Nearly $500K to send Michelle, family to Africa

[Geee]

Washington Examiner:

How much does it cost taxpayers to fly First Lady Michelle Obama, her two daughters and her mother, a niece and a nephew, a hairstylist and makeup artists to South Africa and Botswana to give a few speeches, meet Nelson Mandela, and enjoy a safari on a private game preserve?

Nearly half a million dollars, according to documents obtained by Judicial Watch via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) concerning Obama's June 21-27 journey.

Judicial Watch said the U.S. Air Force provided a C-32 - a Boeing 757 modified by the military for the purpose of flying big-wigs around the world - to fly the First Lady and her entourage to and from Africa, at a cost of $424,142. Another $928.44 was listed as the cost of providing 192 meals for the 21 people who made the trip

The Obama daughters were listed on the manifest as "senior staff."

“This trip was as much an opportunity for the Obama family to go on a safari as it was a trip to conduct government business,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “This junket wasted tax dollars and the resources of our overextended military. No wonder we had to sue to pry loose this information.”

[Rheo]

WH Says Judicial Watch Wrong About First Lady’s Africa Trip

 

The White House says a number of assertion made by the group are in error.

 

To wit:

 

The group calculated that the use of the C-32A aircraft cost taxpayers $424,142 (34.8 flight hours x $12,188 per hour).

 

“The number stated is misconstrued and out of context,” says a senior White House official. “The hourly rate is not the marginal cost of operating the plane — it is an accounting figure that prices in a number of fixed costs from maintaining the Air Force fleet for this kind of plane over a year. For example, it includes estimated replacement parts, depreciation, repairs, and costs that would have been incurred regardless of this flight.”

 

Judicial Watch says that Sasha and Malia Obama are listed as “Senior Staff.”

 

Not true, says the White House.

 

“The Obama daughters were not listed as Senior Staff – that only designates the area of the plane where they were seated,” says the official. “The Air Force categorizes the passengers by compartment on the plane.”

 

The conservative group noted that the “trip ended with a private family safari at a South African game reserve before the group returned to Washington on June 27,” with Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton saying in a statement “This trip was as much an opportunity for the Obama family to go on a safari as it was a trip to conduct government business.”

 

The senior White House official says that private safari “was designated as a private event and paid for personally,” and argues against any suggestion that this trip was a vacation. “It was an official trip with a 5-7 official events each day,” the official says.

 

-Jake Tapper

[Valin]

How much if she stays there? Could be worth it.

[Rheo]

How much if she stays there? Could be worth it.

I'll throw in some money for that.