Bernie Sanders University of Iowa visit expenditure surpasses Donald Trump's

Bernie Sanders' visit to the University of Iowa Field House was the most expensive pre-caucus candidate appearance at a public university.

Bernie Sanders' recent visit to the University of Iowa Field House was the most expensive pre-caucus candidate appearance at a public university in the state so far. The Democratic hopeful's visit drew a crowd of over 5,000, making it one of the largest on any Iowa campus this campaign season. The total cost of the visit was $12,009.02, surpassing the previous record held by Donald Trump's visit to the same venue, which attracted a crowd of about 2,000 and cost $11,765.

The expenses for these visits, which include facility rental, security, technology, maintenance, and other incidentals, are typically covered by the candidates' campaigns. The surge of candidates visiting the university over the weekend in the final push before the caucuses included Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Rand Paul, and Ron Paul, who visited various venues at different costs.

The total amount spent by candidates this campaign cycle on visits to the UI campus is nearly $40,000. Trump and Sanders have been the top spenders, with Trump paying $4,200 for an event at Iowa State and $8,998 to visit the University of Northern Iowa, while Sanders matched Trump's spending at UNI for a visit on Jan. 24.

The University of Iowa has specific procedures for candidate visits, requiring student organizations to sponsor visits from candidates not seeking university elected office. In contrast, ISU and UNI allow candidates to rent space and hold events without sponsorship, similar to any other member of the public.