SECRET SERVICE AGENTS GUARDING IVANKA, JARED PAY FOR TOILET USE

The US Secret Service is renting a small studio apartment in Washington, DC, near the home of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, a source with knowledge of the service's activities told CNN, in order for agents to use the bathroom and have office space.

In a report for CNN on January 15, 2021, Kate Bennett and Caroline Kelley said the apartment was needed to provide a "downtime" facility in the Kalorama neighborhood, the source said.

The neighborhood is a popular residential area for dignitaries and diplomats, in addition to the President's daughter and son-in-law. Former President Barack Obama also has a home in the neighborhood.

The Kushner-Trump home is substantial in size, at 5,000 square feet, and has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.

But, the agents on the family's protective detail do not enter the home, the source said, though this person neglected to say whether that was at the request of the Kushners or due to Secret Service protocol.

The source notes the rental of the apartment was not only to provide toilet facilities, but also to serve as a downtime break room for agents in the area. There is also office space with Internet and a printer, as well as a kitchen, where agents can refuel after long shifts and during hours where finding open restaurants in the area proves challenging, the source said.

The Washington Post, which first reported on the expenditures, said that since September 2017, the federal government has rented the space for $3,000 a month, or more than $100,000 to date. White House spokesman Judd Deere denied that the Kushners did not allow their Secret Service detail to use the bathroom.

WEEKLY FEATURE : JOSE MARI CHAN AND THE CHRISTMAS ANTHEM