It is not unusual for campaigns to overlook security costs for $9,500, maybe $15,000. Obama even left a bill unpaid in Newport Beach, California, for $35,000. Often the bills get lost in the shuffle of hundreds of such bills; sometimes, there is a dispute over who agreed to pay what. The failure to pay $500,000 is in a significantly different class – obviously – and yet that is exactly what Trump did in El Paso shortly after the Walmart mass shooting leaving 22 dead. It is hard to think of much worse. El Paso is a mid-sized city. One would guess that $500,000 is a significant chunk of their budget. It is not a significant chunk of Trump’s budget. He has over $100,000,000 on hand. Tonight, Trump returns to the state of the original crime (used loosely), Texas, to appear at a fairgrounds near Corpus Christi.
According to the Houston Chronicle:
“Shortly after the Walmart mass shooting that left 22 dead in El Paso, Trump scheduled a large political rally in the city to coincide with an event hosted by then-presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke,” the report states before noting, “But while O’Rourke paid back the city for the security it provided, Trump didn’t pay his tab.”
As said, after a mass shooting. Could there be a worse circumstance where one skips out on the bill? The city had enough overtime and extra expenses associated with the period as it is.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
The billionaire former president, whose political war chest boasts well over $100,000,000, owes the city $569,204 for transportation, security and a 21-percent late fee. In 2020, the city hired a law firm to try to collect, the city spokeswoman said, but so far $0 has been collected.”
A collection firm. Like an unpaid doctor’s bill. Get in line for the lawsuit.
“Trump’s office did not respond to a request for comment for this story, and has avoided responding to questions about the money he owes for three and a half years.”
It is relatively safe to say that Trump’s going to continue to ignore the bill. Time for the collection agency to suit, get a Texas judgment, take it with full faith and credit, apply it to Trump Tower and foreclose on the thing. Own it and sell it to recoup the costs. Sell it to a consortium of buyers organized by Barack Obama. Change the name to President Barack Obama International Trade and Culture Headquarters.
If only it were that easy. It is not impossible but it isn’t easy.
@JasonMiciak believes a day without learning is a day not lived. He is a political writer, features writer, author, and attorney. He is a Canadian-born dual citizen who spent his teen and college years in the Pacific Northwest and has since lived in seven states. He now enjoys life as a single dad of a young girl, writing from the beaches of the Gulf Coast. He loves crafting his flower pots, cooking, and currently studies philosophy of science, religion, and non-math principles behind quantum mechanics and cosmology. Please feel free to contact with any concerns.
