ST. CLOUD — The Donald J. Trump presidential campaign says it isn't responsible for a $209,000 bill from the city of St. Cloud for costs related to a summer rally at SCSU.
The Trump campaign told St. Cloud LIVE in a Thursday, Oct. 17, email that the U.S. Secret Service is responsible for local law enforcement and first responder costs.
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However, Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring said there is no mechanism to reimburse state and local governments for their support during protective events.
"We will continue to work with the Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and Congress to advocate for the necessary grants and resources to support the city, county, and state law enforcement and public safety agencies that assist us every day," Herring said in an email to St. Cloud LIVE.
The bill — for $208,935.17 — is related to costs associated with a July 27 political rally with Trump and running mate JD Vance at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center at St. Cloud State University. The event attracted thousands of attendees.
The rally's costs to the city include police and fire department support, public services, construction change order for University Drive, and IT department services, according to the city.
The City of St. Cloud on Sept. 10 sent an invoice to a Virginia PO box associated with Donald J. Trump For President 2024 Inc. The invoice noted a due date of Oct. 10. City Administrator Matt Staehling told St. Cloud LIVE on Oct. 11 that the Trump campaign failed to meet that due date.
The city has since sent a second notice to the campaign.
SCSU Athletic Director Holly Schreiner told St. Cloud LIVE that there was a contract in place with Trump 47 Committee Inc. for the university's $35,000 rental fee for the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center. The campaign paid the bill on Aug. 1, four days after the event, Schreiner said. No invoice was sent to the Trump 47 Committee Inc., she said.
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U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., on Oct. 4 told St. Cloud LIVE he was confident the city would get paid.
“I don't trust the reporting on this at all,” Emmer said in an interview. “Bottom line is the Trump campaign paid in advance, and now the implication is they're somehow not paying their side of it, when we know that a big part of that was the Secret Service.”
“The Trump campaign is handling all of the invoices that they get all across the country, and it's taken care of,” said Emmer, who is also chair of Trump's Minnesota reelection campaign. “If there's any responsibility whatsoever that remains on the Trump campaign, I have no doubt that they will resolve that and take care of it. But the reporting on this is, frankly, it's been, in some cases, kind of honest, and in other cases just flat-out dishonest, trying to suggest that or imply that the Trump campaign is stiffing the city of St Cloud. That's just not true.”
Staehling in an Oct. 11 email to St. Cloud LIVE said, "(The Trump campaign) may have paid SCSU in advance for the National Hockey Center venue ... but St. Cloud was not paid in advance."
NBC News recently reported that the Trump campaign owes more than $750,000 to five jurisdictions, with some bills dating back to 2016.
Invoice breakdown
The city of St. Cloud's invoice to the Donald J. Trump For President 2024 Inc. campaign breaks down like this:
- Police department: $63,267.81
- Public services: $60,510.07
- Construction change order of University Drive: $61,878.84
- Fire department: $21,420.74
- IT department: $1,857.71
- Total: $208,935.17
Editor's note: This story was originally published on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. It was updated on Thursday, Oct. 17, and Saturday, Oct. 19, with additional information.
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The Trust Project
