When then-candidate Donald Trump announced he would hold a rally at the Bryce Jordan Center, many online commenters speculated that Trump would not pay the rental bill for the arena.
But according to Penn State spokesperson Wyatt DuBois, the Trump campaign did pay the rental tab for the Oct. 26 rally, in addition to other ancillary costs and production expenses following the event.
Commenters' suspicions arose amid news reports that the Trump campaign owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in rental and safety costs to various communities throughout the country.
While complaining about the audio during rally in the Bryce Jordan Center, Trump briefly acknowledged the unpaid bills.
“So first of all, the sound up there is lousy. So here's what happens. I tell my people immediately, ‘Don't pay the bill for the guy that did that, ok?’” he said. “And then they get a story. Trump doesn't want to pay the bill.”
The City of Erie is one of the places left with ignored invoices, according to its communications director Rob Lee.
He says the Trump campaign has not responded to Erie’s bill of $63,190 related to a Sept. 29 rally. Plus, Lee said the campaign owes another $40,330 for public safety costs from events in 2018 and 2023.
Trump is set to begin his second term on Monday, Jan. 20.
