The latest Federal Election Committee (FEC) filings from the Trump Victory Committee show President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign spent more than $400,000 at Trump properties in one month.
The filing shows 49 separate disbursements between March 2 and April 1 to the Trump Hotel Collection, totaling $401,163.60. Open Secrets reported that figure brings the total amount directed to “Trump family, properties, and businesses” by his reelection effort to $3 million this election cycle.
The Trump campaign, Republican National Committee (RNC) and various Republican fundraising committees have spent more than $17 million at Trump properties and businesses since he launched his 2016 presidential bid. (RELATED: Trump Campaign Raised $212 Million In First Quarter 2020 — Brings Election Cycle Total To $677 Million)
New @FEC filing: Trump Victory paid ~$400,000 to Trump Hotel in Q2 alone—steering over $3 MILLION in donations from presidential campaign donors to Trump family, properties & businesses with his 2020 re-election campaign & Trump MAGA joint fundraising cmte—$17.4M+ counting 2016 pic.twitter.com/jS7rp4258K
— Anna Massoglia (@annalecta) July 16, 2020
The Trump Organization told Washington Post that $380,000 of the second-quarter (Q2) total came from one fundraiser held at Mar-a-Lago in early March.
In just two days, @realdonaldtrump’s campaign pumped $380K into Trump’s private business, in 43 separate payments. Trump Org says this was for a weeklong “donor retreat,” held in early March at Mar-a-Lago.
Campaign donations turned into private revenue for POTUS pic.twitter.com/1kf39vAqkt— David Fahrenthold (@Fahrenthold) July 17, 2020
Trump Victory launched as a joint fundraising between the Trump campaign and RNC back in 2018. When asked Friday about the Q2 expenditures, the Trump campaign directed Daily Caller to the RNC, which did not respond to inquiries by press time.
It should be noted that campaigns are legally allowed to engage with candidate or family owned businesses as long as they pay a market rate. Trump himself, however, has previously been criticized for staying at his own hotels, as the normal rates associated with boarding other government personnel are significantly higher than at other properties.
The Washington Post reported in February that Trump’s clubs in New Jersey and Florida have charged up to $650 a night for rooms housing United States Secret Service officers during the president’s visits.