Real estate mogul Donald Trump has agreed to pick up the security charges racked up by an April tea party rally in Boca Raton, Fla. The
city charged the South Florida Tea Party $3,052 for barricades and $3,093 for police services at the rally where Trump spoke, the
Sun Sentinel reports.
Trump aide Michael Cohen said that Trump was “honored that the Tea Party event orchestrated by Everett Wilkinson generated more than 5,000 people to come hear him speak. Mr. Trump does not want any citizen's group to be disparaged or burdened for exercising their first amendment rights, and he has agreed to personally cover the cost to the city of Boca Raton," according to the Sun Sentinel.
Assistant City Manager Mike Woika told the newspaper that the South Florida Tea Party was billed for the costs last month but they have not yet received payment. The group has disputed the charges and argued that the group MoveOn.org that held a rally two days later should share in the cost because the barriers remained up past the tea party event and through the MoveOn.org event.