NEW YORK, June 23 (UPI) — Donald Trump on Thursday pushed back on media reports he’s been funneling campaign donations back into Trump-owned businesses, saying he must by law reimburse all businesses whose services his campaign uses, even if he is the owner.
Recent media reports indicate Trump, who has struggled to raise money for his campaign since closing out the primaries where he paid for his candidacy personally, has spent nearly one-fifth of his campaign war chest on services provided to the campaign by Trump-owned businesses.
The New York Times reported Trump’s campaign paid at least $1.1 million to his businesses and family members in May for expenses associated with the campaign, including for the use of event space and travel costs on his personal airplane.
Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt he is required by law to reimburse all vendors for his campaign expenditures, lest he risk running afoul of Federal Elections Commission rules that count discounted or free use of facilities as in-kind campaign donations.
“I’ve love to, frankly, just do it and you know, just say it’s part of the campaign. By law, I have to reimburse the aircraft and the plane and all the stuff, OK? And I’m very meticulous about it,” Trump said.
Trump said he is required to pay his business interests as part of the Trump Organization for any campaign events, and given the magnitude of many of them, it does not make sense to give the business to a competitor.
“In other words, if I had an event, like we have a big news conference at one of my clubs … why should I give it to the club down the street? Or why should I give it to a hotel that’s not a Trump hotel? There’s no reason for that,” Trump said. “But if I do a news conference, or if I do some kind of an event at a club, I have to, by law under federal elections, I have to reimburse at fair market and all of that stuff.”
