Trump’s hotel bills to Secret Service ‘exorbitant’, House panel says

Former US president Donald Trump’s private company arranged for the Secret Service to pay for rooms at his properties at more than government-approved rates at least 40 times, documents released by a congressional committee show.

The documents, released this week, included two charges for more than $1,100 a room a night.

The Secret Service was charged more than $800 a night at least 11 times when agents stayed at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, Mr Trump's hotel in Washington DC and other properties, the Democratic-led House oversight committee said.

It said Mr Trump made more than 500 trips to his properties while president.

The “exorbitant” rates point to a possible “taxpayer-funded windfall for Mr Trump’s struggling businesses", committee chairwoman Carolyn Maloney of New York wrote on Monday to the Secret Service, requesting more information.

The Secret Service said it had received the letter and was reviewing it.

The Trump Organisation denied that the Secret Service charges were a problem and said it provided rooms and other services at cost, at large discounts or for free.

“The Trump family is likely the first family in American history to have not profited off of the United States government,” Eric Trump said.

“President Trump funded the vast majority of his campaign with hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money and turned away billions of dollars in real estate deals worldwide.”

In total, the Trump Organisation charged the agency responsible for protecting the president and his family at least $1.4 million, Secret Service records released by the committee show.

The committee said the total bill was probably higher because the panel only received records to September 2021 and payments for trips abroad were not included.

Donald Trump has been repeatedly criticised by Democrats and government watchdogs for what they say were brazen attempts make money from taxpayer funds during his presidency.

In addition to money from the Secret Service when he and his family visited his clubs and hotels, Mr Trump played host to foreign officials at his properties, also requiring lodging for accompanying agents.

The president tried to arrange for his Trump National Doral Golf Club in Florida to be chosen as the venue for a Group of Seven meeting of global leaders, only to pull back after an outcry about self-dealing.

Among the documents released on Monday was a bill tied to 2017 trip by Trump’s oldest son, Don Jr, to the Trump International Hotel down the street from the White House.

That resulted in a Secret Service room charge of $1,185 a night, more than five times the government-approved rate, the committee said, although the agency is allowed to make exceptions.