Former U.S. President Donald Trump billed the federal government significantly more for Secret Service accommodations at his hotels than what was charged to other guests, especially foreign dignitaries, according to a new report released Friday by Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee.
The report, based on documents obtained through subpoenas from Trump’s accountants at Mazars, labeled Trump’s presidency as “the world’s greatest get-rich-quick scheme.” It cited guest logs from Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., between September 2017 and August 2018, showing that the hotel charged Secret Service agents up to 300% above the government’s authorized per diem rates.
“Not only did Trump’s D.C. hotel routinely overcharge the Secret Service, it often billed the agency more than other guests, including foreign royals and Chinese business representatives,” the report revealed. This contradicts previous statements made by Eric Trump, who claimed that the Trump Organization allowed Secret Service agents to stay at their properties for free.
The report also refutes Eric Trump's assertion by highlighting instances where the Secret Service was charged "well beyond approved government rates," even more than what was charged to high-profile foreign guests like members of the Qatari royal family and Chinese business interests.
This investigation builds on previous reports initiated when Democrats controlled the House Oversight Committee. After Republicans gained the majority in 2023, new Chairman James Comer halted the committee’s efforts to obtain additional records. The latest findings are based on documents acquired before the change in leadership.
Earlier, a January report by House Democrats revealed that four businesses owned by Trump's family conglomerate received at least $7.8 million from 20 countries during his presidency. The Trump International Hotel in Washington served as a hub for many Republican officials during Trump’s time in office, hosting federal judges, ambassadors, and presidential pardon recipients.
The U.S. Constitution’s emoluments clause prohibits a president from receiving any payments from the federal government beyond their salary. While former presidents like Jimmy Carter divested from their business interests to avoid conflicts of interest, Trump refused to do so, shielding his business dealings from public scrutiny.
In January 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed two lawsuits accusing Trump of violating the emoluments clause, ruling that the cases were moot after he left office.
Trump’s Washington hotel, which generated around $150 million in revenue during his presidency but faced significant losses due to the pandemic, was sold in 2022 to CGI Merchant Group, a Florida-based investment firm. Since reopening under the Waldorf Astoria brand in June 2023, Republican spending at the property has sharply declined, according to a report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an oversight group that sued Trump over emoluments issues.
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