Posted on 01/18/2019 2:37:51 PM PST by jazusamo
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it obtained documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Air Force detailing $134,587.81 plus $50,000 for an advance of funds for an “escort officer” for a total of $184.587.81 for then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) Congressional delegation (CODEL) to Italy and Ukraine in 2015.
Judicial Watch filed a December 2015 FOIA lawsuit after the Air Force failed to respond to an August 2015 request ( Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Defense (No 1:15-cv-02236)) for:
All records regarding mission taskings of flights escorting members of Congress
All records concerning transportation costs for transporting members of Congress
All passenger manifests (DD-2131) for transporting members of Congress
All weekly travel reports for members of Congress
The documents show that from July 30 to August 6, Pelosi took a trip to Milan, Rome and Naples, Italy, and Kiev, Ukraine, for herself, her husband , several members of congress and their spouses. The Italy trip included Milan, Rome and Naples with visits to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Duomo and viewing Da Vinci’s “Last Supper.”
The documents also show the Air Force’s negative response to a Pelosi staff request for a specific crew for Pelosi’s flight. An official notes that it: “would be a disastrous precedent to set even if it were possible.” The Air Force further points out: “Our ARC crews have plenty to balance already with military duties and their civilian employers.”
The documents also detail a CODEL trip for Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), who traveled commercial flights to Asia , including Tokyo and Okinawa, Japan; Seoul, Korea; plus Beijing and Hong Kong, China. This trip, with flights and per diems, cost at least $26,009.03 .
“Speaker Pelosi has a demonstrated record of abusing the perks of office that give her access to military luxury travel paid for by taxpayers,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Judicial Watch previously uncovered that Pelosi’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over one two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol.
Judicial Watch’s work exposing Pelosi’s travel abuses resulted in her successor John Boehner declining to use Air Force luxury jets to travel to his Ohio congressional district.
Just what is the purpose of these CODELs (other than entertain politicians and their families)? Have they accomplished anything to speak of? Have they brought about peace somewhere? What are they even there for?
Yep, they sound like vacations that they take some friends along with them.
LOL! Good one.
It was also the last time she flew Commercial.
"It reads like a dream order for a wild frat party: Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey … and Corona beer.
But that single receipt makes up just part of the more than $101,000 taxpayers paid for “in-flight services” – including food and liquor, for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. That’s almost $1,000 per week.
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Judicial Watch, which investigates and prosecutes government corruption, show Pelosi incurred expenses of some $2.1 million for her use of Air Force jets for travel over that time.
“Speaker Pelosi has a history of wasting taxpayer funds with her boorish demands for military travel,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said today. “And these documents suggest the Speaker’s congressional delegations are more about partying than anything else.”
Pelosi, D-Calif., recently joined President Obama on a Judicial Watch list of Top 10 corrupt politicians because of her “sense of entitlement,” the group said.
“Politicians believe laws and rules (even the U.S. Constitution) apply to the rest of us but not to them. Case in point: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her excessive and boorish demands for military travel. Judicial Watch obtained documents from the Pentagon in 2008 that suggest Pelosi has been treating the Air Force like her own personal airline,” the evaluation said."
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LOL!
Post of the Year . . . so far!!!
"Orange Man bad!", quacked the Media, which is Democrat.
"Pelosi Power Play good!"
Nothing is too good for old San Fran Nan.
That looks like Hillarys weekly shopping list
It’s nice to know we are all working hard so Nancy and family and friends can fly all over boozing it up.
LOL!!!
Love me some President Plane Nazi. :-)
My family wont spend this much money on vacations over our entire lifetimes
And this was ONE trip
Thanks for posting that, I’d forgotten about it. The old bag doesn’t hesitate to spend our dollars.
Do they write a report to we the taxpayers who pay for these trips? There should be a website that is sortable listing all such trips with their details, purposes, time spent on official business and cost.
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