcing the club was closing for covid on 3/17/20.
And here are two bills, showing @realdonaldtrump’s club charging the Secret Service about $16,000 while the club was shuttered.
Why? Trump Org wouldn’t say.
We are still trying to prove @erictrump right! He said the Trump Org charges the US govt “like 50 bucks” for hotel rooms.
But no luck so far!
We’ve looked at 100s of bills, and not found a single one that matches Eric Trump’s claim. The rates were all higher, up to $650/night.
We’ve spent this year asking a simple question: How much money have US taxpayers paid to @realdonaldtrump’s private business.
We still have only a partial answer, b/c the government has released so few records.
Examples:
The @DeptofDefense spent $75K at Trump properties in his first 5 months alone.
What did they spend after that? We don’t know. This is the most recent record DoD has released. It’s from June 2017.
We asked DoD for more recent records in a FOIA request. That was 183 days ago. They have provided nothing.
So our most recent data on DoD payments to Trump properties dates back to the Sean Spicer Era.
I’ve spent this year trying to prove @realdonaldtrump’s company was telling the truth about an important promise.
So far, no luck.
.@erictrump said last year that — when US govt officials rent rooms — Trump Org charges them “like 50 bucks.”
At the time, we didn’t have many records, to know if that was true.
Now, we have lots of records.
But so far, none show what Eric T said they would.
We’ve now documented at least $970K in charges from @realdonaldtrump’s properties to the US taxpayer. (As illustrated in this elegantly powerful graph I drew). BUT...