Former President Donald Trump held his third rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, last month, located in the northwest corner of a pivotal swing state for the upcoming presidential election. Similar to his previous visits, he departed without settling the bill for the event. City officials in Erie have not yet calculated the total costs incurred for public safety during his recent rally in September.
As it stands, Trump owes the city over $40,000 for his previous rallies held in 2018 and 2023. Erie is not the only municipality facing unpaid bills from Trump’s campaign. In total, four cities and one county have confirmed that they are still awaiting reimbursement for expenses related to local law enforcement and other first responder personnel during Trump’s rallies.
The cumulative amount owed to these five jurisdictions exceeds $750,000, with some outstanding bills dating back as far as eight years. The situation is further complicated by ambiguity over legal responsibilities regarding payment for these costs.
A representative from the Trump campaign responded to inquiries by directing questions about local law enforcement and first responder expenses to the Secret Service. It was noted that at least two municipalities pursuing reimbursements did not have formal agreements in place with the Trump campaign regarding costs prior to the rallies.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi clarified that while it is typically the agency that requests local assistance for campaign-related activities, they do not currently have a system in place to reimburse local governments for their support during such protective events. However, Guglielmi indicated that the Secret Service has recognized this issue as a critical need and is working with Congress to establish a reimbursement mechanism in the future.
In contrast, the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris did not provide comments on how it manages costs associated with police and fire department personnel, as well as additional security measures required by local governments.
The five localities that have submitted their invoices to the Trump campaign for payment. Among these, one of the most significant outstanding bills is from El Paso, Texas, which is seeking over $569,200 for expenses incurred in 2019. This initial invoice of more than $470,000 increased due to late fees for nonpayment.
In 2020, El Paso’s City Council even engaged a law firm to advocate for the city in collecting the outstanding invoices. Four years later, the campaign has yet to fulfill its financial obligations.
Spokane, Washington, has also reported unpaid bills dating back to a visit by Trump in May 2016, prior to him officially becoming the Republican nominee for president. The amount owed by the Trump campaign to Spokane exceeds $65,000, as detailed in an invoice shared by city spokesperson Erin Hut. Notably, both the Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton campaigns also owe money from invoices issued in May 2016, with Sanders’ campaign owing about $33,000 and Clinton’s campaign slightly under $3,000, according to Hut.
Missoula County in Montana is pursuing nearly $13,000 from Trump’s campaign for costs incurred during a rally in 2018. nearly $12,000 of this bill is attributed to expenses for police officers and 911 dispatchers. Officials in Missoula County noted that they did not have a prior agreement with the campaign regarding anticipated costs for the event.
In Arizona, the city of Mesa is still awaiting around $65,000 from the Trump campaign for law enforcement services rendered during his visit to Mesa-Gateway Airport in October 2018. This invoice covers expenses related to crowd control, traffic management, and the rental of barricades and towing services, as outlined in a 2018 letter to the campaign from city attorney Nancy Sorensen.
City spokesperson Ana Pereira explained that when city officials became aware of the event and its related conditions, they took it upon themselves to implement necessary public safety measures without a prior agreement with the campaign. She emphasized that while the campaign is not legally bound to cover these costs, the city believes it should be reimbursed for taxpayer dollars spent, and accordingly, invoices have been sent to the campaign.
Similarly, Erie’s outstanding bills encompass overtime pay for police, fire, and public works personnel, as stated by city spokesperson Rob Lee. During his recent visit to Erie, Trump addressed the topic of overtime pay, though his remarks may not have aligned with city officials’ expectations. He expressed his distaste for paying overtime and stated, “I hated to give overtime. I hated it. I’d get other people in. I wouldn’t pay.”
