Bernie Sanders spent more on University of Iowa visit than Donald Trump

IOWA CITY - Bernie Sanders' visit to the University of Iowa Field House over the weekend was the most expensive pre-caucus candidate appearance at a public university in the state to date.

The Democratic hopeful's visit - which drew a crowd of more than 5,000, making it among the biggest on any Iowa campus this campaign season - cost $12,009.02. That topped Republican candidate Donald Trump's visit to the UI Field House last week, which attracted a crowd of about 2,000 and cost $11,765 - the most among candidate visits to Iowa's public universities at the time.

The candidates' campaigns typically cover those expenses, which include the cost of facility rental, security, technology, maintenance, and other incidentals.

See Also: Before the Sanders visit, Trump had spent more than any other candidate on visits to Iowa campuses

Sanders, who spoke from the main deck in the UI Field House on Saturday, was among a surge of candidates who visited the university over the weekend in the final push before tonight's caucuses.

Republican candidate Ben Carson visited the UI-associated University Club on Friday at a cost of 304.93; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, running for the Republican nomination, went to the University Club on Saturday at no cost to his campaign as it was hosted by a private member; and Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican hopeful, along with his father, Ron Paul, visited the main lounge in the Iowa Memorial Union on Sunday at a cost of $3,749.

Including those totals, candidates this campaign cycle have spent nearly $40,000 on visits to the UI campus. Trump and Sanders have been the top spenders in Iowa campus visits to date - with Trump paying $4,200 for an event at Iowa State on Jan. 19 and $8,998 to visit University of Northern Iowa on Jan. 12.

Sanders has not visited the ISU campus, but he matched Trump's spending at UNI for a Jan. 24 visit, according to UNI records.

A Board of Regents policy on campus speakers and programs allows each university to establish its own procedures around candidate visits. The University of Iowa requires student organizations to sponsor visits from candidates not seeking university elected office, while ISU and UNI allow candidates to rent space and hold events without sponsorship - like any other member of the public.