While CNN is busy talking about the cost of protecting President-elect Trump, they have failed to mention the cost of President Obama’s many vacations.
Over the past eight years, President Barack Obama and his family have spent more than $10 million a year for travel and vacations, totaling in excess of $85 million — and the number is still growing.
The numbers were revealed Monday by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch. The organization has been tracking the president’s travel spending for several years and just disclosed, based on bills it received this week, that the first family spent almost $5 million in taxpayer money for their annual Christmas vacation to Hawaii last year.
The Obamas, who will officially move out of the White House on Jan. 20, are expected to leave soon for their annual Christmas trip, which last year lasted from Dec. 18 to Jan. 3.
The exact number for the 2015 holiday trip rang in at $4,823,206.88, which accounted for a robust U.S. Secret Service apparatus, flights and transportation and lodging for the security officials. That number does not include the costs for prepositioning aircraft and ships in the area or much of the necessary communications to protect the president and his family.
“The Secret Service and the Air Force are being abused by unnecessary travel,” Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, said in a statement on the matter. “Unnecessary presidential travel for fundraising and luxury vacations on the taxpayers’ dime would be a good target for reform for the incoming Trump administration.”
Now THAT is a lot of money! Read the full story here…
Over the past eight years, President Barack Obama and his family have spent more than $10 million a year for travel and vacations, totaling in excess of $85 million — and the number is still growing.
The numbers were revealed Monday by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch. The organization has been tracking the president’s travel spending for several years and just disclosed, based on bills it received this week, that the first family spent almost $5 million in taxpayer money for their annual Christmas vacation to Hawaii last year.