Elijah Grant
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has been paying rent for office space in Trump Tower, amounting to $37,000 per month for President Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. The RNC has also been paying the salary of Vice President Pence's nephew, John Pence, who is the deputy executive director of the campaign. This has raised questions about the use of campaign funds, as the Trump campaign has ample funds to cover these expenses. The RNC's expenditures at Trump-owned properties have increased significantly, with a total of $424,000 spent in the first two months of 2018, including venue rentals, catering fees, and security services.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| RNC paying rent for Trump's campaign space in Trump Tower | Yes |
| RNC monthly rent for Trump Tower space | $37,000 |
| RNC total rent paid for Trump Tower space | $290,000 |
| RNC rent payment start date | September 2017 |
| Trump Tower location | Fifth Avenue, New York City |
| Trump Tower rent recipient | Trump Tower Commercial LLC |
| Trump Tower rent payer | Republican National Committee (RNC) |
| Trump Tower space usage | Office space for Trump's 2020 reelection campaign |
| Trump Tower space expansion | Yes, from one to three floors |
| Trump Tower rent increase | Yes, from $35,457 to $169,758 per month |
| Trump Tower rent controversy | Accusations of improper use of funds and loyalty displays |
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What You'll Learn
- RNC paid Trump's campaign rent at Trump Tower
- RNC spent $424,000 at Trump-owned properties in 2018
- Trump Tower's commercial space earned Trump $336 million from 2000 to 2018
- Trump's campaign rent increased from $35,457 to $169,758 per month
- RNC's payments to Trump were questioned by campaign finance experts
RNC paid Trump's campaign rent at Trump Tower
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has been paying rent for President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign office space in Trump Tower, New York City. The RNC reportedly paid $37,000 a month, which is a permissible expense, but Fischer, of the Campaign Legal Center, questioned the decision, stating that the RNC could be spending its money more effectively on the 2018 campaign.
The RNC also pays the salary of at least one Trump campaign staffer, John Pence, the nephew of Vice President Mike Pence. John Pence's payments are allegedly about $12,000 per month, plus an additional $9,000 paid for “strategy consulting”. The RNC also pays $15,000 a month to a company owned by Trump’s former security chief for “security services”.
The RNC began covering these expenses just days after ceasing to pay Trump’s personal legal fees in relation to the Russia investigation. The RNC spent $424,000 at Trump-owned properties in the first two months of 2018, which was an increase of more than 100 times what the committee spent at Trump's properties during the same period the previous year.
The Trump campaign's rent has been rising as it has expanded the space it uses in Trump Tower. Between August 2016 and April 2017, the campaign paid $35,457 per month for rent and utilities to Trump Tower Commercial LLC. This increased to $169,758 per month as the campaign expanded from using only the fifth floor to adding two additional levels.
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RNC spent $424,000 at Trump-owned properties in 2018
The Republican National Committee (RNC) spent over $424,000 at properties owned by President Donald Trump and his family in the first two months of 2018. This amount is more than 100 times what the committee spent at Trump's properties during the same two-month period in 2017. The RNC has stated that Trump's resorts charge market rates for events, making them a financially sound choice.
The RNC's patronage of Trump's resorts has raised concerns among watchdog groups, who note that before the 2016 election, the GOP spent barely any money at Trump-owned hotels and golf clubs. In the past year, the president's properties have become go-to venues for RNC fundraising events. In February 2018, the committee held three events at Trump's properties: two in Miami and one in Washington, DC. At its current rate, the RNC is on track to spend upwards of $2.5 million this year at properties owned by the president and his family.
The RNC also spends more than $35,000 a month to rent office space at Trump Tower in New York City, which is used by the Trump reelection campaign, according to FEC reports. The RNC also pays the salary of at least one Trump campaign staffer, John Pence, the nephew of Vice President Mike Pence. Trump's former personal bodyguard, Keith Schiller, was also on the RNC payroll: as soon as Schiller left his White House job in the fall of 2017, the RNC began paying him $15,000 a month, an arrangement that continued through February 2018, according to filings.
An RNC spokeswoman told CNBC that the payments to Schiller were in exchange for the former police officer's help in selecting a city for the 2020 Republican National Convention. Despite the concerns of watchdog groups, the RNC's patronage of Trump's properties shows no signs of slowing down. On March 3, 2018, the GOP hosted another fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, its second of the year.
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Trump Tower's commercial space earned Trump $336 million from 2000 to 2018
The New York Times reported that Trump Tower's commercial spaces earned Donald Trump $336 million between 2000 and the end of 2018, which amounts to over $20 million per year. The tower's forty ground-level stores opened for business on November 30, 1983.
Trump Tower has been a lucrative source of income for Donald Trump, with the commercial spaces generating significant revenue. The tower has attracted a variety of businesses and organisations as tenants, including Nike, which leased retail space known as "Niketown."
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has also contributed to the tower's earnings by renting space for Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The RNC began paying rent to Trump Tower in September 2018, after previously covering Trump's legal bills for the Russia probe. The RNC has spent a substantial amount on rent, with monthly payments of around $35,000 to $40,000.
In addition to the RNC, Trump's own campaign has been a tenant in Trump Tower. As the campaign expanded its rented space within the tower, the rent increased significantly. Between August 2016 and April 2017, the campaign paid $35,457 per month. However, as the campaign expanded to additional floors, the rent increased to $169,758 per month.
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Trump's campaign rent increased from $35,457 to $169,758 per month
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has been paying rent for Trump's 2020 reelection campaign office space in Trump Tower. The RNC reportedly paid $37,000 per month, which is a significant increase from the previous rent amount of $35,457 per month. The rent increase is likely due to the campaign expanding its space within the tower, as they added two additional levels to their original space on the fifth floor. This expansion resulted in a rent increase to $169,758 per month.
The RNC's decision to pay the rent for the Trump campaign raised some concerns among experts, who questioned the timing of the payments, as they occurred early in the election cycle. It was also noted that the Trump campaign had the financial means to cover the rent themselves, as they had been actively fundraising since the beginning. Additionally, the RNC's payments for the Trump campaign's rent came after they stopped covering Trump's legal bills related to the Russia probe.
The RNC's total expenses at Trump Tower include not only the rent but also salaries for campaign staff, such as Vice President Pence's nephew, John Pence, and security services provided by Trump's former security chief. The RNC's total spending at Trump-owned properties in the first two months of 2018 was $424,000, a significant increase from the previous year. This included venue rentals, catering fees, and other expenses associated with fundraising events held at Trump's properties.
The Trump Tower has been a significant location for Trump's political career, as he launched his 2016 presidential campaign from there, and it has since become a popular tourist attraction in New York City. The tower has generated substantial revenue from commercial rents, with Trump earning $336 million from 2000 to 2018, amounting to over $20 million per year.
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RNC's payments to Trump were questioned by campaign finance experts
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has been questioned by campaign finance experts for its payments to Trump's 2020 reelection campaign, which included rent for office space in Trump Tower. The RNC reportedly paid $37,000 per month for the office space, according to FEC reports and monthly filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission. This amount is in addition to the thousands of dollars paid in salary to Vice President Pence's nephew, John Pence, who served as the deputy executive director of the campaign. The total expenses incurred by the RNC for these payments exceeded $290,000.
The timing of the payments raised questions among experts, who found it unusual for the RNC to be covering these expenses so early in the election cycle. Brendan Fischer, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, stated that the payments were permissible and properly reported but questioned the rationale behind them. Fischer suggested that the RNC could have allocated its funds more effectively towards the 2018 campaign rather than paying Trump's rent. He also pointed out that the campaign had sufficient funds to cover its own expenses.
The RNC's payments to Trump's campaign began after the committee stopped paying Trump's personal legal fees related to the Russia investigation. This transition raised concerns about the committee's use of funds, as the legal defense fund was originally intended for purposes such as vote recounts. The RNC's spending at Trump-owned properties increased significantly, with a more than 100-fold rise in expenses during the first two months of 2018 compared to the same period in the previous year. This spending included venue rentals, catering fees, and payments to Trump's former security chief for "security services."
The RNC's patronage of Trump's properties continued, and by 2018, the committee was on track to spend upwards of $2.5 million that year at properties owned by the president and his family. This spending pattern attracted the attention of watchdog groups, who expressed concern about the committee's financial decisions. Despite these concerns, the RNC showed no signs of slowing down its support of Trump-owned properties, hosting fundraisers at venues such as Mar-A-Lago.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the RNC has been renting office space in Trump Tower for President Trump's reelection campaign.
The RNC pays $37,000 a month in rent for Trump Tower, according to FEC reports. This is a permissible expense, but some have questioned the timing and cost-efficiency of the decision.
John Pence is the nephew of Vice President Mike Pence and a Trump campaign staffer. The RNC has been paying him a salary of around $12,000 per month, in addition to $9,000 for "strategy consulting."
The RNC spent $424,000 at Trump-owned properties in the first two months of 2018, including venue rentals, catering fees, and security services. The RNC has also covered legal fees for Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., and Trump's former bodyguard, Keith Schiller.
