JW : Secret Service Tab for Obama Family 2013 Africa Trip Cost Taxpayers $2,189,727.60 for Lodging, Entertainment, and Security.

JW : Secret Service Tab for Obama Family 2013 Africa Trip Cost Taxpayers $2,189,727.60 for Lodging, Entertainment, and Security. HT: JudicialWatch.

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that on May 13, 2014, it obtained lodging and entertainment expense records from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revealing that the Secret Service entourage accompanying President Obama and his family during their trip to sub-Saharan Africa from June 27 to July 3, 2013, incurred $2,189,727.60 in lodging, entertainment, and security expenses. The records came in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests filed on July 3, 2013, with the U.S. Secret Service.
According to the Department of Homeland Security documents:

• Secret Service hotel accommodations for the seven-day excursion cost $953,788.18

• Though the Obama family Tanzania safari was canceled shortly before the Obama’s departure for Africa, Secret Service preparations for the safari still totaled $11,525.75

Read the full story here.

JW Revealing High Cost of Obama 2013 Trips, Africa Trip and Honolulu Vacation Cost Taxpayers $15 Million plus for Flight Expenses Alone.

JW Revealing High Cost of Obama 2013 Trips, Africa Trip and Honolulu Vacation Cost Taxpayers $15 Million plus for Flight Expenses Alone.HT: JudicialWatch.

The Obama family 2013-2014 vacation to Honolulu cost $210,877 per hour for travel alone; at 36.9 total hours, the cost to taxpayers for the vacation’s flight expense was $7,781,361.30

  

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that on March 19, 2014, it obtained flight expense records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that President Obama incurred $15,885,585.30 in flight expenses alone for the Obama family June to July, 2013 trip to Africa and their 2013-2014 Christmas vacation to Honolulu.  The records came in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
According to the Department of Air Force documents:

• The flights to, from, and around Africa for the June-July 2013 trip totaled 35.5 hours at $228,288 an hour, which comes to a flight expense alone of $8,104,224

• The flights to and from Honolulu for the December 2013-January 2014 Christmas vacation totaled 36.9  hours at $210,877 an hour, which comes to a flight expense alone of $7,781,361.30. This is an increase of $3,695,006.10 from the flight expenses Judicial Watch reported the Obama’s incurred for their 2012-2013 Honolulu Christmas vacation.

From June 27, 2013, to July 3, 2013, Obama visited three countries in Africa: Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania.  According to reports in the Washington Post, the total cost to taxpayers for the Africa trip was approximately $100 million. The Hill newspaper reported that when pressed by reporters about the “massive cost,” the White House simply responded that the trip offers “great bang for the buck.”
Saying he was “eager to skip town” Obama also took his family to Honolulu on December 20, 2013, for a 17-day Christmas vacation.
In February, Judicial Watch reported that Obama incurred $1,164,268.60 in flight expenses alone for the August 2013 Obama family vacation to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. During that vacation, the Obama family spent eight days at the $7.6 million Martha’s Vineyard home of David Schulte, founder of the private equity firm Chilmark Partners.

“The costs to taxpayers of President Obama’s travel, especially his luxury vacation travel, are beyond the pale,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.  “And the secrecy surrounding these costs shows that Obama’s vows of transparency are rubbish.”

Related: OBAMA FAMILY SPENDS MORE THAN THE QUEEN ON TRAVEL

First Lady and her girls feed the pandas before leaving China......heading to Rome for 'tête-à-tête' dinner party?

First Lady and her girls feed the pandas before waving goodbye to China......heading to Rome for 'tête-à-tête' dinner party? (DM). 

Michelle Obama and her family ended their week-long trip to China with a visit to a reserve where they helped feed giant pandas before getting on the plane back home. 

The U.S First Lady has been visiting the country on a good-will tour with her daughters Sasha, 12, and Malia, 15, as well as her mother Marian Robinson.

On the final day of the trip the family visited the Chengdu Panda Base, a reserve for about 80 giant pandas, where they were able to feed a number of the animals.


According to Belgium Newspaper NHL the first lady is heading to Rome for a 'tête-à-tête' dinner party with her Hubby.

Hmmm....."Now, make no mistake: the change we need won't come easy or without cost. We will all need to tighten our belts, we will all need to sacrifice and we will all need to pull our weight because now more than ever, we are all in this together."

Judicial Watch Reveals Obama’s 2013 Vacations Cost Taxpayers $7,396,531.

Judicial Watch Reveals Obama’s 2013 Vacations Cost Taxpayers $7,396,531.HT: Judicialwatch.

Documents Obtained by Judicial Watch Reveal Obama 2013 Vacations, Leno Show Appearance, Cost Taxpayers $7,396,531 for Flight Expenses

Obama’s eight-day 2012 – 2013 Hawaii Christmas vacation cost taxpayers $4,086, 355.20 for flights alone

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained flight expense records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that President Obama incurred $7,396,531.20 in flight expenses alone for his 2013 vacations to Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard and his trip to California to appear on the Jay Leno Show. The records came in response to Freedom of Information lawsuit filed after the stonewalling of requests filed in August 2013.

According to the Department of Air Force documents:

•                      The outbound flight to Honolulu for the Obama 2012 – 2013 Christmas vacation cost taxpayers $2, 214, 393.60. The return flight to Washington was $1,871,961.60. The total price for flight expenditures alone came to $4,086, 355.20.

•                      The outbound flight to California in August, 2013 for Obama to dine with high-dollar fundraiser Jeffrey Katzenberg and appear on the “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” cost taxpayers $1,209,926.40.The return flight to Washington was $935,980.80. The total price for flight expenditures alone came to $2,145,907.20.

•                      The outbound flight to Martha’s Vineyard for the Obama family August vacation cost taxpayers $890,323.20. The return flight to Washington was $273,945.60. The total price for flight expenditures alone came to $1,164,268.80.

From December, 21, 2012, to January, 5, 2013, the Obama family spent their Christmas vacation in Honolulu, Hawaii, with the president briefly flying back to Washington to work on a budget deal before returning to finish out his vacation.

In early August, 2013, Obama flew to California to dine privately with high-dollar fundraiser DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg in the presidential suite at the Hilton Woodland Hills Hotel and to appear for the sixth time on the Jay Leno “Tonight Show.” 

Also, in August 2013, the Obama family spent eight days vacationing in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, at the $7.6 million home of David Schulte, founder of the private equity firm Chilmark Partners.

“The Obamas are abusing the public trust and the taxpayers with unnecessary luxurious vacations and travel,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “These staggering costs show why these documents were covered up and we had to sue in federal court to get them.  Another transparency fail for the Obama gang.”