U.S. pays Trump's Scotland golf resort $77,000 ahead of visit

[webfact]

U.S. pays Trump's Scotland golf resort $77,000 ahead of visit

By Andy Sullivan

 

U.S. President Donald Trump drives his golf buggy at his golf resort, in Turnberry, Scotland July 14, 2018. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government paid more than $77,000 (58,751.72 pounds) to President Trump's Scottish golf resort ahead of his stay there last weekend, according to federal spending records, indicating that Trump's official visit to Europe likely generated revenue for his business empire.

 

Spending records seen by Reuters show that the U.S. State Department, which typically arranges presidential travel overseas, paid $77,345.35 since April to SLC Turnberry Ltd, the Trump company that owns the resort, for "hotel rooms for VIP visit."

 

The payments were first reported by The Scotsman, a Scottish newspaper and website.

 

Trump stayed at the resort and played golf there last Saturday, between a meeting of the NATO military alliance and a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

It was not clear whether all of the payments were made to cover expenses for Trump's visit. The State Department paid Turnberry $7,670 in April and another $70,000 in the days before Trump's visit last week, federal records showed.

 

A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment about the charges, and White House officials did not respond to a request for comment.

 

Former government ethics officials and watchdog groups say Trump has failed to put safeguards in place to ensure that he does not directly profit from his actions as president.

 

"This is part of a pattern with this president of really doing everything he can to disgrace the office of the presidency by promoting his own private business interests," said Stephen Spaulding, a lawyer with the public interest group Common Cause.

While other recent presidents have put their assets in a blind trust, Trump has retained ownership of his hotels, golf courses and other businesses. He handed control of the businesses to his sons shortly before he took office in January 2017.

 

Unlike other recent presidents, he has refused to release his tax returns.

 

Trump often plays golf at his resorts in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia, and Republican candidates and conservative groups frequently hold fundraisers and other events at the Trump International Hotel, a few blocks from the White House.

 

Trump resigned as a director of Turnberry when he took office in January 2017, filings show, but he continues to hold an ownership stake. He earned $20.4 million from the property last year, according to his latest financial disclosure form, released in May.

 

Eric Trump, who along with his brother Donald Jr. serves as a director for Turnberry, wrote that Trump properties do not profit from U.S. government business.

 

"While not required, 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," he wrote on Twitter.

 

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan; editing by Clive McKeef)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-18

 

[kamahele]

Every time he stays at one of his properties which is every week, the taxpayers put money directly into his pocket. 

[Berkshire]

So on top of being a serial liar, a coward, weak, racist, misogynist, traitor, and stupid beyond words, Trump is also corrupt to the core.  Yes, taxpayer money going into his coffers.  And of course, one of his delusional supporters will come along and be perfectly fine with this.

[mtls2005]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A State Department spokeswoman declined to comment about the charges, and White House officials did not respond to a request for comment.

 

This must be the much-hyped "transparency" the administration and it's various water-carriers go on endlessly about?

 

It seems like it would be quite simple to just share the accounting on this, but maybe not. for some odd reason? Maybe they can invoke "national security"?

 

 

[lannarebirth]

It reminds me of when the press used to descend on places like Plains, GA and Crawford, TX.

[Berkshire]

27 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

It reminds me of when the press used to descend on places like Plains, GA and Crawford, TX.

Previous Presidents played golf on courses they owned?  And charged it to the US government? 

[BuaBS]

The trip to Singapore costed much more .

[Jonmarleesco]

Well, let's trust the UK taxman has taken his cut. 

[Tug]

Trump costs us so much more in so many ways he is a foul evil parasite in so many ways monetarily spirituality in every way you can think of he needs to go

[scorecard]

Nice textbook answer from the trump boy.

 

What's not mentioned is that the investment in the property is gaining 77,000US$ in cash flow regardless of whether it's at cost or not.

 

Plus in reality the site has staff who are paid regardless of whether there are some guests or many guests. In other words any additional costs would be minimal so the statement that it's charged at cost is less than honest.

 

The additional security would be organized and manned and paid for (obviously a lot of dollars) by the US government, not the hotel. 

 

This family as dishonest as they come, but some would of course say that's just capitalism.

 

 

[JAG]

I'm not a golfer - never so much as touched a golf bat - but I was under the impression that the general idea was to get some healthy exercise by bashing a ball around the landscape and walking around after it. Why the disability carriage?

[attrayant]

9 minutes ago, JAG said:

I'm not a golfer - never so much as touched a golf bat - but I was under the impression that the general idea was to get some healthy exercise by bashing a ball around the landscape and walking around after it. Why the disability carriage?

 

For many, golf is more of an upper-class social event for rubbing elbows with business partners and showing off one's status.  The cart is to make sure you don't sweat too much and offend a potential business connection, as well as to prevent the pampered, well-fed socialite from going into cardiac arrhythmia due to overexertion brought on by supporting one's own weight.

 

I even doubt they played all 18 holes.  

[stud858]

Trump being a true politician. Classic. 

[Langsuan Man]

And when was that swamp draining supposed to take place ? 

[Berkshire]

More waste, fraud, and abuse from the Trump Criminal Enterprise.  Tip of the iceberg stuff.  And what do US taxpayers get in return for all this?  Nada.

 

[The president’s sons traveled overseas for Trump family business on two trips that cost the Secret Service nearly $250,000. Taxpayers footed the bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars in hotels, airfare and other costs for Secret Service protection, according to documents obtained by nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.]

 

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/07/18/eric-donald-trump-jr-secret-service-costs-731113