Donald Trump's campaign has spent over $2 million at Trump businesses

Donald Trump spending millions of campaign dollars at his own businesses.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

last updated 1 March 2016

Presidential campaigns spend hundreds of dollars on things like pizza and fast food, but at least one Republican has spent $2.2 million patronizing Trump businesses. You'll never guess which one.

From when Donald Trump got into the race on June 16 to the end of 2015, he spent a whole $2 million on Tag Air, Inc., of which he is the CEO, The Daily Beast reports. On one day alone, Trump spent $506,846 on air travel. The Trump campaign also makes frequent stops at Trump Cafe and Trump Grill, located in Trump Tower.

Trump is the only candidate to have recorded paying businesses with his own name in the title, perhaps because doing so is a legal gray area. While by law candidates cannot profit off their own campaigns, it gets confusing when a candidate is using his own money to pay his own businesses. On the other hand, the Federal Election Commission doesn't differentiate between a candidate's own money and money given to the candidate by the public.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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