The Times has a stomach-churning piece about this.
On your behalf — and as an ex-office administrator who knew where all the money went, to the penny and who filled out federal government expense reports — I’ve sacrificed myself to compile an accounting summary so you don’t have to read the entire story. Because I have a strong stomach and know how to cope.
I’ve highlighted my absolute fave item.
- Blocks of hotel rooms for guests who didn’t use them because they booked their own accommodations. Miscommunication? Cost: $6.4 million.
- Melania’s (ex)pal, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, [warning: if you click on this link you’ll have a UGE picture of Trump smiling in your face; you may not be able to take it, so…] formed a company, WIS Media, specifically to [mis]manage inaugural affairs. Fee paid to WIS: $20 million.
- Brad Parscale’s firm paid to do online advertisements to “drum up inaugural crowds.” [We have seen photos attesting to his success.][Given his “expertise” in online ads & digital crap, I think he’s a great candidate for Russian Troll Farm connection to Trump campaign. Indictment in the works with his name on it?] Cost: $2 million.
- Trump Int’l Hotel, for services “including the use of a ballroom, an ‘annex’ and a space called the townhouse. Cost: $1.5 million +.
- WIS (remember them? See above) flew in 3 dozen staff members who stayed in DC for weeks, including a party planner, David Monn, who charged: $3.7 million.
- Decorations for Union Station 1,500-guest candlelight dinner were determined not to be elegant enough so Monn (see above) did 7-foot-high wreaths, moss-covered obelisks, flowers, etc. to dress up Union Station [a landmark American treasure that does not need Trumpian “decoration”]. Cost for wreaths, moss, obelisks, etc: $924,000.
- Makeup for 20 WIS staff members. Cost: $10,000.
- Table menus, numbers, place cards and on-site calligrapher to “correct last-minute mistakes” for one inaugural dinner. Cost: $91 per person.
- Aside from fixed per diems, WIS employees also got expenses for room service, cab rides (“for assistants who dropped off laundry”) and an order of McDonald’s. Cost: $227,511.
- WIS hotel rooms for one partner. Cost: $31,000, including $18,000 at Trump Int’l Hotel.
- Same partner Amtrak train ticket from NYC to DC. Cost: $560.
- Same partner Amtrak first-class upgrade. Cost: $251.
- Same partner Uber ride to get to plane of Trump pal. Cost: $100.