Trump hotels charged Secret Service ‘exorbitant’ rates to protect first family

The Trump Organization charged the Secret Service hundreds or thousands of dollars above the government rate for stays at its hotels while protecting the 45th president and his family members on dozens of trips, according to receipts released Monday in a report by the House Oversight Committee.

Committee Chair Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) accused Trump of profiting off taxpayer funds by lodging agents in his eponymous hotels at rates “as high as $1,185 per night,” in a letter to Secret Service director Kimberly Cheatle revealing the findings.

“The exorbitant rates charged to the Secret Service and agents’ frequent stays at Trump-owned properties raise significant concerns about the former President’s self-dealing and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump’s struggling businesses,” Maloney said.

Government rates refer to the maximum amount federal employees can spend on hotels for work purposes and are based on the average hotel rate for a given area during a certain time of year. Expenses that rise above that threshold are typically subjected to additional scrutiny, but the Trump administration in early 2017 gave the Secret Service additional flexibility for such costs if incurred during protective missions.