Ellington

If you haven't heard yet, Governor Barbour has another semi-scandal breaking thanks to a public records request leaked to Politico.com -- call it StateJetGate... unless, you know, something else has already been called that.

The flight logs obtained by POLITICO indicate that Mississippi has spent more than $500,000 over the past three years on Barbour's air travel. That total does not include security and other logistical costs associated with his trips. And through a quirk in Mississippi law, whenever the governor is out of state, Mississippi must pay the lieutenant governor a salary differential as acting governor.

The story goes on to say that Barbour often comes up with thin excuses so he can charge to trip to the State of Mississippi, despite the fact that the trips more often come across as political trips with donors, to campaign with others for office, or trips to fundraising events with $5,000 and $10,000 price tags. He often appears to schedule official business (meeting with Mississippi's Senators or participating in a teleconference) with fundraisers or campaigning.

In June 2010, Barbour was flown home from D.C. on the state plane, after meeting with the Mississippi congressional delegation and officials about the Gulf oil spill. But he was also in D.C. for two fundraisers for his PAC at Kitchen and Gin & Tonic in Northwest D.C. According to The Hill, both events raised more than $75,000 for Barbour's Leadership committee.

Politico does find a political rival who is unimpressed: George Flaggs.

"His traveling doesn't bother me," said state Rep. George Flaggs, a Democrat who has been critical of the governor's recent budget proposals. "I know that the governor may or may not use the plane for political purposes. That's what politicians do."

Previous Comments

ID

161408

Comment

The Clarion Ledger covered this story months ago.

Author

kudzuking

Date

2011-01-03T13:55:36-06:00