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Apparently sticking it to the taxpayers is okay with Box of Rocks!

http://redstatewatcher.com/article.asp?id=146268

According to new information obtained by watchdog group Judicial Watch, which required the use of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, Nancy Pelosi has a long history of sticking the American taxpayer with the bill for her travel expenses.

In 2015, Pelosi racked up a whopping $184,587.81 worth of travel expenses for her trips abroad to several countries including Italy and the Ukraine.

During these trips, Pelosi was accompanied by her husband, as well as other lawmakers and their spouses, and visited such cities as Naples, Milan, Rome, and Kiev, using the United States Air Force as her personal airline repeatedly.

After Judicial Watch uncovered further abuses of Air Force travel by Pelosi, including costing the Air Force and taxpayers $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period (including $101,429.14 on expenses including food and alcohol) her predecessor abandoned the practice.

From judicialwatch.org

Judicial Watch announced today that it obtained documents through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Air Force detailing $134,587.81 plus $50,000 for an advance of funds for an “escort officer” for a total of $184.587.81 for then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) Congressional delegation (CODEL) to Italy and Ukraine in 2015.

Judicial Watch filed a December 2015 FOIA lawsuit after the Air Force failed to respond to an August 2015 request (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Defense (No 1:15-cv-02236)) for:

All records regarding mission taskings of flights escorting members of Congress

All records concerning transportation costs for transporting members of Congress

All passenger manifests (DD-2131) for transporting members of Congress

All weekly travel reports for members of Congress

The documents show that from July 30 to August 6, Pelosi took a trip to Milan, Rome and Naples, Italy, and Kiev, Ukraine, for herself, her husband, several members of congress and their spouses. The Italy trip included Milan, Rome and Naples with visits to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Duomo and viewing Da Vinci’s “Last Supper.”

The documents also show the Air Force’s negative response to a Pelosi staff request for a specific crew for Pelosi’s flight. An official notes that it: “would be a disastrous precedent to set even if it were possible.” The Air Force further points out: “Our ARC crews have plenty to balance already with military duties and their civilian employers.”

The documents also detail a CODEL trip for Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), who traveled commercial flights to Asia, including Tokyo and Okinawa, Japan; Seoul, Korea; plus Beijing and Hong Kong, China. This trip, with flights and per diems, cost at least $26,009.03.

“Speaker Pelosi has a demonstrated record of abusing the perks of office that give her access to military luxury travel paid for by taxpayers,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Judicial Watch previously uncovered that Pelosi’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.

Judicial Watch’s work exposing Pelosi’s travel abuses resulted in her successor John Boehner declining to use Air Force luxury jets to travel to his Ohio congressional district.