![]()
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Before former President Donald Trump could appear in Tucson a second time, his campaign had to make a deposit of $145,222.70 upfront.
The required deposit came about because Trump failed to pay an $81,837 bill from a campaign event he held at the Tucson Convention Center in 2016.
The bill was for 180 police officers to patrol inside and outside of the TCC for 6 1/2 hours.
“You know, the former president is entitled to come to anywhere he wants in Arizona,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “It’s up to the Trump campaign to pay their bills.”
The last time Trump was here, it turned out to be a violent affair with a protestor being sucker punched during the former president’s speech.
But even with the violence, what’s been most memorable about that 2016 event is that the campaign skipped town without paying its bill.
Tucson is just one of many communities where the Trump campaign held events but failed to pay for the security provided by local police.
Mesa is still owed more than $64,000. In El Paso, Texas, the bill exceeds $400,000.
“It’s important to provide those services,” Romero said. “Bottom line, the most important thing that we need to provide, as a government, is the ability to protect the former president.”
“The city sent a letter to the campaign six months after the event saying “this letter serves as a demand for payment,” which was ignored.
Still, the city will roll out the police again on Thursday for another Trump event but in order not to be burned again, the city changed its rules.
It said all payments for use of city facilities must be made in advance. According to the city, the Trump campaign has done so. A copy of the agreement between the two sides can be read HERE and at the bottom of this storm.
