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- The fireworks display at the RNC last August caused more than $42,000 in damage to federal property.
- The RNC has reimbursed the federal government for damage on the Washington Monument's grounds.
- Trump's unprecedented use of the White House and National Mall for the convention drew criticism from ethics experts.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
The controversial fireworks display celebrating former President Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention last August caused more than $42,000 in damage to the National Mall, according to Department of Interior documents obtained by the Democratic group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics.
The National Park Service wrote in a February letter to the Republican National Committee that turf on the grounds of the Washington Monument was damaged by a forklift operator "who drove at a high rate of speed" and scorched by fireworks, while "extensive compaction damage" was caused by "improper setup and security/setup/takedown vehicles." A water fountain was also damaged by a dumpster truck.
The RNC has reimbursed the federal government for the damages related to the show, which included fireworks spelling out "TRUMP 2020." The RNC also paid the government more than $177,000 in labor costs for almost 4,000 hours of work by NPS employees on the fireworks show.
CREW obtained the documents through its lawsuit against the Interior Department for failing to turn over documents relating to the department's involvement in the RNC's firework show.
Trump's unprecedented use of the White House and National Mall for his convention last year drew widespread criticism. Government ethics experts argued that the administration's use of federal property for political purposes violated federal laws, including the Hatch Act, that prohibit federal employees from engaging in political activities.
Trump administration officials committed a slew of Hatch Act violations during Trump's time in office, but the violations were regularly dismissed by the White House. In 2019, the Office of Special Counsel, an independent federal agency, recommended that Trump fire presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway for repeatedly violating the ethics law. Trump refused to do so.