Trump Businesses Are Making Millions Off His Own Campaign
Donald Trump has redirected millions of dollars from campaign donations into his own family businesses, according to a new report. The former president and political groups connected to him have funneled $28 million in campaign funds to Trump-owned businesses over the course of his three presidential campaigns, CNN reports.
Several Republicans have directed campaign funds towards significant expenditures at Mar-a-Lago, Trump hotels, and other Trump-affiliated businesses, a move that ultimately benefits the former president, according to a CNN report.
The report highlights that Trump’s campaign and related committees have collectively spent over $14 million at TAG Air, Inc., the Trump-owned company responsible for operating Trump Force One, his private jet.
One of the largest expenses this year was a $1.9 million payment made by Trump’s campaign and associated committees to TAG Air, as reported by CNN.
Additionally, campaigns and committees linked to Trump have spent more than $1 million at Mar-a-Lago so far this year, with another $200,000 directed towards other Trump hotels and resorts, according to CNN.
A spokesperson for Trump’s campaign told CNN that all payments to Trump-owned businesses are made at fair market value for the venues and services provided.
The spokesperson dismissed allegations that Republicans are spending money at Trump’s businesses in exchange for political favors, calling such claims “false and politically motivated, meant to prop up an old, worn-out narrative.”
According to CNN, it is legal for candidates to use campaign funds at their own businesses, provided they pay the fair market rate.
This year has been financially challenging for Trump, with multiple legal rulings resulting in significant payments. In January, a New York judge ordered Trump to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million after finding him liable for defamation. The following month, Trump was found liable for financial fraud in New York, initially ordered to pay over $350 million, though the amount was later reduced to $175 million.
In July, Trump’s campaign raised $137 million in donations. During the same period, Kamala Harris’s campaign pulled in $310 million in the last ten days of July, following President Joe Biden’s decision to exit the race and endorse her.
Most of Harris’s July donations came from individuals contributing less than $200, as previously reported by The Independent.
On Thursday evening, Harris made history at the Democratic National Convention by becoming the first woman of color to accept a major party’s nomination for vice president.
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