House Report: Trump Violated Constitution, Overcharged Secret Service, Took $7.8M from Foreign States

Oct 18, 2024, 03:20 PM

House Democrats have released a report accusing former President Donald Trump of overcharging the U.S. Secret Service for accommodations at his Washington D.C. hotel during his presidency, particularly in 2017 and 2018. According to the report by the House Oversight Committee, Trump's hotel charged Secret Service agents, who were protecting him and his family, rates exceeding 300% above standard government rates on multiple occasions. The report alleges that Trump violated the Constitution by accepting hundreds of unethical payments, totaling $7.8 million from 20 foreign states, through his hotel. It also states that Trump benefited from federal and state officials, federal job seekers, and presidential pardon recipients who paid for stays at the property. The committee claims that the overcharging amounted to using the Secret Service as a 'personal government ATM' to line his own pockets. Additionally, the report notes that the hotel charged the agency more than it did other patrons, including a Chinese business and members of a Qatari royal family.