Here's how Trump's inaugural committee spent $107 million

President Trump's inaugural committee had $107 million to work with, and a deep dive shows that $1.5 million was spent at the Trump International Hotel, $924,000 paid for seven-foot-high wreaths and moss-covered obelisks, and $10,000 covered makeup for 20 aides attending an evening event, The New York Times reports.

To determine how much was spent on the inaugural events, the Times reviewed documents and interviewed people involved with the committee. Trump's committee raised tens of millions more than Barack Obama and George W. Bush's committees, with most of the money coming from large corporations, including Bank of America and AT&T, and wealthy GOP donors like casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. Inaugural committees have to report every donation to the Federal Election Commission, but for the most part are able to use the money as they please.

The Times reports that about $5 million was donated to charity; $2 million was paid to Trump campaign official Brad Parscale's firm for ads to drum up interest for inaugural events; and $6.4 million went to pay for hotel rooms that were never occupied, as the guests made their own arrangements. First lady Melania Trump's friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff received $1.6 million for overseeing events and creating a documentary that ended up never seeing the light of day.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Winston Wolkoff and her friend Jonathan Reynaga formed WIS Media Partners to manage things, and brought on another party planner, David Monn, who spent $924,000 on decorations for a candlelight dinner at Union Station, the Times reports. WIS Partners ultimately received almost $26 million, which it paid out to other vendors.

It is illegal for foreigners to make donations to inaugural funds, and now federal prosecutors in New York are investigating whether money was funneled to the committee through Americans, as well as if any donations weren't recorded, the Times reports. Read more about the committee's spending, and Winston Wolkoff's testy relationship with other aides, at The New York Times.