Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has not paid the city of Burlington, Vermont, thousands in overdue bills for public safety costs for a rally there in January.
Local Vermont outlet WCAX.com reported that the city billed Trump’s campaign for $8,500 in public safety costs earlier this year and has not yet been paid. The bills are about two months past due.
Miro Weinberger, the city’s Democratic mayor, is thinking about taking action against Trump’s campaign, though the specifics of what such action would involve are unclear. The mayor intends to decide on any possible action within the next two weeks.
"Eighty-five-hundred bucks is not nothing for the city of Burlington," Weinberger told the local publication. "We have not gotten responses to our outreach emails and phone calls."
The Trump campaign incurred the expenses when the Republican presidential candidate held a rally at the Flynn Theater there in January. The campaign overbooked the rally, which resulted in thousands of supporters and protesters hovering outside of the venue.
"They invited more than 20,000 people to come to a theater that only had 1,400 seats," Weinberger said.
Individuals with the Trump campaign did not properly organize the event nor did they communicate with city leaders, according to the mayor. Because of the crowds, local authorities shut down streets and put up barricades to prevent supporters from clashing with protesters outside of the rally, which was held on private property.
"I think our police department did a great job managing what could have been a dangerous situation. And we had to incur some overtime to do so, and I think he should pay the overtime," Weinberger said.
The city, which did not have a written agreement with the Trump campaign, billed the campaign in February for $7,200 to cover the cost of police officers and $1,260 to cover the cost of fire personnel and a pair of rescue vehicles at the rally. The campaign has ducked requests from the city for the payment.
Trump won the Republican primary in Vermont last month.
The Democratic National Committee has also failed to pay bills from the city for thousands in public safety costs incurred when President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama traveled there for separate fundraising trips.