The Poynter Institute Menu Donate State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin Issues * All Issues * Online hoaxes * Coronavirus * Health Care * Immigration * Extremism * Taxes * Marijuana * Environment * Crime * Guns * Foreign Policy * LGBTQ+ People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis Media * PunditFact * Tucker Carlson * Sean Hannity * Rachel Maddow * Bloggers * PolitiFact Videos Campaigns * 2024 Elections Truth-o-Meter * True * Mostly True * Half True * Mostly False * False * Pants on Fire Promises * Biden Promise Tracker * Trump-O-Meter * Obameter * Latest Promises About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Suggest a Fact-check * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters Donate #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up English Español ### Get PolitiFact in your inbox. * Weekly Email Newsletter * Daily Email Newsletter Your Email Address Sign Up ![](\\" ![](\\" DCCC stated on October 4, 2016 in in a campaign TV advertisement: \"When Trump wanted to turn a taxpayer-owned building into an $800 a night hotel, (Congressman Jeff Denham, R-CA) helped broker the deal and bragged about it.\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") * Elections * California * DCCC ![\\"Chris](\\" By Chris Nichols October 28, 2016 # DCCC makes False claim about Denham\'s role in Trump hotel deal A new TV ad by a Democratic campaign committee describes Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, as Donald Trump’s ‘Man in Washington DC.’ It says Denham was deeply involved in the GOP nominee’s development of Trump International Hotel in DC. Trump took time away from the campaign trail this week to celebrate the hotel’s opening. \"When Trump wanted to turn a taxpayer-owned building into an $800 a night hotel, Denham helped broker the deal and bragged about it,\" the ad by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says. Denham is locked in a close race against Democratic challenger Michael Eggman for the 10th Congressional District seat in the Central Valley. Eggman and the DCCC have tried to tie Denham to Trump through several campaign ads in recent months. We wanted to know whether this eye-opening claim that Denham \"helped broker\" the hotel deal for Trump was true. We set out on a fact check. Our research Denham has long pushed for the sale and redevelopment of excess government properties. As chairman of the House subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management in 2011, Denham held a committee meeting in the Old Post Office. The partially vacant federal building about three blocks from the White House was costing taxpayers $6.5 million in upkeep at the time. He advocated for redeveloping that site, as well as others, to save taxpayers money. Trump’s development company, the Trump Organization, was selected about a year later to turn the property into a 250-room luxury hotel while preserving its historic nature. This is the ‘taxpayer owned building’ the ad refers to. To say, however, that Denham \"helped broker the deal\" is a far stretch. The Obama Administration’s General Services Administration handled the bids and selection process. GSA received 10 bids and described its process this way in February 2012: \"After closely evaluating the submissions, GSA determined the Trump Organization proposal represented the strongest development team, best long term potential for the local community, and most consistent stream of revenue for the Federal Government.\" Dan Tagherlini, then-acting administrator of the General Services Administration, praised the 60-year Trump lease in 2013, as one that will \"save millions of taxpayer dollars while restoring a unique and important historic asset,\" according to a McClatchyDC.com news article. Asked for evidence to back up the claims in the ad, a DCCC spokeswoman said it used news articles from Turlock City News and Time magazine along with a 2013 press release from Denham’s office. None of those, however, show Denham helped \"broker\" the deal. Denham’s campaign spokesman said the congressman \"was not involved in the selection process\" of the property’s developer. A GSA spokeswoman said Denham \"did not vote on any legislation or make a recommendation related to the selection of the Trump Organization as the preferred developer for Old Post Office project.\" #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" black/4590875651af69b2c789ceab409664dd.jpg\\") ![](\\" black/72988380e8c8bd188dc360d11552e4a0.jpg\\") X posts stated on August 27, 2024 in a social media post The order of candidate names on North Carolina’s ballot shows a “clear attempt at voter manipulation.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Paul Specht • August 28, 2024 Denham told the Modesto Bee in August he supports Trump for president. We asked his campaign spokesman this week whether Denham continues to support the Republican nominee, and have yet to hear back. ![\\"\\"](\\" In this 2013 photo, Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP Photo/Evan Vucci Bragged about it? Denham’s news release does show the congressman was pleased. It says Denham joined Trump Sept. 12, 2013 at the architectural and design unveiling of what’s now called Trump International Hotel. \"I am pleased to see Trump International Hotel’s design unveiled today,\" Denham said in the release. \"This is one of the projects that has been important to me in my efforts to generate economic growth and streamline federal processes, and as the chairman of the Economic Development subcommittee last Congress, I worked closely with the GSA on this project.\" $800 a night? The Time article shows rooms at the hotel were originally priced at $800 or more per night. Yet, the same article said \"Rates will go down after the soft opening period, starting at about $472 a night. There were several rooms available early this week, with nightly rates from $588 to $668, not including local taxes, according to the hotel’s website. Our rating A TV ad by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says Rep. Jeff Denham of California \"helped broker\" a deal for a Washington DC hotel for Donald Trump \"and bragged about it.\" In reality, Denham chaired a House committee that sought to sell or redevelop excess and underused federal properties, including the Old Post Office Trump later turned into a luxury hotel. While the congressman played a role the overall process, a federal agency under the Obama Administration, not Denham, selected the Trump Organization to redevelop the property after reviewing competing bids. Denham joined Trump at the hotel’s design unveiling in 2013 and said in a press release he was pleased the property was being redeveloped. But there’s no indication, and no evidence from the DCCC, that Denham had any direct role in choosing Trump as the developer. The DCCC advertisement greatly exaggerates Denham’s role in the process and falsely describes him as helping \"broker\" the deal. We rate the claim False. _FALSE_ – The statement is not accurate. Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources CA10: Trump\'s Man, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee TV advertisement, accessed October 2016 U.S. General Services Administration, GSA Seeks to Redevelop D.C.\'s Old Post Office, March 24, 2011 U.S. General Services Administration, GSA Selects the Trump Organization as Preferred Developer for DC\'s Old Post Office, Feb. 7, 2012 Modesto Bee, editorial, Denham’s support of Trump is a disqualifier, Oct. 15, 2016 Turlock City News, Congressman Denham, Donald Trump, Unveil New Hotel in Old Government Building, Sept. 12, 2013 Rep. Jeff Denham, House Lawmakers Demand The Fed Stop Sitting On Our Assets, Feb. 10, 2011 Rep. Jeff Denham, Denham Joins Trump Family for Unveiling of Hotel in Old Post Office Building, Sept. 10, 2013 Time, You Can Stay at Donald Trump’s New Washington D.C. Hotel for $800 a Night, Sept. 12, 2016 Los Angeles Times, Democrats airing three new ads connecting California Republican congressman to Trump, Oct. 4, 2016 McClatchyDC.com, Democrats deploying Donald Trump as weapon against Rep. Jeff Denham and House GOP, Oct. 4, 2016 Interview, Dave Gilliard, spokesman, Jeff Denham for Congress, Oct. 24, 2016 Interview, Barb Solish, spokeswoman, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Oct. 24, 2016 Interview, Renee Kelly, spokeswoman, U.S. General Services Administration, Oct. 26, 2016 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Chris Nichols slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on January 1, 2021 in a Facebook post: There are “absolutely no patients” at Los Angeles hospital considered the center of region\'s COVID-19 surge. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Chris Nichols • January 6, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" James Gallagher stated on December 3, 2020 in a tweet: “Government imposed lockdowns do NOT reduce [COVID-19] cases or stop spikes.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Chris Nichols • December 16, 2020 ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on November 11, 2020 in a tweet: Video shows California election workers \"cheating\" by collecting ballots from drop box on Nov. 4. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Chris Nichols • November 11, 2020 ![](\\" ![](\\" Larry Elder stated on August 31, 2021 in a CNN interview: “I don’t believe the science suggests that young people should be vaccinated. 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When Trump wanted to turn a taxpayerowned building into an 800 a night hotel Congressman Jeff Denham RCA helped broker the deal and bragged about it