Trump rally tallies: President has unpaid bills for Arizona events [View all]
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump brought thousands out to his rally Wednesday at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. What he likely did not bring was $145,000 to reimburse local governments for costs from previous rallies in Arizona.
That’s how much Tucson and Mesa billed the Trump campaign for police protection and other services at rallies in 2016 and 2018, respectively, according to news reports. Mesa communications specialist Kevin Christopher said this week that the city believes the campaign should “do right by the taxpayers of Mesa” and pay the invoice.
But the campaign, which is not legally obligated to pay such post-event bills from local governments, has not done so. And it’s not just the Trump campaign.
Donald Sherman, deputy director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the practice of avoiding such bills happens with multiple campaigns. Candidates range ideologically from GOP former House Speaker Newt Gingrich to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the liberal currently leading the Democratic presidential field for 2020.
Read more: https://www.azmirror.com/blog/trump-rally-tallies-president-has-unpaid-bills-for-arizona-events/
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