Trump Jr.'s Controversial Trip Cost Taxpayers $77K

Donald Trump Jr. continues to be dogged by that sheep-hunting trip to Mongolia—one that documents now show cost taxpayers roughly $77,000. ProPublica in December reported on the eight-day August trip, during which the oldest son of the US president killed a rare argali sheep and obtained a retroactive permit to do so. At the time, it was reported that security resources for the trip were provided by both the US and Mongolian governments—and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has managed to suss out what the cost on the US side was after suing over a Freedom of Information Act request. CREW explains that the Secret Service documents it was provided with in March put the cost of Secret Service protection for the trip at a minimum of $17,000.

But the nonpartisan and nonprofit group says it appealed the request after noticing potential holes in the expenses: They didn't include a reported private meeting between Trump Jr. and the Mongolian president in Ulaanbaatar, for instance. The new records give the total as $76,859.36. CNN notes that a rep for Trump Jr. made clear that all costs outside the Secret Service bill were paid for by Trump Jr. CREW's take on the whole thing: "As a son of the president, Donald Trump Jr. is entitled to Secret Service protection and should be protected, but taxpayers deserve to know how much they are paying to facilitate his trophy hunting and interactions with major political donors and foreign leaders." (More Donald Trump Jr. stories.)