1 Obama trip to play pool, drink beer, raise money cost taxpayers about $700,000

BY PAUL BEDARD |
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014



President Barack Obama plays pool at Wynkoop Brewing Co. with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on...Taxpayers had to cough up $1,159,823 in just one month to fly President Obama to New York and Denver to raise money for Democrats and attend an LGBT event, according to documents obtained by a taxpayer watchdog group.

Judicial Watch told Secrets that the Air Force just provided expense reports detailing the flight costs of Air Force One to the cities in July.
The documents show that president’s July 8-9 fundraising trip to Denver cost the taxpayers $695,894.10.

His July 17-18 fundraising trip to New York City cost taxpayers $463,929.40.

Travel costs are typically a small portion of presidential trips. Judicial Watch said that the U.S. Secret Service has not complied with a request to detail security expenses and the costs of housing and moving the president and his staff are also unknown.
Obama has been extremely active and popular on the fundraising trail, helping his party collect millions to be used to fight and defeat Republicans in the November midterm elections. He has spent more time fundraising than appearing for Democratic candidates, many of which are shunning him in their campaigns.

According to Judicial Watch:

“Obama spent July 8 and 9 in Denver, Colorado, where, according to the Associated Press, the president spent the initial evening at ‘a crowded pizza restaurant, a pool bar and face-to-face with a man wearing a horse head mask.’ images of President Obama drinking beer and playing pool became the subject of national headlines and criticism. The following day, Obama gave a speech attacking congressional Republicans before several hundred spectators in a Denver park before headlining a fundraiser for Colorado Senator Mark Udall, who did not attend the event.

“On July 17 and 18, Obama journeyed to New York City for a gala lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee. According to Tribune Broadcasting’s WPIX-TV in Manhattan, ‘The White House says Obama will raise money for the Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic group that takes unlimited donations. Obama’s appearance will complete his gradual acceptance of the big-money groups he once opposed.’”

The group said that the costly fundraisers are a continuation of the president’s overuse of Air Force One for political purposes.
“President Obama should be held to account for the exorbitant costs to taxpayers of his political fundraising activities,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Given the costs to taxpayers of his trip, that glass of beer in Denver the president chugged may have been the most expensive in history.”

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