The Hill: RNC paying $37K per month in 2020 campaign rent at Trump Tower
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is reportedly already paying $37,000 a month for President Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign’s office space in Trump Tower. The party has been paying the rent, as well as thousands more in salary to Vice President Pence’s nephew, John Pence, who is the deputy executive director of the campaign, since September, totaling more than $290,000, according to CNBC.
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Brendan Fischer, senior counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, said the RNC is reporting the payments properly.
"This is permissible and it's being reported properly, but why they are doing it is a mystery," Fischer said. "One would think the RNC could be spending their money more effectively right now on the 2018 campaign, rather than spending it to pay Trump's rent."
Fischer questioned why the RNC would be paying these expenses for the campaign so early in the election cycle, since the campaign could likely cover the expenses themselves. Party committees are limited in how much they can spend on coordinated expenditures with a candidate.
"Why would [the RNC] be blowing through their allowed expenditures now, on something the campaign can easily afford?" Fischer said. "Did they think they needed to show loyalty to Trump by paying the rent at the building Trump owns?"