On Monday, the Democratic National Committee announced that it intends to repay the federal government for the travel expenses of First Lady Jill Biden’s trip to Paris and back to attend the federal trial of her son, Hunter Biden. However, the majority of the expenses will be borne by taxpayers.
According to a spokesperson from the DNC, the national party will cover the cost of “first class travel for the first lady.” This aligns with the approach taken by the DNC and the Biden campaign during the reelection campaign, where they shared the expenses of flights for President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and their respective spouses when traveling on official and political business via government aircraft.
Related posts
The Pentagon-issued cost estimates are used by the White House Military Office to determine the reimbursement rates. It’s worth noting that First Ladies usually travel on smaller Boeing jets compared to the 747 model that is traditionally used for presidential travel. Based on the Pentagon’s calculations, the reimbursement rate for the flights taken by the First Lady could be at least $15,000.
Although the DNC intends to compensate the federal government for the initial lady’s flight tickets, taxpayers are likely to bear the majority of the expenses associated with the Air Force flight crew, ferrying Secret Service agents, and other support staff. The Pentagon usually does not release specifics, but these costs could easily reach six figures, depending on the number of personnel onboard and the type of aircraft utilized.
According to a recent report by The Daily Mail, the plans for reimbursement were initially introduced on Monday. The first lady’s office stated that “the government is reimbursed the value of a first-class fare for these flights to Wilmington and back to Paris,” in line with regulations commonly used by previous administrations.
Despite several attempts to obtain a statement from the first lady’s office on Monday, CBS News was unable to receive a response. The Biden reelection campaign also directed them to the DNC for any comments on the matter.
Last week, the first lady’s itinerary included an international destination, making it particularly noteworthy that the DNC and Republican National Committee followed standard practice by reimbursing for government-paid flights to political events.
Last week, she participated in the first day of jury selection before embarking on a trip to France to attend D-Day commemoration ceremonies in Normandy. She then returned to her family’s hometown and sat in the Wilmington federal courthouse on Friday to watch her granddaughter, Naomi Biden, testify. Despite spending roughly 24 hours traveling over three days, the first lady made it back to Paris by 6 a.m. local time on Saturday to attend a full day of events. These included a welcome ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, a tour of the Louis Vuitton Foundation museum’s art collection, and a state dinner at the Élysée Palace.
Due to security concerns, first ladies are unable to fly commercially and are always accompanied by a full Secret Service detail during their travels.
