Donald Trump's Turnberry firm paid 50,000 {pounds} by US Government for weekend visit

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: The Scotsman

Donald Trump’s Turnberry firm paid £50,000 by US Government for weekend visit

Published: 17:45 Updated: 19:47 Tuesday 17 July 2018

Donald Trump’s Turnberry firm was paid more than £50,000 by his own government to cover the accommodation bill for his weekend stay at his loss-making resort, The Scotsman can reveal.

US federal government spending records seen by this newspaper show a series of payments worth a total of £52,477 were made by the State Department to SLC Turnberry Limited, the company behind the South Ayrshire hotel and golf course.

The five-figure windfall, which represents the first example of how Mr Trump’s firm was paid for his contentious working visit to the UK, has been condemned by ethics watchdogs, with one group accusing the 72-year-old of “using the power and authority of his office to profit personally”.

The US taxpayers’ money went towards hotel rooms used by Mr Trump and his staff during his two-night stay at Turnberry, which the president said would be dominated by meetings and calls. He ended up playing two rounds of golf at the historic course.

Read more: https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/donald-trump-s-turnberry-firm-paid-50-000-by-us-government-for-weekend-visit-1-4770069

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Hat tip, Joe.My.God: US Paid £52K For Trump To Stay At His Scotland Resort

http://www.joemygod.com/2018/07/17/us-paid-52k-for-trump-to-stay-at-his-scotland-resort/

[sandensea]

1. Trump's Chumpkins thought he was coming to Washington to shake things up.

When what he really came for, was to shake it down.

[karynnj]

2. Can we speak of the emoluments clause again??

Can the Congress demand that Trump's staff NOT stay at his hotels, golf courses etc ... and that the US not pay anything for Trump to stay at his own place if he opts to stay there.

[Retrograde]

3. They can - but they won't

A Congress that cared more about the Constitution could have an oversite committee look into excessive travel expenditures by the president and his staff, but I wouldn't hold my breath for Ryan or McConnell to do so.

[FakeNoose]

4. It wasn't just Cheeto - he flew over 40 high-rollers for a golf weekend

This trip was planned to bring business to their failing resort in Scotland.
The whole Trump family showed up and probably got a free trip out of it.

Seen enough now MAGAts? Are you still thinking this is normal? Is he still doing a great job?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Previously at DU:

Eric Trump seems to be taking members of Trump US golf clubs on trips to international locations.

[Mc Mike]

6. Yeah, he's worth 11 billion dollars, but he can't afford to comp himself

for his stay at his property.

Also, he's donating his presidential salary. To 'charity'. Honest.

[noneof_theabove]

9. my favorite charity...

must be the same as pee-Resident and the family of thiefs.

M.M. & I.

translated to ME, Myself & I.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

7. No journalists aware of any Trump Org policy not to profit from US Gov patronage at its properties.

David Fahrenthold Retweeted:

I've spoken with several US journos who cover Trump businesses. None aware of any Trump Org policy not to profit from US Gov patronage at its properties. So, three Qs for @EricTrump - when was the policy implemented; why wasn't it announced; can you open your books to prove it?

Link to tweet

They charge the maximum that the US government will allow for a room. Just because they raised their rates as a way for foreign governments and companies to funnel bribes to Trump does not mean they aren't making money.

Link to tweet

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Report: Trump's stay at his own Scotland resort cost $68,800

David Fahrenthold Retweeted:

Report: Trump’s stay at his own Scotland resort cost $68,800, via @fahrenthold

Link to tweet

Politics

Report: Trump’s stay at his Scotland resort cost $68,800

By David A. Fahrenthold July 17 at 3:41 PM [link:[e-mail]|Email the author]

The U.S. government paid $68,800 to President Trump’s golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland to cover the cost of Trump’s visit to the course last weekend, according to a report Tuesday in the Scotsman newspaper.

The money came from the State Department, the Edinburgh-based paper reported, and it paid for hotel rooms used by Trump and his staff. The president stayed at the resort — which he bought in 2014 — from Friday night to Sunday afternoon.

Reached on Tuesday afternoon, the Trump Organization did not dispute the paper’s findings. Instead, it issued a one-sentence statement saying that it did not derive profits from business with the government.

“For United States government patronage, our hotels charge room rates only at cost and we do not profit from these stays,” said the statement, attributed to George A. Sorial, the company’s chief compliance counsel. ... Eric Trump, one of the president’s sons, made a similar point on Twitter: “We have decided that for any United States Govt business, we charge our COST and do NOT profit from these stays. Much more would be spent if they stayed elsewhere.”

Link to tweet

....

David A. Fahrenthold is a reporter covering the Trump family and its business interests. He has been at The Washington Post since 2000, and previously covered Congress, the federal bureaucracy, the environment and the D.C. police. Follow https://twitter.com/Fahrenthold

[Midnight Writer]

10. Smart businessman. Just what "we" voted for.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. FOIA: Secret Service spent $20,000 at Trump tower in Vancouver for Don. Jr, Eric, and Tiffany

David Fahrenthold:

New with @Fahrenthold: The Secret Service spent $20,000 at the Trump tower in Vancouver when Don. Jr, Eric and Tiffany went last year for its grand opening, new FOIA docs show https://wapo.st/2mpKiQn

Link to tweet