Lance: NJ Law Enforcement Awarded Federal Funds for Trump Protection

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today announced his office and Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson have secured federal funds to reimburse New Jersey localities for the assistance by law enforcement in protecting President Trump and the First Family in New Jersey.  The sums total nearly $1 million for the County of Somerset, the New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety, the Town of Morristown and the Township of Bedminster.

“The extraordinary men and women of New Jersey law enforcement do a terrific job every day of the week and in the past year have risen to the occasion and supported the protection of the President of the United States while he visits New Jersey.  These responsibilities come at a cost – one I believe should be a federal expense, not a burden on local taxpayers.  I commend the leadership of Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson and his team in working with my office and federal entities to establish and fund this reimbursement system.  I thank New Jersey’s Rodney Frelinghuysen, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the U.S. House, for ensuring this was a funding priority,” said Lance, the federal representative for Bedminster.

Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson added, “The brave men and women of law enforcement have been tasked with this important responsibility for the country.  They have done and will continue to do an excellent job of protecting the President, his guests and the community residents.  But these costs belong to the federal government and I am pleased to have worked with Congressman Lance and the federal government on this solution.”

Lance and Robertson led the effort to ensure New Jersey was designated a priority for presidential protection by the United States Secret Service.  The Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster is now considered a ‘residence of the President’ and thus eligible to apply to receive federal grants exclusively for providing reimbursement of law enforcement personnel costs for protection activities.  Lance worked with Frelinghuysen to secure funds for the program through government funding measures.  Robertson, the leading law enforcement official in Somerset County, has been responsible for operations of the protection forces.

The FEMA FY17 Presidential Residence Protection Assistance (PRPA) Grant Program issued the following awards, meeting the requests made by local officials:

$ 579,088.00, County of Somerset, New Jersey

$ 281,821.58, Department of Law & Public Safety, New Jersey

$ 30,721.69, Town of Morristown, New Jersey

$ 54,077.42, Township of Bedminster, New Jersey