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How the city of Waco forced serial deadbeat Trump to actually pay his rally expenses [1]

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Date: 2023-04-07

Of course, Trump actually paying his bills is decidedly a man-bites-dog story. Because, well, those are both examples of things that hardly ever happen—unless Trump suddenly feels peckish and is more than 30 yards away from the nearest bucket of cheesy fries, of course. But a new “exclusive” report from Dave Levinthal, editor-in-chief of Raw Story, details how Waco officials forced Trump to pay his rally bills, even as he continues to stiff municipalities across the country—entities that still send him invoices as if he’s a normal human being with a conscience or something.

presidential campaign rally on March 25 in Waco, Texas, municipal officials there didn’t dawdle in ensuring the former president’s committee would cover tens of thousands of dollars in unanticipated city expenses, according to government documents obtained by Raw Story through a Texas Public Information Act request. [W]hen Trump wanted to conduct an “ unprecedented ” 2024on March 25 in Waco, Texas, municipal officials there didn’t dawdle in ensuring the former president’s committee would cover tens of thousands of dollars in unanticipated city expenses, according to governmentthrough a Texas Public Information Act request. his event. Knowing full well they had legal leverage over Trump — Trump’s requested rally venue was the city-owned Waco Regional Airport — the city manager and city attorney’s office made the Trump campaign sign a binding 10-page contract eight days before

Hey, you have to like any sentence that includes “binding” and “Trump,” even if it’s just about forcing him to pay for stuff.

The contract Raw Story obtained outlined exactly what would be expected of the Trump campaign if he wanted to use the city to rile up his frothing orc horde during the 30th anniversary of the Branch Davidian tragedy.

“All expenses incurred by the City for public safety, sanitation and transportation personnel and resources required to preserve public order and protect public health, safety and welfare, together with any other expenses or costs that may be incurred by the City as a result of the Event shall be paid for by DJTFP24 [Donald J. Trump for President 2024],” the contract read.

In addition, reports Raw Story, the contract required the Trump campaign to pay $24,000 up front for renting the city-owned venue. Meanwhile, city-incurred expenses such as police, fire, and traffic services amounted to $36,714.27. The grand total: $60,714.27.

So did it work?

“The bill was paid in full prior to the event. No balance remains,” Waco Director of Parks and Recreation Jonathan Cook told Raw Story. And on March 23—two days before the event—the Waco Tribune-Herald carefully reported the same. “City spokesperson Monica Sedelmeier said Thursday the campaign was billed $60,714 for city services, a debt now retired,” the local paper in the conservative city noted—before diving breathlessly into the details of preparation.

Wow. Miracle of miracles. Could the second coming of David Koresh be far behind?

The contract also noted that the campaign would “be responsible to repair any damages to the property.” Such responsibilities included “rutting, replanting of wildflowers and trash collection and litter removal.” Seems they thought of everything, except the fact that Mike Lindell would be there—and now the Waco Regional Airport will forever be a Chernobyl-style exclusion zone forbidden to anyone with allergies to meat sweats and/or mustache dander.

As Raw Story notes, Waco’s Trumpian experience is starkly different from that of El Paso, which is still waiting for a payment of a baffling $569,204.63 from Trump—and will be doing so until the heat death of the universe. The reason? It was a lot easier for Trump to steal from El Paso, and so he did.

Trump conducted his 2019 rally at the El Paso County Coliseum, which is controlled by the nonprofit El Paso Sports Commission, not the City of El Paso. Nevertheless, City of El Paso officials provided police and other resources for the event, but — unlike Waco — had no power to compel the Trump campaign to pay beforehand.

Meanwhile, other municipalities across the country continue to wait for their reimbursements—even in far smaller amounts than the half-mill owed El Paso. As the Sioux City Journal reported in January, the Iowa city sent hundreds of emails to the campaign, all just to get paid a fraction of Waco or El Paso’s bills. Little Chicago wanted just 11 grand to compensate the cops and emergency medical specialists who worked Trump’s November 2022 rally—and it took over two months to get it.

And as The Daily Beast noted in March:

For all the “back the blue” merchandise one can buy at a Trump rally, finding an event where the cops actually working it had their overtime covered by the campaign is surprisingly difficult. But there’s a cost for Trump, too; the hefty bill that he tends to leave with local governments means the ex-president may have to search for even smaller, more obscure rally venues for his 2024 campaign. [...] Of the 30 counties and municipalities The Daily Beast contacted to ask whether they’d been reimbursed for local cops and firemen supporting a Trump rally, just one—the city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania—responded to confirm they got any money back. [...] By the end of his presidential term in 2021, Trump still owed more than $2 million in overtime reimbursement and other expenses, according to an Insider and CTV News analysis.

Consequences? For Trump? Wonders never cease.

RELATED STORY: Trump indictment provides damning 'statement of facts' that lays out scheme to sway 2016 election

Of course, there’s essentially zero chance Trump—or those connected to him—will pay for all his crimes before he goes on to that big Chuck E. Cheese in the sky. But if more municipalities are as shrewd as Waco, at least he may be forced to start paying some of his bills.



RELATED STORY: Trump's Truth Social is accused of not paying its bills. Surprisingly, the company isn't denying it

Check out Aldous J. Pennyfarthing’s four-volume Trump-trashing compendium, including the finale, Goodbye, Asshat: 101 Farewell Letters to Donald Trump, at this link. Or, if you prefer a test drive, you can download the epilogue to Goodbye, Asshat for the low, low price of FREE.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/7/2162664/-How-the-city-of-Waco-forced-serial-deadbeat-Trump-to-actually-pay-his-rally-expenses

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