- Will Clark, Wilkes-Barre Township Police chief, had low expectations about his billing for Donald Trump’s political-action committee.
- Trump’s presidential campaigns were known for imposing high-priced bills on police departments for special security details.
- Save America PAC paid for the event. Trump’s campaign still owes the department for an event in 2018.
Will Clark, Wilkes-Barre Township Police Head, had low expectations for his sending an invoiceRecently to Donald Trump’s political action committee.
Trump’s presidential campaigns notorious for stiffing police departmentsOn bills for special security at rallies across the nation. Clark’s Pennsylvania Department still has an unpaid bill regarding extra security at a Make America Great Again Rally. This was in 2018.
He was now asking for a $9,820.62 new payment to cover overtime police and public works at Trump’s “Save America” rally at Mohegan Sun Arena in Sept.
Clark admitted that he thought briefly about bronzing a copy of the check and hanging it on the walls to forever remember the fact that he was reimbursed.
He said that he fully expected that this one wouldn’t get paid but was shocked and added that it’s “obviously an enormous benefit to the taxpayer.”
Though Trump has conducted multiple rallies, Save America PAC appears to have paid for police security services in one location during the 2022 election cycle — Wilkes-Barre Township in Pennsylvania, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures reviewed by Insider.
It is unclear why Trump ended up in the town. Prepare RunFor president again in 2024.
Federal Election Commission
Trump’s campaigns saw more than 1,000,000 people vote for him. There are dozens of cities throughout the country — including Minneapolis; Spokane, Washington; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Erie, Pennsylvania — said the Trump campaign wouldn’t pay police and public safety bills that together totalled nearly $2 million.
Trump proclaimed himself to be a pro-police candidate, while he routinely criticised Democrats for being too soft on crime and antilaw enforcement.
“LAW & ORDER, NOT DEFUND AND ABOLISH THE POLICE,” Trump TweetIn June 2020.
Many cash-strapped governments appealed Trump’s senses of duty. Texas’ El Paso government was tough and threatened legal action to make Trump’s political operation pay a late fee-based police bill. It grew to the hundreds of thousandsThousands of dollars
El Paso was never paid and municipal governments gave up trying to recover costs, realizing that it wasn’t worth the effort.
Clark refused to see the $22,000 he claimed Trump campaign owed his Department and its Partners for overtime at 2018’s event. He was then a sitting President.
Clark tried to send the bill along with Trump’s campaign to Lou Barletta and the Republican National Committee. Lou Barletta is a Trump-endorsed ex-congressman from Pennsylvania who was unsuccessful in his bid to unseat Democratic Senator Bob Casey.
He said, “We never received any payment from any one of them.”
Trump’s office, Republican National Committee and Barletta did not respond when asked for comment.
Will Clark
Who pays to defend Trump rallies
Trump rallies are a Catch-22.
Unless a Trump rally is conducted at a government-run facility where local officials can require a use-of-facility contract, local police have limited leverage to compel Trump — or any political figure — to pay for public safety measures needed to secure an event at a private venue that may attract thousands of people and potential protestors.
Trump campaign declared in 2020 that inquiries about public safety billing should go to Secret Service. The Secret Service claims Congress hasn’t funded the agency to reimburse local police officers for their assistance in securing Trump events.
Some candidates for political office have paid their dues. Police bills relating to campaigning — Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas paid them all during his 2016 presidential bid, for example — others, including the campaign of President Barack Obama, have been inconsistent. After being pressured to pay his bills, Sen. Bernie Sanders didn’t pay any bills during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Clark said that police departments owe a duty to their communities to provide security for major events. It can be difficult for taxpayers to cover additional operations, but it is possible.
It’s a win. Clark stated that it is a significant win when a private company reimburses the department for these additional costs. “Our municipality is definitely financially stable. However, we don’t want to ignore reimbursements. To be financially responsible towards the taxpayer, you must find the best way to provide the required police services. When these outstanding bills aren’t paid, the taxpayer ultimately pays for the additional police coverage. That is not fair.
Clark said his department has received two payments for police overtime at Trump events – one in 2016 along with the latest event in September.
He stated, “So we’re now two for three.” “That is 66% average in baseball lingo for getting reimbursed, so that’s pretty good.”
The rally was held at the Mohegan Sun on September 3, in support Doug Mastriano (GOP candidate for governor) and Mehmet Oz (US senator from Pennsylvania), who both lost in Election Day.
Seven additional police officers were needed, as well as 15 local sheriff’s deputies, who helped and overtime costs for Department of Public Works employees. They used dump trucks temporarily to block off a road for Trump’s entry.
The Times-Tribune of Scranton descriptionAs a man in a star-spangled cowboy helmet shouted the message, the crowd cheered. Eight people held a banner with the message: “One nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice to Trump.”
One day earlier, activists with permits had burnt flags outside the township municipal building. Clark stated that no protestors or arrests were made on the day of Clark’s rally.
He said, “Everything went smoothly.”
Clark stated that he did not do anything unusual in order to be successful with his billing. Clark found Save America contact and dropped in an invoice. “And lo and behold, it was paid.”
“When the costs are reasonable … you’re probably more likely to see them reimbursed,” he said.
To date, there’s only one other known instance of late — also unexplained — where Trump’s campaign paidA portion of the money it owed a local government. For a 2020 campaign event, Mike Pence (then-Vice President) headed it.
The city received a check for $5,574 — even if it was 10 cents short.
