WASHINGTON DC, USA – Businesses belonging to former US President Donald Trump are seeing a significant influx of campaign spending from Republican candidates, with expenditures at Trump-owned properties expected to reach their highest levels since 2016.
This comes as candidates seek Trump’s endorsement, often channelling campaign funds into his hotels, resorts, and private jet services.
According to data from the Federal Election Commission analyzed by CNN, GOP candidates and political groups have already spent nearly $3.2 million on Trump businesses in the first half of 2024.
Over 80% of that spending has come from Trump’s own campaign and associated committees.
Trump’s Businesses Reap Campaign Spending
Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s resort in Palm Beach, Florida, has been a primary beneficiary, with various campaigns spending more than $1 million there this year.
Other Trump properties, including his hotels and private jet service, have also seen significant expenditures.
Bernie Moreno, a candidate for the Ohio Senate seat, exemplifies this trend. After receiving Trump’s endorsement in December, Moreno’s campaign spent nearly $17,000 at Mar-a-Lago within two days.
The following month, his campaign paid an additional $79,000 to the resort for fundraising events.
Karoline Leavitt, a Trump campaign spokesperson, defended the spending, stating, “Committees are paying the fair market rate for all venues and services.”
Ethical Concerns Over Spending Patterns
The pattern of campaign spending at Trump properties has raised ethical questions among political observers.
Daniel Weiner, director of the Brennan Center’s Elections and Government Program, noted that the spending appears to be a way for candidates to demonstrate loyalty to Trump, who remains a powerful figure within the Republican Party.
“It’s become one of the accepted ways that candidates and public officials express their loyalty to the party’s leader,” Weiner said.
While it is legal for candidates to spend campaign funds at their own or their supporters’ businesses, experts warn that the overlap between political spending and securing Trump’s endorsement could create the appearance of a quid pro quo arrangement.
Record-High Spending in 2024
Trump himself remains the largest spender on his businesses. Over the past decade, Trump’s campaigns and affiliated groups have funneled more than $28 million into his properties.
This year, about 5% of the total disbursements from Trump’s 2024 campaign committee have gone to his businesses, including $1.9 million for air travel through TAG Air, Inc., the company operating his private jet.
The spike in spending at Trump’s properties coincides with the increasing importance of his endorsement in Republican primaries.
Candidates like Moreno, who had little prior political experience, have spent heavily at Trump’s businesses and, in return, have received crucial endorsements that have propelled their campaigns.
