A government watchdog found that President Obama spent plenty during his fundraising and personal jaunts over Labor Day weekend — more than $1.5 million of taxpayer dollars in flight costs alone.
U.S. Air Force records requested and obtained by Judicial Watch indicated that the flight costs for his weekend trips — personal, fundraising and political in scope — came to $1.54 million. The breakdown includes $527,192 for the president’s fundraising ventures in Westchester, N.Y., and Providence, R.I.; $358,490 to ferry Mr. Obama from Washington, D.C., to Westchester for a wedding; and another $653,718 to fly him to Milwaukee to speak at “Laborfest 2014,” Judicial Watch reported in a press release.
His ventures included a flurry of fundraising events in the Northeast, including one for the Democratic National Committee and another at the home of Robert Wolf, the former chief executive at UBS. Mr. Obama then attended several other events at taxpayer expense, wrapping with a campaign speech in Wisconsin, the nonprofit reported.
“This Labor Day back-and-forth shows President Obama seems to confuse Air Force One with Uber,” said Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch president in a written statement. “Obama abuses not only taxpayers with this unnecessary travel — he strains an already overstretched military and a Secret Service that is in crisis and can’t even guard the front door of the White House.”
The $1.54 million covers flight expenses alone — it doesn’t include what taxpayers shelled out in terms of manpower, room stays, food and incidentals.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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