Trump campaign misses deadline to pay St. Cloud for rally

ST. CLOUD – The city of St. Cloud has sent a second invoice to the Trump campaign after it missed the Oct. 10 deadline to pay for about $209,000 in city services incurred at a July rally.

The invoice, dated Sept. 10, breaks down the costs borne by the city that went above and beyond typical services: about $63,000 for police costs, $62,000 for costs related to a change in a construction project near campus, $60,500 for public services, $21,000 for Fire Department costs and about $2,000 for IT-related costs.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance visited central Minnesota on July 27, speaking to a capacity crowd of 8,000 at Herb Brooks National Hockey Center while a large crowd gathered outside the arena to watch the speeches on a big screen.

Police helped block roads and direct traffic before the event and, when the campaign left the venue, city vehicles — including plows and construction trucks — blocked the cross streets of a main route near campus.

St. Cloud City Administrator Matt Staehling said Monday that the city doesn’t bill the White House for official visits but it does for campaign stops and other events that require city services, such as the annual Earth Day half-marathon.

St. Cloud State athletic director Holly Schreiner said Monday the campaign paid the university’s $35,000 fee in August.

Minneapolis tried for years to get the Trump campaign to cover $530,000 in overtime and expenses after a 2019 rally at Target Center. The city eventually received about $100,000 in compensation.

NBC News recently reported at least four cities are waiting to be reimbursed for costs associated with law enforcement during campaign visits. The costs — some dating back to 2016 — total more than $750,000.

Officials from Trump’s campaign declined to comment and referred questions to the U.S. Secret Service.

A spokesperson for the Secret Service said Tuesday the organization “lacks a mechanism to reimburse state and local governments for their support during protective events” and is working with the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and Congress to “advocate for the necessary grants and resources to support the city, county, and state law enforcement and public safety agencies that assist us every day.” The Secret Service recommended contacting the Trump campaign.