New federal records show that nearly one-fifth of Donald Trump’s campaign funds go back into his own companies, CNN reports.
The presumptive Republican nominee stopped self-funding his campaign last month and is still trailing Hillary Clinton in donations. Clinton has gotten wind of this news and took to Twitter to comment:
What is Trump spending his meager campaign resources on? Why, himself, of course. https://t.co/6LsNwf4gTL
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) June 21, 2016
The tweet Clinton is referencing is from a journalist over at ProPublica:
Recipients of payments from Trump campaign with “Trump” in name, through May 31. Doesn’t include Mar-a-Lago/planes. pic.twitter.com/JF6skaWYGF
— Derek Willis (@derekwillis) June 21, 2016
What Trump is doing is completely legal as he cannot give himself goods and services from his own companies. However, whenever he flies his private jet, pays rent for his campaign headquarters, or gives his team bottled water, one of his companies receives the payment.
As Republicans have expressed concern, Trump has assured donors that their funds will only be used for his campaign and the self-donations he’s made, that are classified as loans, will not be paid back. No presidential candidate before has owned multi-location businesses that can be used as contractors on his/her campaign.