Now that the Waldorf Astoria has replaced the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., political spending at the new hotel all but disappeared compared to when the space was owned by a sitting president, nonprofit watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics (CREW) reports.
Republican officials and their operatives have spent less than $2,000 at the Waldorf Astoria since it opened in June, according to Federal Election Commission data. But during the Trump Hotel years, Republicans spent more than 400 times that amount during the same five-month window. When Trump Hotel opened in 2016, Republicans spent $266,000 in its first six months alone.
"When Donald Trump became President, he made the unprecedented decision not to divest from his business interests, opening the door for those looking to curry favor with his administration to line his pockets," CREW's report stated.
"It worked. In four years, political committees, special interest groups and foreign governments spent millions of dollars at Trump’s eponymous clubs, golf courses and hotels. Trump’s D.C. hotel, opened just weeks before the 2016 election, proved to be especially popular, hosting nearly 50 political fundraisers, bringing thousands of guests and amassing millions."
Read the full report over at CREW's website.