Trump Hotels Charged Secret Service Up to 5 Times the Recommended Rate

During Donald Trump’s presidency, Trump hotels charged the Secret Service as much as $1,185 per night while the agency protected the first family, according to an investigation released Monday by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. In some cases, agents were charged more than five times the government's recommended rate for the hotel stays.

Key Quotes: "Despite claims by the Trump Organization that federal employees traveling with the former President would stay at Trump properties 'for free' or 'at cost,' new information obtained by the Committee shows that the former President’s company charged the Secret Service excessive nightly rates on dozens of trips," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), chair of the Oversight Committee, in a letter to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle.

For Context: In 2019, Eric Trump told Yahoo Finance that Secret Service agents "stay at our properties for free" while protecting the president. Secret Service records obtained by the committee reportedly show that the agency was charged rates above the government per diem amount at least 40 times between Jan. 20, 2017 and Sept. 15, 2021.

How the Media Covered It: Sources across the political spectrum published similar reports on the news. Left-rated media covered the story more than right-rated media, and tended to frame it as evidence that Trump lied and profited off of taxpayer money.