Pennsylvania City Wants Payment ‘In Advance This Time’ From Trump Team For Upcoming Rally After Being Stiffed $35,000

File Photo by: zz/Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx

The Mayor of Erie, PA, wants Donald Trump to pay in advance for an upcoming rally after saying the city was stiffed $35,000 for a past Trump event.

The money was earmarked for city workers, including police officers, who worked overtime to ensure a successful “Make America Great Again” rally at the Erie Insurance Arena in 2018, according to city officials.

“I think we have to try, and I feel like my team feels the same way,” Mayor Joe Schember told the Erie-Times News. “We’re going to see whether we can get some payment from them in advance this time. It’s important to do this because we’re talking about taxpayer money being used to help make his visit more safe.”

The city reportedly made a formal reimbursement request for $35,129 from Trump’s campaign committee after the 2018 rally. GoErie.com reported that one of the biggest costs to the city was $17,500 to rent the arena. Five years later, city officials said they still have not heard back from the Trump camp.

“Trump has been able to bring in millions of dollars for his campaign,” Schember said. “He should be able to easily pay these costs to cities.”

According to a 2020 report, some 14 cities were awaiting Trump reimbursements totaling $2 million.

In a March 2023 article titled, “Trump Stiffed Local Cops. Now It’s Coming Back to Bite Him,” The Daily Beast reported that Trump still owed those millions by the end of his 2021 term.

The president of Erie’s tourism and promotion agency, John Oliver, said his organization did not examine the economic impact of the 2018 rally, “because the organization believed that impact was minimal.”

“FEC filings show that currently, Donald J. Trump for President 2024, Inc. has roughly $22.5 million on hand, and Schember said the city is aware of that,” GoErie.com reported.

Trump is scheduled to speak Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Erie Insurance Arena.