Trump Reportedly Poured $1.3 Million In Political Contributions Into His Own Businesses After Losing Election
Former President Donald Trump continued to fundraise after he lost the 2020 election, and poured some $1.3 million of political contributions into his own businesses, his latest federal filings showed.
According to a review by Forbes, between the lost election and the end of 2020, Trump’s campaign committee Donald J. Trump for President handed over $113,000 to Trump enterprises, including two rent payments of $38,000 to Trump Tower Commercial LLC, and two $3,000 checks to Trump Restaurants LLC.
In 2021, Trump changed the name of his campaign committee to the Make America Great Again PAC, and money again poured into Trump enterprises, Forbes reported. Close to $38,000 was paid in rent to the Trump Tower Commercial LLC “every month or so,” and checks for $3,000 were “often” paid to his restaurant business.
From the time of his election loss to the end of February 2022, the PAC had paid $526,000 to his companies, per Forbes’ review of the Federal Election Commission filings.
Other Trump political groups also rained cash on his operations. The joint-fundraising committee Trump Victory, which collected money for the Trump campaign and state-level Republican groups, paid $294,000 to the Trump Hotel Collection.
Trump’s leadership PAC, Save America, spent $213,000 at Trump properties from February 2021 until May 2022.
Some of the money collected from donors was actually solicited for the Official Election Defense Fund to overturn the election, even though that fund apparently didn’t exist, the House select committee investigating last year’s insurrection noted.
“Not only was there the ‘Big Lie,’” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), referring to baseless claims of election fraud during one of the panel’s hearings earlier this month. California. “There was the big rip off.”
In a 2000 interview. Trump boasted to Fortune magazine: “It’s very possible that I could be the first presidential candidate to run and make money on it.”
Check out the full Forbes’ story here.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
