Former President Donald Trump has reportedly charged the US Secret Service over $40,000 for staying at Mar-a-Lago to protect him.
According to federal spending records obtained by The Washington Post, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago charged Secret Service $396.15 every night starting Jan. 20, when he left office and moved into the club full time. The charges continued through at least April 30, costing taxpayers a total of $40,011.15.
Citing one person familiar with the payments, the newspaper reported that the charges were for a small room that Secret Service agents used as a workspace and for the use of the bathrooms. The rate is the same that Trump charged the Secret Service while he was president.
According to The Post, Trump charged the U.S. government over $2.5 million while he was in office for Secret Service protection.
While former presidents get Secret Service protection for life, The Post noted that, unlike Trump, no sitting president or a former one has charged Secret Service for protecting them.
Trump moved to his club in Bedminster, N.J. for the summer, according to The Post. It’s unclear how much he will charge his security detail now.
The amount Trump charged the federal government for his own protection is double the amount of his salary, which he “donated” to various causes.
