Posted on 02/08/2020 6:00:14 AM PST by where's_the_Outrage?
Last year, Eric Trump was asked about Secret Service protection at Trump Organization properties.
“If my father travels, they stay at our properties for free,” he said. “So everywhere that he goes, if he stays at one of his places, the government actually spends, meaning it saves a fortune because if they were to go to a hotel across the street, they’d be charging them $500 a night, whereas, you know we charge them, like $50.”
You will be stunned to learn this is not remotely true.
Instead, as the indefatigable David Fahrenthold and three colleagues at The Washington Post chronicle in his latest scoop on the president’s business, the Trump Organization charged the Secret Service (in other words, the taxpayer) between $400 and $650 per night to stay at Mar-a-Lago while guarding the president. At another Trump property, his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, the Secret Service was billed $17,000 per month for a small cottage, even when the president wasn’t present. These are just snapshots. Despite heroic public-records work by the Post, there’s still no complete picture of just what the Trump Organization is charging the Secret Service....
As the Post notes, other presidents who allowed the Secret Service to use their properties, including both George Bushes and Bill Clinton, didn’t charge them.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Ha ha. The left has been reduced to quibbling over hotel bills.
Maybe the secret service agents are charging food, liquor and whores to their rooms.
David Fahrenthold and three colleagues chronicle in their latest scoop finds out people have to pay for rooms.
Holiday Inn winks
The Third Amendment to the U.S. Constitution forbids free boarding of government agents in private accommodations.
Trump enterprises may have tried to give free accommodations, but were prevented by the Constitution.
@post 17 — This is the truth
This was settled before on this website with citations when the prior Presidents did this (I believe W and Clinton both suffered this story). I also believe OMB or the Secret Service did a press release stating the same. You would likely see the same story of the new Obama mansion in the Vineyard had a guesthouse.
This is a story that is deliberately twisting the truth.
The story also neglects to point out something that a surprising number of Americans are still unaware of - that Trump donates his entire salary to charity and that the Trump’s as a corporate entity have lost money considering they are not growing at a time of unprecedented economic growth in our nation as well as the boycotts of their branded properties and clubs by liberals.
Thanks for posting the truth gundog - FRegards
This'll change under Butteigeig
I thought that was Gore.
Biden did the same thing.
Who knows what the truth is anymore? Maybe the bill was $650 a night, for ALL of the SS personnel. Who knows?
But, this once again proves that no matter what the President does, they’ll go after him for it. If he did/was giving the rooms for free or at a discounted rate they’d be going after him for that and saying that he’s violating some law or policy in NOT charging for services.
stirred...
The Billionaire donates $400,000 a Year to various Government Agencies. That should cover the Hotel Bill.
I would think, at the end of the day, the Top Bean Counter at the properties is doing exactly what you wrote. Using the going rate for the room on the company’s tax returns, while charging a discounted rate for the actual use.
Who knows? Who cares?
The last occupant of the White House and his wife used the taxpayer as ATMs while they traveled the world, vacationed in Hawaii and the Vineyard and used AF1&2 as their personal NetJets for family, friends and their entire entourage.
Yeah, the “indefatigable” and “heroic” reporters in the Atlantic article need some basic schooling on how the Federal government does business in the 21st century. Of course, Eric Trump’s number was off but the intent to illustrate the government getting a discount by staying on Trump properties was still valid.
The Federal government has regulations prohibiting it from receiving anything of value for free to avoid even the appearance of bribery. In short, the Secret Service must pay if it receives anything of tangible value from someone. Other posts have noted what it costs to “stay” at the Trump’s exclusive Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida: $200k membership fee + $15k annual dues + $2k/night room fee. So the $400 - $650/night room fee being charged looks like the government rate.
Here’s another factor not mentioned in the article, this isn’t a conference that the Secret Service just happens to be attending. This is securing the physical location that the President will be staying at. This requires advance teams to survey the vulnerablities of the site, isolate it, provide coverage during the President’s visit. It may require installation of special surveillance, communications, and even electronic countermeasures equipment. And, of course, afterwards, what goes in, must come out. I am sure some locations require entire floors, perhaps even multiple floors, be secured to provide 360 degree protection. Visit the same site frequently enough and it becomes more economical to just retain specific rooms for use by the the Secret Service so that they can install and leave in place their surveillance and communications equipment.
The article, of course, says nothing about how much additional space is restricted from occupancy by the government during a presidential visit. The article makes no attempt to calculate the loss in revenue to the resort due to such restrictions.
One post noted that it was good that the article was coming out now rather than October. The article will be back, that can be counted on. If the White House and Trump Campaign is smart, they will make an effort now to do a full analysis of this question and file it away to be issued when the topic is brought up again.
Because the Trumpster is not taking a paycheck like Zero did, The "Atlantic" is trying to sell the idea, that POTUS Trump is making up the difference via housing charged to Secret Service.
It's not that I don't TRUST the "Atlantic," it's that I FLAT-A$$ don't trust them, now having dealt with my trust issue's, it's time to use the fish wrapper, to wrap some fish.
PS POTUS Lied to me, said I would get tired of WINNING!
NOT!!!!!
The price we pay for Trump's Secret Service protection is part of the price of a free society for allowing those with Trump Derangement Syndrome to run free.
I think Trump will be the first president in recent history who will leave the Presidency poorer than when he entered the WH. His net worth is already down several billion.
Of course, Hillary complained they were broke when they left the White House.
Of course she wss lying.
Even if it were true, she made up for it with pay for play when Sec of State.
Plus $ Billion went ‘missing’ during that time.
Fell into her purse no doubt.
MYou’d welcome. Lies of omission are a powerful tool in the hands of the MSM. I pray that DJT can blow the lid off of the swamp and many in the media, and actually open some eyes to the mess we’re in.
You’re right. Stirred.
“...Who knows? Who cares?...” Actually I do, I care. The left makes these statement to denigrate POTUS, it is not true. If the Secret Service is not billed then it should be known and the people who lie about should be publicly corrected.
Addendum: knowing the way that the Fedgov has come to function, I’ll wager that the SS is only too happy to be billed for these things. It probably affects the funding that they get in their next fiscal year. Spend it, or lose it.
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