Donald Trump ran as a billionaire businessman whose ability to finance his campaign from his own deep pockets would keep him free from the influence of special interests. While he put $66.1 million of his own money into his campaign and received an additional $264 million from small dollar donors, more than $14.6 million worth of campaign funds went back into Trump’s businesses in the form of air travel, event rentals and even $8,040.01 to Trump’s bottled water company, Trump Ice LLC.
The Federal Election Commission requires candidates using personal assets in elections to pay market rates for them. For Trump, whose businesses cater to the wealthy, that meant higher costs for his campaign, which was already struggling to catch up with Hillary Clinton’s money machine. His company assets, though, played a bigger role than simply shuttling him to rallies or providing a venue for a speech. They were ever-present symbols on the campaign trail of the business record he touted as his main credential for seeking the presidency.