Thad Cochran's Executive Assistant Accompanied Him to 42 Countries on 33 Taxpayer-Funded Trips

Breitbart ^ | 12 May 2014 | Matthew Boyle

[SoConPubbie]

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) lives in the basement apartment in a house owned by his executive assistant, Kay Webber, which he has listed as his primary address on official forms. Now public records show Webber accompanied Cochran on dozens of taxpayer-funded trips overseas.

According to the Congressional Record, where trip details including cost are listed, Webber has traveled with Cochran at taxpayer expense to 42 countries across five continents since 2002. 

For example, Cochran and Webber traveled eight times to France, five times to Italy, four times to Israel, and twice to Japan.

The full list of countries they traveled to includes: Italy, France, Brussels, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Hungary, Russia, Norway, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Austria, and Czech Republic in Europe; Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile in South America; Guatemala, and Mexico in North and Central America; Japan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, the Republic of the Philippines, and South Korea in Asia; Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Azerbaijan, Oman, and United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, to Morocco; and Egypt, Cape Verde, and South Africa in Africa.

Other documents show that in 2005 and 2007, the Wine Institute, a trade association that represents the California wine industry, paid for Cochran's and Webber's travel to Sonoma, California for what a disclosure form described as “a fact-finding program on issues of importance to the wine industry.” No other aides attended the trip.

The Congressional Record lists 33 trips that Cochran and Webber attended together. According to that record, the cost to the American taxpayer of Webber's travel was at least $155,000.

Cochran staffers attended many of the trips with him and Webber, as well. For example, Stewart Holmes, who works at the Senate Appropriations Committee for Cochran and formerly advised him on intelligence and national security issues in his

[SoConPubbie]

	"If we must have an enemy at the head of Government, let it be one whom we can oppose, and for whom we are not responsible, who will not involve our party in the disgrace of his foolish and bad measures." - Alexander Hamilton "We don't intend to turn the Republican Party over to the traitors in the battle just ended. We will have no more of those candidates who are pledged to the same goals as our opposition and who seek our support. Turning the Party over to the so-called moderates wouldn’t make any sense at all." -- President Ronald Reagan "A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine 1792 "It does not take a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brushfires of freedom in the minds of men." - Samuel Adams "If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

[HiTech RedNeck]

We could wish that such conduct by his secretary (and lover?) is the worst we ever saw from Congress.

Did she need to go all those places? Dunno. I’d imagine he had some sort of business for her to carry out to at least make it pro forma. But in this internet age, a secretary seems less and less necessary, or she could stay in one place and still assist.

[Ready4Freddy]

Brussels is a country. Who knew?

[sickoflibs]

3 more arrests in Miss. Sen. Cochran photo probe( May 22, 2014 Wash Times ) /

[NonValueAdded]

“would you like to go upstairs?” /very obscure

[Fred911]

How about info on how many “family members” barry schleps around the world at tax payers expense.

[Dusty Road]

I’m sitting here trying think of a good reason why any congressman or senator should ever have to travel outside the US.

[Farmer Dean]

Thad knows how hard it is to line up quality prostitutes in a foreign country,especially on short notice.So he takes his own.

[Rodamala]

"Why don't come up some time and see me?"

[SoConPubbie]

Hey Cotton, can you post the ratings for Cochran on this thread?

[Black Agnes]

It’s not so much the foreign travel as the two trips, for two, to California wine country to look into producing wine. Because Mississippi has such a thriving wine industry...

[windcliff]

That is so perfect.

[cotton1706]

Cochran (MS) - 06/03/14 - 54% (Average) - 57% (Heritage) - 56% (CFG) - 60% (ACU) - 41% (FreedomWorks)

[Black Agnes]

Does Travis Childers have a rating for his time in DC?

Just asking...

[cotton1706]

His ACU ratings for 2009 and 2010 were 40 and 35.