One of the charities most loyal to Trump’s club, the Palm Beach Police Foundation, which supports the local police department, has spent an average of $261,777 each year on its annual ball, held at Trump’s club every year since the charity was founded in 2006. Where the organization’s tax records show fees for the price of the facility, those range from $125,000 in 2007 to $235,362 in 2012 to $276,463 in 2013.
Asked whether he agrees with the Republican nominee’s suggestion that hosting charity events at Mar-a-Lago is part of how he gives back, John Scarpa, the foundation’s president, said in an interview with BuzzFeed News that the resort has granted his organizations what he estimates is a 10 to 12% discount on food. He says the club also provides some free amenities, such as heaters for the pre-dinner poolside cocktails (the Policeman’s Ball is in January). Trump, Scarpa said, donates a private helicopter trip to his Doral Golf Course to be sold at the event’s auction, an item that he called a “really good money-maker for us.”
During at least three years, the Palm Beach Police Foundation has lost money at Mar-a-Lago, losing more than $278,000 between its dinners in 2006, 2007, and 2010. Roger Craver, a charity expert who spoke with BuzzFeed News, said that losing money as a new charity was not uncommon. Scarpa, who said he considered the events a success, did not respond to a follow-up request for comment on the lost money.
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