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Mary Trump, an avid critic of former President Donald Trump and his niece, said on Saturday that her uncle's business would be "deceased" as the Trump Organization continues to face a number of issues related to its business practices.
During a Saturday episode of The Mary Trump Show, the former president's niece spoke about the presence of the Secret Service at Trump hotels.
"...the soon-to-be deceased Trump Organization charged the Secret Service like five times the government limit to stay at his sh**** hotels, we're learning," Mary Trump said. "We've learned that—and this to me, I will never cease to understand why this wasn't made a bigger deal—that he politicized it."
Her remarks are in reference to the released report on Monday by the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, which revealed that Trump hotels allegedly charged the Secret Service as high as $1,185 per night on dozens of trips to protect Trump even after he left the White House. This figure is five times more than the recommended government rate for hotel stays while protecting him and those around him.
The Trump Organization said that Secret Service agents traveling with Trump to the properties he owned stayed for free or at cost, but the committee's report said otherwise.
The former president reportedly visited his properties 547 times, including 145 visits to Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, while in office.
Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney, a New York Democrat, wrote a letter to Kimberly Cheatle, director of the Secret Service, last Monday asking the agency to comply with the committee's investigation request.
"The exorbitant rates charged to the Secret Service and agents' frequent stays at Trump-owned properties raise significant concerns about the former President's self-dealing and may have resulted in a taxpayer-funded windfall for former President Trump's struggling businesses," Maloney wrote.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, recently told Newsweek that the agency is reviewing the committee's letter and costs associated, and will respond with whatever documentation is necessary by the October 31 provided deadline.
"It is absolutely necessary that the presidential detail is within hands touch of the protectee," he added.
Trump Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Fraudulent Business Practices
Trump is also facing a lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James that seeks at least $250 million in repayment for allegedly fraudulent practices and wants to remove Trump's family members, including Donald Jr., Eric and Ivanka, from their positions within the Trump Organization.
James alleged that the Trumps committed "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentations" and that the ex-president "grossly" inflated his net worth by billions of dollars. She also accused him of cheating lenders and others with false and misleading financial statements.
Last month, Trump's ex-personal attorney Michael Cohen said that the lawsuit leaves Trump facing "the worst situation that he's ever been in, which is criminal liability."
Cohen also said that James' lawsuit could "wipe him out" financially if a court demands he pay restitution—adding that the former president could be ordered to pay much more than the $250 million "baseline" mentioned in James' lawsuit.
James also referred alleged criminal violations to the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
"Let's see if the Southern District of New York, that's no longer under his control, will pick up the mantle," Cohen said. "IRS—it's an open and shut case. Numbers don't lie. People do. And Donald is one of the biggest liars that you'll ever meet."
Newsweek reached out to Trump's media office for comment.
About the writer
Fatma Khaled is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in New York City. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics, world ... Read more