Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained new documents from the United States Air Force detailing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s use of United States Air Force aircraft in 2010. According to the documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Pelosi used Air Force aircraft for 43 flights from January 1 to October 1, 2010. According to documents previously uncovered by Judicial Watch, by comparison, Nancy Pelosi logged 47 flights in the prior nine-month period, April 1, 2009, to January 1, 2010.
The most recent documents uncovered by Judicial Watch include a Passenger Mission Activity chart detailing all of former Speaker Pelosi’s flights January 1 to October 1, 2010, as well as detailed shopping lists for some flights, flight authorization forms, Mission Expense Records and internal Air Force correspondence related to the flights. Among the highlights from the documents, obtained pursuant to a FOIA request filed on September 10, 2010:
- Pelosi used the Air Force aircraft for a total of 43 trips, covering 90,155 miles, from JANUARY 1 through OCTOBER 1, 2010. The Air Force documented in-flight expenses for ONE OF THE 22 FLIGHTS AS totaling $1,821.33. The Air Force did not provide expense information for the remaining 21 flights.
- Total trips: 85 trips over a 68 week period or 1.25 average trips per week
- Total mileage: 206,264 miles or 2,427 average miles per trip
- Total flying time: 428.6 hours or an average of 5 hrs per trip
- Cost to the taxpayers: $2,100,744.59 or $27,715.00 per trip or $1,285,162.00 per year
- Cost of in flight food and alcohol: $101,429.14 or $1,193.00 per trip or $62,051.00 per year
According to previous documents uncovered by Judicial Watch, the former Speaker’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. For example, purchases for ONE Pelosi-led congressional delegation traveling from Washington, DC, through Tel Aviv, Israel to Baghdad, Iraq May 15-20, 2008, included:
- Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Baileys Irish Cream, Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewar’s scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine.
Judicial Watch also uncovered emails from the DOD that show the Pentagon worked hand-in-hand with congressional offices prior to releasing documents regarding congressional military travel under the FOIA. These “heads up” emails involved FOIA requests filed by Judicial Watch, The Wall Street Journal, Congressional Quarterly, and Roll Call, among other organizations, related to the use of military aircraft by a number of congressional members, including Pelosi.
“Despite the media firestorm over her military travel abuses, Nancy Pelosi continued to use the United States Air Force as her own personal travel agency right up until her final days as House Speaker,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Nancy Pelosi demonstrated an alarming disregard for the men and women in the U.S. Air Force during her tenure as House Speaker. We are pleased that Speaker Boehner will not follow Pelosi’s corrupt example and will instead fly commercial. But this scandal is not only about travel by the Speaker of the House. Through the Speaker’s office, other members of the House are able to obtain permission for the use of military luxury travel for congressional delegation trips abroad. These trips, known as CODELs, have exploded in number and cost.
JUDICIAL WATCH
Contact Information:
Press Office 202-646-5172, ext 305
http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2011/jan/judicial-watch-uncovers-new-documents-detailing-pelosis-use-air-force-aircraft-2010
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to comment on my posts. Know that if you are profane or threatening, your comments will be removed and you will be blocked. Otherwise, welcome to my blog!