In March, when Trump was still paying for his presidential run mostly out of his own pocket, his campaign spent $35,458 to rent its headquarters in Trump Tower. Last month, however, that figure surged to $169,758, even as the number of paid campaign employees and staff dropped from 197 to 172 over the same period, the Huffington Post reports. The sharp increase in campaign spending appears to correspond to a large infusion in cash from outside donors. According to the Huffington Post, the amount Trump Tower has charged the campaign for rent has steadily increased since May, the same month that Trump clinched the nomination and inked a deal with the Republican National Committee to fund his campaign. At the end of May the campaign doled out $72,800, followed by $110,684 in June, and $169,758 in July.
Trump Tower isn’t the only Trump property to have benefited. Over the same period, the Huffington Post reports a number of Trump’s namesake golf courses and restaurants have earned a total of $260,000, citing F.E.C. records. In July alone, the campaign spent $495,000 on Trump’s air travel, which is operated by a company that he owns. The Washington Post estimated that the Trump clan has pocketed $7.7 million as a result of the campaign’s expenditures.