Secret Service paid high rates at Trump's D.C. hotel, report says

A report from House Democrats suggests that the Secret Service was charged unusually high rates at Donald Trumps Washington D.C. hotel during his presidency. The findings‚ released roughly 2 years ago‚ are based on hotel records from about 6-7 years back.

According to the report‚ the Secret Service often paid rates that were 300% or more above standard government rates. In some cases these charges exceeded those for other guests including a Chinese business and members of a foreign royal family.

One notable instance occurred on 02/22/18‚ when Eric Trump visited the hotel. The Secret Service was charged $895 for two rooms‚ while more than 100 rooms were rented at lower rates that night some as low as $150. On the same evening‚ rooms for a Qatari royal family were charged between $280 and $490.

The report raises concerns about potential violations of the Constitutions emoluments clauses which are designed to prevent federal officials from enriching themselves at taxpayer expense. Democrats argue that this created an “appearance of corruption and pay-to-play.“

Eric Trump‚ the Trump Organizations executive vice-president‚ has repeatedly disputed claims that the family business profited from Secret Service stays. He stated that the company often provided rooms for free or at steep discounts However‚ expense records seem to contradict these claims.

Republicans have dismissed the report as outdated and politically motivated. James Comer‚ the Oversight Committee chairman‚ criticized Democrats for what he called their lack of oversight of the Biden administration.

While the Trump Organization sold the D.C. hotel about 2 years ago‚ concerns remain about potential conflicts of interest in Trumps other business ventures. Democrats are calling for legal barriers to prevent similar situations in the future