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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 2 years

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The Trump Organization charged the Secret Service up to $1,185 per night for hotel rooms used by agents protecting former President Donald J. Trump and his family, according to documents released on Monday by the House Oversight Committee, forcing a federal agency to pay well above government rates.

The Committee released Secret Service records showing more than $1.4 million in payments by the Department to Trump properties since Mr. Trump took office in 2017. The Committee said that the accounting was incomplete, however, because it did not include payments to Mr. Trump’s foreign properties — where agents accompanied his family repeatedly — and because the records stopped in September 2021.

The records the panel obtained provided new details about an arrangement in which Mr. Trump and his family effectively turned the Secret Service into a captive customer of their business — by visiting their properties hundreds of times, and then charging the government rates far above its usual spending limits.

The records also make clear that Mr. Trump’s son Eric — who ran the family business while his father was in office — provided a misleading account of what his company was charging.

In 2019, Eric Trump said the Trump Organization charged the government only “like $50” for hotel rooms during presidential visits.

Instead, records obtained by the Committee showed, the Trump International Hotel in Washington repeatedly charged the Secret Service rates more than $600 per night. In one case, the hotel charged the Secret Service $1,160 a night for a room used while protecting Eric Trump in 2017. That was more than four times higher than the government’s usual spending limit for Washington hotels — but Secret Service officials approved the expense, according to the records.

The same year, the documents showed, Mr. Trump’s hotel in Washington charged the service $1,185 for a room used while guarding Donald Trump Jr.

“Per diem rates could not be obtained,” a Secret Service record said, referring to the government’s official maximum rate. By law, the department is allowed to exceed those maximum payments when its protective mission requires the additional cost.

Previously, the highest rate that the Trump Organization was known to have charged the government for a hotel room was $650 per night, for rooms at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla.

“What gets me is, over and over again, how they just lie about this stuff,” said Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York and the Chairwoman of the Oversight Committee. “Documents don’t lie.”

On Monday, Eric Trump issued a statement saying that the Trump Organization “would have been substantially better off if hospitality services were sold to full-paying guests.” He did not address the discrepancy between the rates he claimed the company had charged and the rates shown in the record.

In an interview, Ms. Maloney said the documents made clear that Mr. Trump was taking advantage of taxpayers by effectively requiring Secret Service agents to stay at properties he owned, and then billing the government exorbitant charges.

“This raises concerns that the Trump Organization was profiting off the presidency,” Ms. Maloney said. “It’s excessive.”

She said the Committee would continue to investigate how Mr. Trump’s businesses leveraged the presidency to his financial advantage, particularly regarding connections to foreign governments.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Ms. Maloney said.

While Mr. Trump was in office, his hotels were visited repeatedly by people seeking to influence his administration, including foreign leaders, embassies and telecom executives who needed the Justice Department’s approval for a pending merger. Since Mr. Trump still owned his businesses, he could benefit directly from their patronage.

In the past, Trump Organization representatives have said that the company billed the government “at cost” and could have made more money renting rooms to other guests. The company continued to charge the Secret Service since Mr. Trump left office and began living at his properties full-time.

In 2020, The Washington Post reported that the government had spent more than $2.5 million at Trump properties during his presidency. The payments came from multiple agencies and were largely prompted by Mr. Trump’s travel.

The State Department, for instance, paid the Mar-a-Lago club thousands of dollars for expenses related to Mr. Trump’s summits with foreign leaders there — including charges for flowers, food and even glasses of water.

The White House paid Mar-a-Lago more than $1,000 to cover 54 alcoholic drinks consumed by Trump aides in a private bar, as first reported by ProPublica.

And the Secret Service paid Mr. Trump’s company to follow his family to properties around the country and the world. Many of those charges were related to the former president’s visits to Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. — where the Secret Service paid the Trump Organization $17,000 per month, an unusually high rent for that area, to use a “cottage” on the grounds of the golf club.

The Secret Service also paid the Trump Organization for rooms it used while protecting top administration officials — including Vice President Mike Pence and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin — during their stays at Trump properties.

The records obtained by the Oversight Committee show that the Secret Service has made at least 669 payments to Mr. Trump’s company, Ms. Maloney said on Monday in a public letter to Kimberly A. Cheatle, the agency’s director.

The Secret Service issued a written statement saying only that it would respond to the Committee’s requests for more information but did not provide any additional details.

Mr. Trump continued to own his businesses throughout his presidency, though he said he had given day-to-day management to his adult sons. The Trump Organization’s charges did not violate the law, ethics experts said, since presidents are largely exempt from conflict-of-interest laws that apply to other federal officials.

#us politics #news #donald trump #trump administration #trump organization #eric trump #Secret Service #house oversight committee #rep. Carolyn B. Maloney #trump international hotel #The Washington Post #department of state #ProPublica #Trump National Golf Club #mike pence #steve mnuchin #Kimberly A. Cheatle #2022

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criticalthinkingisalostskill · 2 months

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Mayorkas Personally Declined Kennedy’s Request for Secret Service Protection

President Biden has arrayed his cabinet against not only Republican rival Trump but also against another rival, Robert Kennedy Jr.

We received 99 pages of Secret Service records from the Department of Homeland Security in a FOIA lawsuit that shows Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas personally declined presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s request for Secret Service protection.

We received the records through a September 26, 2023, lawsuit filed after the Department of Homeland Security failed to respond to a July 31, 2023, FOIA request for senior department officials’ communications regarding the provision of Secret Service protection for Kennedy (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:23-cv-02846)).

The newly obtained records include a July 21, 2023, two-sentence letter sent by Mayorkas to Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, advising her:

On May 26, 2023, Candidate for President Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. submitted a request to the Department of Homeland Security for United States Secret Service protection. In accordance with the authority set forth in Title 18, United States Code, Section 3056(a)(7), and in consultation with the Candidate Protection Advisory Committee, I decline to identify Candidate Kennedy for United States Secret Service protection at this time.

Mayorkas copied the letter to the members of the Candidate Protection Advisory Committee: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson.

As noted in a previous production of records from this lawsuit, the Secretary of Homeland Security has “broad discretion” when authorizing Secret Service protection to presidential or vice-presidential candidates:

Who receives protection?

The Secret Service does not determine who qualifies for protection, nor is the Secret Service empowered to independently initiate candidate protection.

Under 18 U.S.C.' 3056(a)(7), “[m]ajor Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates,” as identified by the Secretary of Homeland Security, are eligible for Secret Service protection.

Title 18 U.S.C' 3056(a)(7) authorizes the U.S. Secret Service to provide protection for major presidential and vice presidential candidates:

• Protection is authorized by the OHS Secretary after consultation with the Congressional Advisory Committee

• The Congressional Advisory Committee includes: Speaker of the House, House Minority Leader, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, and one additional member selected by the others

• Protection under these guidelines should only be granted within one year prior to the general election. Protection more than one year prior to the general election should only be granted in extraordinary, case by case circumstances in consultation with the committee, based on threat assessment and other factors.

Secret Service protection for presidential candidates began in 1968 after the assassination of Democrat candidate Robert F. Kennedy, the father of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The new records also show the Kennedy 2024 presidential campaign sent several requests to DHS seeking protection for the candidate, who initially ran as a Democrat but switched to Independent after realizing Democrats had no intention of allowing him to challenge Joe Biden for the party’s 2024 nomination.

The Kennedy for President organization’s first request for Secret Service protection was sent “Sensitive and Confidential” on May 26, 2023, from an unidentified official in Kennedy’s organization and reads: “As [redacted] for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s campaign for President of the United States, I am writing to request United States Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr from this point forward pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 3056(a)(7), which authorizes the Secret Service to provide protection to ‘Major Presidential Candidates.’ Robert F. Kennedy, Jr appears to have met this standard and we ask that you and your Congressional Protection Advisory Committee consider this request. If you authorize the Secret Service to protect Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, he will accept this protection as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made. With respect for your time and process, the campaign commissioned an expert risk assessment in advance of today’s request (attached). If you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.” The accompanying 62-page attachment is entirely redacted under FOIA exemptions relating to personal privacy and deliberative process.

On July 7, 2023, the Kennedy organization, “Team Kennedy,” sends a letter via email to Kristie Canegallo, acting deputy secretary and chief of staff at DHS, with the subject line “Urgent Request for Sec. Mayorkas Re Secret Service Protection of Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” along with an attachment titled "RFK Jr. Risk Assessment Declaration May 24, 2023.” In their cover email to Canegallo, Kennedy’s representatives write, “I am forwarding to you for immediate action by Secretary Mayorkas the attached files in the interest of protection by the United States Secret Service of Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. I can be reached at anytime at [redacted] for confirmation, or to answer questions. Thank you in advance for your assistance.” The attached “sensitive and confidential” letter states:

As [redacted] of the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., I am asking for an immediate response to my request for United States Secret Service protection Mr. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

You may know that within 24-hours after the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, President Johnson directed the Secret Service to provide protection to presidential candidates. Just days later, the Secret Service became responsible for the safety of five candidates, and by the end of the 1968 campaign, twelve candidates were protected by the USSS. The new responsibility was undertaken to ensure the safety of candidates and others in their vicinity – and to protect the electoral process itself.

Given Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s well-established risk as a presidential candidate, our campaign submitted a written request following the formal process. Our request was received at DHS on June 1, 2023. Presidential candidates traditionally hear back within 14 days; it has been more than 30-days since the formal request.

As I write this today, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. remains at risk of being harmed in connection with his Presidential campaign – and that risk is escalating.

Many weeks ago, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. met the criteria for a presidential candidate to receive Secret Service coverage, pursuant to Title 18 U.S.C. 3056(a)(7). He has polled above the threshold, has been actively campaigning on a national basis, operates a national campaign apparatus, has appeared before thousands of audience members at events in many states, regularly appears as a candidate on national network news programs, town halls, podcasts, interviews, is producing campaign materials, advertisements, and websites, is successfully fundraising, and has assembled a large campaign staff.

Again, our campaign has not heard back from the DHS since submitting the request. The risk to Mr. Kennedy, and those around him, persists and increases during this waiting period.

I have attached the first request and our initial threat assessment.

It is simply despicable that Secretary Mayorkas refused needed Secret Service protection for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. That it took a federal FOIA lawsuit to force out this information speaks volumes.

We also recently released Secret Service records under this lawsuit that showed Assistant Director Michael Plati ordering his staff not to respond to a request for information from Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s head of security. The documents also confirmed that Mayorkas and President Biden both have the discretion to provide Secret Service protection to Kennedy at any time.

In September 2023, we received Secret Service records detailing the denial of protection to presidential candidate Kennedy despite having received numerous threats from “known subjects.”

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vminews · 3 months

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Secret Service Visit

Jan. 22, 2024—Kimberly Cheatle, the 27th director of the U.S. Secret Service, along with a large contingency of agents—including VMI alumni—made a special recruiting trip to post Saturday. During the visit Cheatle and the agents toured post, met with cadets, ate lunch in Crozet Hall, and attended the basketball game in Cameron Hall.—VMI Photos by H. Lockwood McLaughlin.

#rahvamil

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liesmyteachertoldme · 7 months

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President Joe Biden's younger dog, Commander, bit another US Secret Service agent at the White House Monday evening, CNN has learned, the 11th known biting incident involving the 2-year-old German Shepherd. "Yesterday around 8 p.m., a Secret Service Uniformed Division police officer came in contact with a First Family pet and was bitten. The officer was treated by medical personnel on complex," USSS chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi told CNN in a statement. The injured officer spoke with Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Tuesday and is doing OK, Guglielmi said. Commander has been involved in at least 11 biting incidents at the White House and in Delaware, according to CNN reporting and US Secret Service email correspondence, including a November 2022 incident where an officer was hospitalized after the dog clamped down on their arms and thighs. White House officials said in July that the Bidens were working through new training and leashing protocols for the family pet following the incidents.

You know how they say pets reflect their owners?

Any other dog would have been put down long ago.

#government corruption #dog bites #bad dog #untrained dog

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shahananasrin-blog · 7 months

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[ad_1] FIRST ON FOX: A Texas Republican lawmaker is turning up the heat on the Biden administration to turn over the logs of President Biden's mystery Delaware visitors.Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, sent letters to both Biden and Secret Service deputy director Kimberly Cheatle, calling on the pair to release the visitor logs from the president's Wilmington, Delaware home.Biden saw a scandal earlier this year when classified documents from his time as vice president were discovered in his Delaware garage.WHO HAD ACCESS TO BIDEN CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS? REPUBLICAN DEMANDS WHITE HOUSE RELEASE DELAWARE VISITOR LOGS Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas, sent letters to both President Biden and Secret Service deputy director Kimberly Cheatle calling on the pair to release the visitor logs from the president's Delaware home. ( Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)Gooden requested that Biden provide "information on and public access to" the logs after the documents' discovery in January.The Texas Republican also wrote that given "the vast amount of time" Biden spends at his Delaware home "and the significant allegations of unethical behavior and influence peddling against members of your immediate family, the American people deserve to know who is influencing this Administration.""The Biden Administration has continuously promised to bring transparency and truth back to the government, yet your failure to disclose this information sends the opposite message," Gooden warned."I urge you to make good on this promise and release these visitor logs to the public," he continued. The Texas Republican also wrote that, given the time Biden spends away from the White House, "the American people deserve to know who is influencing this Administration." (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)Gooden wrote that the "White House Visitor Log Policy provides the American people with an unprecedented look at who is lobbying your administration" and that "White House logs have revealed that your senior staff were meeting with special counsel Jack Smith’s top aide just days before charges were filed against former President Trump."The Texas congressman noted that Biden has spent roughly "two hundred days" of his presidency at his Wilmington property.The "public deserves assurance that your administration is listening to the concerns of the American people and not acting in the best interest of lobbyists, friends, or donors," he said."Unfortunately, your administration has previously made it apparent that no records of visitors to your Delaware residence exist," Gooden wrote. The Texas congressman noted that roughly "two hundred days" of Biden's presidency "have been spent" at Biden's Wilmington property. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))However, Gooden noted that classified documents were also located at Biden's Wilmington home after going unnoticed for years. "Continual denial of existing visitor logs represents a potential conflict of interest between you and the individuals you are hosting at your private residence," Gooden continued.Gooden said that Biden's "decision to keep classified documents" at his Delaware home "may also be regarded as a national security risk," adding that "classified documents in [Biden's] garage and the Secret Service’s inability to confirm the existence of visitor logs is a potential national security breach of any information within these discovered documents."The Texas Republican asked Biden whether he would be "extending" the "basis for visitor disclosures" to other places the president regularly visits and whether "any non-U.S. citizens or foreign nationals visited President’s Delaware property.""If yes, did they have access to locations where classified documents were kept?" Gooden asked.Gooden's letter to Cheatle said the president's "conduct of official business at his vacation property, which has a history of security failures, appears to be unprecedented in recent times.""While I appreciate that every President has the right to some privacy when not in the White House, this President has invited members of the public, who in many cases have paid significant amounts of money for access to him, to watch official business be conducted and has in some cases sought their advice during these breaks from Washington." Gooden said Biden's "decision to keep classified documents" at his Delaware home "may also be regarded as a national security risk." (Dario Alequin for Fox News Digital)Gooden asked Cheatle what "determination, if any, has been made to continue making White House visitor logs from the Workers and Visitors Entry System (WAVES) and the Access Control Records system (ACR) available to the public" and whether the systems are "being used for the President's Delaware property."The congressman asked whether the Secret Service is "considering extending these systems, or any other security screenings" to other properties where Biden conducts official business.Gooden also "once again" asked Cheatle turn over the Delaware visitor logs "and all communications or documents between the U.S. Secret Service and the Biden Administration regarding a decision to maintain visitor logs at the President’s Delaware property."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPNeither the White House nor the Secret Service immediately responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.In January, Gooden demanded the release of all visitor logs for President Biden's residence in Delaware after the White House revealed that a batch of classified documents was discovered in the president's garage. Houston Keene is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @HoustonKeene [ad_2]

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