Hotel Swamplandia: More than 200 Big Spenders at Trump’s Businesses
By Alan Zibel
At President Donald Trump’s hotels, golf courses and restaurants, you can check out any time you like, but the conflicts of interest never disappear.
For those seeking to get on Trump’s good side, it certainly helps to fork over some cash at one of his properties. There simply is no other plausible explanation why so many companies, business groups and foreign governments are spending big money eating, drinking, socializing and sleeping at Trump’s properties around the country. And there’s always the chance that the president himself will show up.
At the start of his administration, Trump turned over control of businesses to his sons Don Jr. and Eric, but still controls the trust that owns the properties and can withdraw money whenever he likes. And Trump’s family still benefits from his properties. Recently posted financial disclosures reveal that Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, who also is a White House official, made $3.9 million last year from her stake in the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Public Citizen has kept a close watch over who is spending money at Trump properties and has documented 204 instances of trade groups, companies, religious groups, charities, foreign governments, interest groups and political candidates staying in Trump properties or spending money there. This tally is more than triple what we counted in our first look at the issue in January.
Our tally highlights who is most enthusiastically embracing Trump and unabashedly basking in the culture of self-enrichment and influence-peddling permeating his circle. For instance, donors paid at least $100,000 per person ($250,000 for VIP status) to attend the June 18-19 “leadership summit” of Trump super PAC America First Action, which featured Trump himself and assorted luminaries, including former press secretary Sean Spicer.
The steady drumbeat of events at Trump properties may bolster the argument of state officials in Maryland and the District of Columbia who have filed a lawsuit alleging that Trump is violating the U.S. Constitution’s ban on payments from foreign governments to U.S. officials. Trump has “affirmatively encouraged foreign governments to augment his considerable wealth by doing business with his businesses,” Maryland Solicitor General Steven Sullivan told a federal judge this month.
For their part, Trump administration officials claim there’s nothing improper going on, contending there is no expectation of payback or quid pro quo, and that Trump is not responsible for a foreign official’s effort to sow favor with the government. The Constitution “didn’t intend to prohibit a private commercial transaction,” U.S. Department of Justice lawyer Brett Shumate told the judge overseeing the case.
Some of the interaction between international elites and Trump confidantes is happening right in the open on social media. On June 12, Philippine Ambassador Jose Manuel “Babe” del Gallego Romualdez celebrated the 120th anniversary of his country’s independence at Trump’s D.C. hotel. Trump has boasted of his “great relationship” with Rodrigo Duterte, the country’s president, and has expressed admiration for the Duterte government’s executions of drug dealers.
In 2017, Hary Tanoesoedibjo, a billionaire Indonesian developer, posted on social media a picture of himself and Trump son Eric celebrating Trump’s inauguration at the Trump’s Washington, D.C. hotel. Tanoesoedibjo is no stranger to the Trump family. His company is building a Trump-branded hotel and golf course in Indonesia – with help from the Indonesian government and a state-owned Chinese company.
Bersama Eric Trump dan istri di acara Trump inauguration after-party, Trump Hotel, Washington DC pic.twitter.com/8V4l8FnqdN
— Hary Tanoesoedibjo (@Hary_Tanoe) January 21, 2017
To compile our list, Public Citizen analyzed campaign records, press clips and social media posts as well as other efforts to document Trump’s swamp of corruption. Especially helpful were the Washington Post’s tally of events held at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., as well as an excellent running log of the hotel’s visitors, based largely on scouring social media sites, posted on Twitter by journalist Zach Everson.
We identified:
- 121 political candidates or political groups;
- 47 businesses/business groups;
- 12 religious groups;
- 10 foreign governments/business interests;
- 8 charities;
- 4 state and local governments; and
- 2 educational institutions.
Visitors of note include former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who spoke in May at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., along with the conservative social media stars known as Diamond and Silk (shown below with pro-Trump fashion designer and frequent Trump hotel visitor Andre Soriano.)
The Palin event in May was held by the MAGA Coalition, a group describing itself a “national network of over 5,000,000 America First citizens who share in the belief that both our national parties have taken America down the wrong path.” This group, which has extremist former White House aide Sebastian Gorka as its chief strategist, says it provides candidates with “volunteers, tools and exposure they need to successfully compete against globalist corporatists [sic] interests.”
Get your tickets today. Hope to see your face in the place. pic.twitter.com/JSR7Psg52U
— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) May 2, 2018
Business groups holding events at Trump organization properties include:
- The Institute of International Bankers, which held its annual conference at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., featuring banking regulators and officials from several federal agencies. Those attending the March 2018 event included the chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and a top U.S. Department of the Treasury official who promised that a major regulatory rollback sought by banks would be “commencing shortly.”
- The Seasonal Employment Alliance, which represents businesses that use overseas guest workers.
- The National Mining Association, which held a board of directors meeting featuring U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry in October 2017. Perry himself tweeted about the event.
- Medical device company Align Technology, which was in Washington, D.C., for an orthodontist conference.
- The Community Financial Services Association, which represents high-rate payday lenders, held their annual conference– and a golf tournament – at the Trump National Doral Golf Club near Miami, drawing protests outside the club’s gates.
The list also reveals numerous foreign visitors making appearances at Trump properties, including the Kuwaiti ambassador to the U.S., Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, as evidenced by this post (the original was deleted from Instagram).
Trump’s guests also include far-right organizations such as the Sovereign Nations Conference, which warns on its website that “the entire foundation of law and justice been cast aside in an all-out embrace of Marxist sourced social justice conformity.” And conspiracy theorist Jack Posobiec, a correspondent for One America News, made a recent appearance.
Also on the guest list: those who see the president as heralding a new era of Christian revival, despite the Playboy models and porn stars in Trump’s past. An event called The Turnaround: An Appeal to Heaven National Gathering was organized by a group considering themselves “modern-day apostles and prophets, including Dutch Sheets, Chuck Pierce, Cindy Jacobs and Lou Engle,” according to People for the American Way’s (PFAW) Right Wing Watch. PFAW wrote that the event’s leaders “are associated with the New Apostolic Reformation, which believes a triumphant, dominion-taking church will help bring about the return of Christ, and many are part of POTUS Shield, a network of self-described apostles and prophets who believe President Trump was anointed by God to help bring that all about.”
After returning from D.C., Sheets recapped the event enthusiastically, writing, “The government – the exposing of unrighteousness in government (Congress, the Executive Branch, the Supreme Court and even the embedded ‘Deep State’ with its liberal, humanistic, anti-Christian agenda) and the return to our Judeo-Christian roots will increase. Nothing will stop this” (emphasis in original).
Pray for this man!!! pic.twitter.com/9eZ2mKpCwz
— Dutch Sheets (@dutchsheets) May 3, 2018
As we documented in April, Trump‘s businesses have received millions from his political activities. Trump, his campaign and Republican political committees have directed millions in campaign and public money to Trump’s own hotels, airplanes, restaurants, golf courses and even a bottled water company. Trump’s hotel in the nation’s capital, just blocks from the White House, brought in $40 million in revenue during Trump’s first year in office. However, revenue was weak at other properties, such as the Mar-A-Lago club in Florida. That property suffered from the cancellation of several charity events due to Trump-related controversy.
Trump came to office with the most blatant corrupting conflicts of interest in the history of American politics, so what followed should not be a surprise. By spending money at his properties, corporations and foreign governments are being transparent about their desire to curry favor with the president and influence the Trump administration’s policies.
Information on how much is being spent at Trump properties for political events is available, but remains unknown for the vast majority of spenders at Trump properties. An exception was the Saudi embassy, whose $270,000 in spending at the D.C. hotel was disclosed through a PR firm’s filing with the Justice Department. That said, we were able to document $1.75 million in spending, with more than half coming from the Republican Party. The top 10 spenders are:
- Republican National Committee $967,153
- Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia $270,000
- America First Action, Inc. $159,423
- Great America Committee $116,927
- Bill Shuster For Congress $31,962
- National Republican Senatorial Committee $26,053
- Texans For Jodey Arrington $16,603
- Macarthur Victory $15,221
- Greg Pence For Congress $13,374
- Rohrabacher For Congress $12,545
See here for the full spreadsheet.
| Name | Category | Spending Instances | Spending total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Alabama Republican Party | Political | 1 | $854 |
| Alex Mooney for Congress | Political | 3 | $610 |
| Alliance Resource Partners LP | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Align Technology | Business | 1 | n/a |
| America First Action, Inc. | Political | 31 | $159,423 |
| American Association of Orthodontists | Business | 1 | n/a |
| American Land Title Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| American Legislative Exchange Council | Business | 1 | n/a |
| American Petroleum Institute | Business | 2 | n/a |
| American Spectator | Political | 1 | n/a |
| American Turkish Council/Turkey-U.S. Business Council | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Artisan Business Group/American Center for the Belt and Road Initiative | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Ax PAC | Political | 1 | $974 |
| Bergmann for Congress 2018 | Political | 1 | $305 |
| Big Dog Ranch Rescue | Charity | 1 | n/a |
| Biggs for Congress | Political | 1 | $268 |
| Bill Shuster for Congress | Political | 6 | $31,962 |
| Billy Graham Evangelistic Association | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| Blueprint 2025 Infrastructure Leadership Forum | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Bob Corker for Senate 2018 | Political | 1 | $1,052 |
| Bold Conservatives PAC | Political | 6 | $3,046 |
| Brady for Congress | Political | 2 | $1,890 |
| British-American Business Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Celebration of Motherhood | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| Chicago Police Department | State/local government | 1 | n/a |
| Citizens For Turner | Political | 6 | $1,196 |
| Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Claudia Tenney for Congress | Political | 1 | $790 |
| Collins for Congress | Political | 2 | $795 |
| Committee on Arrangements for the 2016 Republican National Convention | Political | 1 | $282 |
| Committee to Re-Elect Trent Franks to Congress | Political | 1 | $2,154 |
| Community Financial Services Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Connecticut Republican Party | Political | 1 | $945 |
| Conservative Roundtable | Political | 2 | $423 |
| Continuing America's Strength And Security PAC | Political | 1 | $75 |
| Crawford for Congress | Political | 1 | $1,560 |
| Culberson for Congress | Political | 1 | $701 |
| Curetivity | Charity | 1 | n/a |
| Deloitte Global Financial Services Summit | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Denham for Congress | Political | 1 | $874 |
| Domestic Energy Producers Alliance | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Duffy For Wisconsin | Political | 2 | $782 |
| Duncan D. Hunter for Congress | Political | 3 | $1,016 |
| Dutch Sheets Ministries | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| Elect Blake Farenthold Committee | Political | 1 | $268 |
| Embassy of Azerbaijan/Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Embassy of Bahrain | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Embassy of Kuwait | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | Foreign | 1 | $270,000 |
| Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Family-PAC Federal | Political | 3 | $3,183 |
| First Annual Kosher Food Bank Benefit: Heroes of the Holocaust | Charity | 1 | n/a |
| First Liberty Institute | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| FLC Group | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Freedom Fund | Political | 1 | $239 |
| Friends Of Jim Inhofe | Political | 1 | $105 |
| Fund for American Studies | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Future of Technology Conference | Business | 1 | n/a |
| GEO Group | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Gibbons For Ohio | Political | 1 | $715 |
| Government of China | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Government of Japan | Foreign | 2 | n/a |
| Government of Malaysia | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Government of Romania | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Graves for Congress | Political | 1 | $85 |
| Great America Committee | Political | 2 | $116,927 |
| Great America PAC | Political | 4 | $468 |
| Greg Pence for Congress | Political | 5 | $13,374 |
| Gregg Harper for Congress | Political | 1 | $1,697 |
| Handel for Congress, Inc. | Political | 2 | $271 |
| Heritage Foundation | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Illinois Republican Party | Political | 1 | $214 |
| Immedis | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Independent Petroleum Association of America | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Industrial Truck Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Institute of International Bankers | Business | 1 | n/a |
| International Fellowship of Christians and Jews | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| International Menarini Foundation | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Jeff PAC | Political | 1 | $506 |
| Jefferson Chamber of Commerce | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Jet PAC | Political | 3 | $1,213 |
| John James For Senate Inc | Political | 1 | $478 |
| John Kennedy For Us | Political | 1 | $1,850 |
| Johnson for Congress | Political | 1 | $333 |
| Judicial Watch | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Justice For Cyprus | Foreign | 1 | n/a |
| Kansans For Marshall | Political | 3 | $683 |
| Kansas Leadership PAC | Political | 2 | $2,215 |
| Keep America Rolling PAC | Political | 1 | $1,204 |
| Ken Calvert for Congress Committee | Political | 1 | $320 |
| Kenny Marchant for Congress | Political | 1 | $144 |
| Kevin Mccarthy for Congress | Political | 1 | $230 |
| Kinzinger for Congress | Political | 1 | $937 |
| Larry H. Miller Group of Companies | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Live Out Loud With Brooke Thomas | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Log Cabin Republicans | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Louisiana AG Jeff Landry | State/local government | 1 | n/a |
| Louisiana Association of Business and Industry | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Luke's Wings | Charity | 2 | n/a |
| LuxRally | Business | 1 | n/a |
| MacArthur Victory | Political | 1 | $15,221 |
| MAGA Coalition | Political | 1 | n/a |
| MAGA Summit | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Maine Gov. Paul LePage and staff | State/local government | 1 | n/a |
| Make California Great PAC | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Manusec Summitt | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Marino for Congress | Political | 2 | $585 |
| Mccaul for Congress, Inc | Political | 1 | $7,586 |
| Mckinley for Congress | Political | 1 | $846 |
| Meadows for Congress | Political | 4 | $2,415 |
| Metals Service Center Institute | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Mike Kelly for Congress | Political | 2 | $952 |
| Mr. Southern Missourian In The House PAC | Political | 1 | $785 |
| Museum of the Bible | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| National Association of Royalty Owners (NARO) PAC | Political | 1 | $849 |
| National Confectioners Association | Business | 3 | n/a |
| National Defense University Foundation | Education | 1 | n/a |
| National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| National Funeral Directors Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| National Mining Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| National Real Estate Developers Association (NAIOP) D.C./Maryland chapter | Business | 1 | n/a |
| National Republican Congressional Committee | Political | 5 | $3,247 |
| National Republican Senatorial Committee | Political | 6 | $26,053 |
| Nebraska Republican Party | Political | 1 | $988 |
| Network of Enlightened Women | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Nevada Republican Central Committee | Political | 1 | $854 |
| New Jersey Republican State Committee | Political | 4 | $2,654 |
| NRSC | Political | 1 | $63 |
| Omar Navarro for Congress | Political | 11 | $8,860 |
| One Georgia PAC | Political | 3 | $728 |
| Oral Roberts University | Education | 1 | n/a |
| Orange County Association of Realtors | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Order of St. Andrew the Apostle | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| Orphan’s Promise | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| Oxbow Carbon LLC | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Palazzo for Congress | Political | 1 | $394 |
| Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Paralyzed Veterans of America | Charity | 2 | n/a |
| Pat Meehan for Congress | Political | 1 | $225 |
| PenFed Foundation | Charity | 1 | n/a |
| Pension Bridge | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Pete King for Congress Committee | Political | 1 | $118 |
| Pompeo For Kansas, Inc. | Political | 1 | $257 |
| Protect The House | Political | 3 | $4,300 |
| R2Con | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Rand Paul For Us Senate | Political | 1 | $513 |
| Randy Hultgren for Congress | Political | 1 | $291 |
| Rebuilding America Now | Political | 5 | $1,151 |
| Reinventing A New Direction Political Action Committee | Political | 8 | $1,982 |
| Republican Attorneys General Association | Political | 2 | n/a |
| Republican Governors Association | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Republican Jewish Coalition | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| Republican National Committee | Political | 51 | $967,153 |
| Republican Party Of Iowa | Political | 1 | $945 |
| Republican Party Of Kentucky | Political | 1 | $687 |
| Republican Party Of Minnesota - Federal | Political | 3 | $1,954 |
| Republican Party of Palm Beach County | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Revival Outside the Walls | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| Robert Aderholt for Congress | Political | 2 | $2,149 |
| Roger Williams For U S Congress Committee | Political | 2 | $6,221 |
| Rohrabacher for Congress | Political | 4 | $12,545 |
| Rounds For Senate | Political | 1 | $592 |
| Seasonal Employment Alliance | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Senate Leadership Fund | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Sovereign Nations Conference | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Steve Daines For Montana | Political | 1 | $281 |
| Stewart For Senate Inc | Political | 13 | $2,008 |
| Ted Yoho for Congress | Political | 1 | $1,259 |
| Tenn Political Action Committee Inc (Tenn PAC) | Political | 2 | $928 |
| Texans For Jodey Arrington | Political | 3 | $16,603 |
| Texans For Lamar Smith | Political | 1 | $479 |
| The Call | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| The Committee To Defend The President | Political | 1 | $687 |
| The Peter Norbeck Leadership PAC | Political | 1 | $3,423 |
| Tom Reed for Congress | Political | 1 | $242 |
| Tom Rice for Congress | Political | 3 | $2,315 |
| Tom Rooney for Congress | Political | 2 | $359 |
| Trump Make America Great Again Committee | Political | 1 | $1,145 |
| Trump Victory | Political | 1 | $2,806 |
| Trumpettes USA | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Truth About Israel Gala | Religious | 1 | n/a |
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 | Business | 1 | n/a |
| U.S. Energy Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| U.S. Travel Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| United in Purpose | Political | 1 | n/a |
| University of Wisconsin | State/local government | 1 | n/a |
| Valadao for Congress | Political | 1 | $1,744 |
| Vapor Technology Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Virginia Women for Trump | Political | 2 | n/a |
| Walden for Congress | Political | 2 | $6,708 |
| Walorski for Congress Inc | Political | 2 | $1,271 |
| Washington Area Concierge Association | Business | 1 | n/a |
| Washington State Republican Party | Political | 3 | $1,966 |
| Watergen USA | Business | 1 | n/a |
| West Virginia Republican Party, Inc. | Political | 1 | $800 |
| Wyoming Republican Party, Inc. | Political | 1 | $508 |
| Yellow Ribbon Fund | Charity | 1 | n/a |
| Yoder for Congress, Inc | Political | 1 | $354 |
| Young Adventurers | Charity | 1 | n/a |
| Young America's Foundation | Political | 1 | n/a |
| Young Republican National Federation | Political | 1 | n/a |