Donald Trump has yet another scandal to deal with.
This time, however, there would seem to be a paper trail.
The issue at hand is how much the Secret Service was being charged when agents stayed at Trump properties.
Government Rate
As a former hotelier, I can tell you, generally, when you do business with the government, you get paid the government rate regardless of your rack rate for the property.
The only way this changes is with an exception.
The Trump administration appears to have provided that exception, sometimes approving rates that were roughly five times the approved government rate.
In one instance, it appears that the Secret Service was charged $1,185 per night for rooms at a Trump property.
President Trump and his son Eric had both previously claimed that the government was saving money by staying at his properties.
For instance, when asked about the conflict of interest, Eric Trump has previously stated, “If my father travels, they stay at our properties for free.
“So everywhere that he goes, if he stays at one of his places, the government actually … 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.”
The House Oversight Committee produced documentation showing more than $1.4 million that had been paid to Trump properties, but that was not even the complete bill.
If that report is accurate, Donald Trump has yet another significant problem on his hands.
Not only that, but his son could also possibly find himself in legal trouble for trying to defraud the government.
I would imagine some heads would also roll in the Secret Service for signing off on the bills.
Source: New York Post
