Inside luxurious $6m sea-facing Malibu villa rented by Secret Service to protect Hunter Biden
The US Secret Service isn't cheap. Since leaving office, Donald Trump has been billing the agency over $40,000 for his own protection at Mar-a-Lago. In fact, several times during his presidency, Trump came under widespread criticism for the cost of his protection, amidst his frequent golfing trips. It appears that costs under Joe Biden are no better, with a new investigation revealing the massive expenses incurred to protect Hunter Biden.
In March 2021, it was revealed that taxpayers were still footing the bill for protection for the Trump children, even though they were not entitled to receive it. The arrangement was made at the last minute before he left office, at no cost to Trump or his children. In July 2021, that arrangement eventually ended, meaning Trump, Melania, and Barron were the only ones to be protected. There's no word on what it has cost taxpayers at all.
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Things appear to be equally murky when it comes to Hunter Biden. Under the law, the President and his children are entitled to protection while he is in office, so Hunter will be protected until 2024, or later if Biden wins the 2024 Presidential Elections. It appears that the cost is also quite exorbitant, given Hunter's $20,000-a-month rented home in Malibu.
Hunter's protection costs Secret Service $30k a month
Hunter, along with his wife Melissa and child Beau have been staying at a rented property in Malibu since Biden became President. Given that he is Biden's son, the Secret Service has had to rent out a massive $6 million mansion next door, so it can run operations and keep tabs on the family. The Daily Mail first revealed the existence of the mansion, detailing just how expensive protecting Hunter really is.
Rent alone costs taxpayers $30,000 each month for the Spanish-style sea-facing villa. It consists of six bedrooms, a pool, gym, spa, and a "castle-like tower." One property listing describes it as having "picturesque gardens", "hand-carved doors, artisan tiles, and an antique style bar with stained glass inlay." Overall, the home has been described as "A Magical Mediterranean Resort Style Home with Ocean Views." It's unclear if agents actually use all those facilities, but protocols mean they have to pay for it nonetheless. For security reasons, agents must reside as close as possible, so the $6 million mansion is a necessity.
Records indicate the home dates back to 1958 when it was originally built for actress Linda Lavin. There's also a nod to her in the description, which says "Linda Lavin made this home a perfect reflection of her talent." It is currently owned by Arya Behzad and Maryam Eshghipour, two engineers about whom very little is known. If the eye-watering amount shocks you, it should come as little surprise.
Of late, the cost of protecting the President and his family has come under increasing scrutiny. In 2021, it emerged the Secret Service was forced to rent a $3,000/month property in Washington DC, just so agents could use the toilet after they were denied permission to use the facilities at Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's home. A 2016 trip to Martha's Vineyard by then-President Barack Obama cost $2.7 million, of which $2.5 million was spent solely on hotels for agents.