Gov't Records: Michelle Obama’s Vacation in Spain Cost Taxpayers at Least $467,585
First lady Michelle Obama in Spain in August 2010. (AP Photo)
(CNSNews.com) – First Lady Michelle Obama’s vacation in Spain
with her daughter Sasha, several friends, their children, and some
White House staffers cost U.S. taxpayers at least $467,585, according
to documents obtained by Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest
group that fights government corruption.
Mrs. Obama took the trip from Aug. 4-8, 2010. That same month,
Judicial Watch filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with
the Secret Service and the Air Force to obtain information on the cost
of the trip. On March 5, 2012, Judicial Watch followed up on its FOIA
request with a lawsuit seeking the relevant information.
According to the information Judicial Watch obtained from the Air
Force, the costs for the travel services that Air Force provided to Mrs.
Obama and her entourage totaled $213,124.15.
“'[T]he total cost of flying Michelle Obama and her guests from Camp
Andrews to Malaga and then to Mallorca and back to the United States
was $199,323.75," said Judicial Watch. "This is based on approximately
17 hours and 15 minutes of total flying time.”
Once the Air Force crews got to Spain, however, there were costs
associated with maintaining them there while Mrs. Obama vacationed.
“The 15-member flight crew stayed at Tryp Guadalmar, a nearby
motel,” said Judicial Watch. “Lodging cost was $10,290.60 and car
rental cost was $2,633.50. Food cost was $876.30, including $57.68 for
four bottles of maple syrup and a package of pancake mix.”
The Secret Service records released as a result of Judicial Watch's
efforts show that the service spent $254,461.20 in taxpayer funds on
Mrs. Obama Spanish vacation. “This total includes $26,670.61 for a
chauffeur tour of Costa del Sol and $50,078.78 for a travel planning
company SET P&V, S.L.,” said Judicial Watch. “Taxpayers also paid
the bill for separate lodging for a dog and its handler.”
“The American people can ill afford to keep sending the First Family
on vacations around the globe,” said Judicial Watch President Tom
Fitton. “There needs to be greater sensitivity to the costs borne by
taxpayers for these personal trips.”
“It is hypocritical for President Obama to fire GSA officials for
wasteful conference spending, while his family went on a luxury vacation
in the Costa del Sol Spain that cost taxpayers nearly half a million
dollars,” said Fitton. “No wonder it took two years and a lawsuit to get
these documents out of the Obama administration.”
Other documents obtained by the watchdog group show that the June
21-27, 2011 trip taken by Michelle Obama, her family, and staff members
to South Africa cost $424,142 for the flight and crew alone.
Vacation backlash: Blue collar Dems jealous, angry at Obamas
April 26, 2012 -- 12:39 PM
Blue
collar workers are upset with the number of vacations the first family
take. The Obamas are shown returning from their Christmas vacation in
Hawaii in January. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Blue collar Democratic voters, stuck taking depressing “staycations” because they can’t afford gas and hotels, are resentful of the first family’s 17 lavish vacations around the world and don’t want their tax dollars paying for the Obamas’ holidays, according to a new analysis of swing voters.
“They view everything through their own personal situation and if they can’t afford to do it, they can’t enjoy it, they don’t like Obama using their tax dollars to benefit himself,” said pollster John McLaughlin. “In this case, they see him as out of touch. While they are struggling he’s not sharing in that struggle and he’s basically doing what they can’t do on their tax dollars,” added the GOP pollster.
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