Additional Coverage:
The bulk of the cost for First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s recent trips between Paris, France, and Wilmington, Delaware, will be covered by American taxpayers.
This financial decision follows Dr. Biden’s departure from scheduled D-Day event commemorations, choosing to attend her son Hunter Biden’s trial in the United States, before heading back to Paris shortly after.
Typically, government officials use military aircraft for official travel, the expenses of which are borne by national funds. However, for personal journeys, there’s an expectation to reimburse the government based on the cost of a full coach ticket for each flight, as outlined in U.S. regulations.
The National Taxpayers Union Foundation estimated the expenditure for Dr. Biden’s one-way journey from Paris to Wilmington at approximately $111,500, attributing the cost to an eight-hour flight on a Boeing C-32.
This type of aircraft is favored for Dr. Biden’s travels, primarily for security considerations.
The overall expense for her round trip is projected to be around $223,000.
The Air Force has set the reimbursement fee for the usage of this aircraft at $13,816 per hour. It remains uncertain how much of the total cost this figure represents and what portion the Air Force charges other federal institutions for such usage.
Regarding the personal nature of Dr. Biden’s trip, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has committed to compensating the equivalent cost of two first-class tickets for the back-and-forth journey, as relayed by a DNC representative.
Although the exact sum wasn’t disclosed, the spokesperson affirmed it would meet federal requirements. Based on available airfare data, the expected reimbursement from the DNC amounts to $13,310, substituting for the possible $223,000 total expense and leaving an approximate balance of $209,690 to be funded by taxpayers.
During Hunter Biden’s legal proceedings, Dr. Biden was present in court for the majority of the time.
She made an exception for the 80th D-Day anniversary in Normandy last Thursday, subsequently returning to Wilmington for the trial on Friday and flying back to Paris for a state event on Saturday. In contrast, President Biden stayed in France for the entirety of the D-Day commemoration.
Attempts to obtain comments from the White House and the First Lady’s office on this matter went unanswered.