Hutchison Bills Taxpayers To Fly On Private Planes Owned By Lobbyists

Senator uses more than $12,000 in taxpayer money to reimburse lobbyists, corporations and donors for use of their jets; has spent more than $518,000 for 154 private flights.

NEW VIDEO “WANNA GET AWAY?" AVAILABLE AT WWW.WASHINGTONKAY.COM

During her 17 years as a United States Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison has used more than $12,000 in taxpayer money to reimburse lobbyists, corporations with business interests before her committees in the Senate, and campaign donors for use of their private planes, including Zachry Construction, Clear Channel, Oshkosh Trucking, TXU, Moncrief Oil, and Lockheed Martin. She has billed taxpayers more than $518,000 to travel 154 times by private airplane, according to Senate records.

“Bailouts, earmarks and now private plane rides continue to demonstrate that Senator Hutchison has no regard for taxpayer dollars,” said Texans for Rick Perry spokesman Mark Miner. “Senator Hutchison should apologize to the people of Texas for her consistent use of taxpayer dollars for political activity.”

Sen. Hutchison often uses private planes for single-destination trips to major metropolitan areas when commercial flights would cost a mere fraction of what she passes on to taxpayers. Examples include spending $5,732.68 to fly round-trip Dallas to Houston and $5,523.92 to fly round-trip Dallas to Austin. (Additional examples below.)

According to semi-annual Reports of the Secretary of the Senate, Sen. Hutchison has billed taxpayers $12,461.95 to reimburse lobbyists, corporations and donors for use of their jets, and used private planes at least 154 times costing taxpayers $518,892.39. (SOURCE: Report of the Secretary of the Senate documents available at www.WashingtonKay.com)

The video “Wanna Get Away?” is also available at www.WashingtonKay.com:

Reimbursements to Lobbyists, Corporations and Donors: $12,461.95

Sen. Hutchison Itinerary Date Cost Reimbursement To
Washington, DC to Dallas, One-way 12/8/01 $2,416.00 Tom Loeffler
Dallas to Washington, DC, Round-trip 12/3-12/4/01 $2,330.00 TXU
Washington, DC to Dallas, One-way 10/25/01 $1,205.25 Lockheed Martin
Washington, DC to Dallas, One-way 11/14/03 $1,203.00 Moncrief Oil
Dallas to Washington, DC, One-way 3/5/01 $1,168.50 Tom Luce
Dallas to Louisville, KY, to Washington DC 2/28/05 $1,116.90 Oshkosh Trucking
Weslaco to Corpus Christi To Dallas 2/20/02 $1,115.00 SSP Partners
Washington, DC to San Antonio, One-way 4/15/09 $569.00 Clear Channel
Dallas to Austin to Corpus Christi to Dallas 10/3/03 $314.00 Mike A Myers
Dallas to Beaumont, One-way 8/28/06 $261.70 Trinity Industries Inc
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 1/25/06 $222.00 Mike A Myers
Dallas to Laredo, Round-trip 9/22/00 $214.00 TXU
San Antonio to Dallas, One-way 4/23/07 $115.90 Zachry Construction
Dallas to Austin, One-way 10/14/00 $106.00 Mike A Myers
San Antonio to Dallas, One-way 7/11/05 $104.70 Mansefeldt Investment

Wasteful Private Flights to Single Destination

Sen. Hutchison Itinerary Date Cost To Taxpayers Commercial Option
Dallas to Houston, Round-trip 9/14/08 $5,732.68 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Laredo, Round-trip 2/21/09 $5,702.83 $224 (American)
Dallas to Austin Round-trip 10/3/08 $5,523.92 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 11/27/08 $5,441.77 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to McAllen, Round-trip 3/1/03 $5,077.38 $304 (American)
Sugar Land to Dallas, One-way 2/15/08 $4,719.52 $151 (Southwest)
Dallas to Houston, Round-trip 2/28/09 $4,421.84 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Houston, Round-trip 4/16/05 $3,702.57 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Waco, Round-trip 11/25/05 $3,416.00 $120 (American)
Dallas to Lubbock, Round-trip 3/23/03 $3,394.38 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to Tyler, Round-trip 11/2/01 $3,181.43 $124 (American)
Dallas to Waco, Round-trip 12/3/04 $3,095.75 $120 (American)
Corpus Christi to Dallas, One-way 10/6/06 $2,573.51 $87 (American)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 2/23/03 $2,451.63 $306 (Southwest)
Dallas to San Antonio, Round-trip 1/26/05 $2,343.36 $314 (Southwest)
Dallas to Waco, Round-trip 10/7/00 $2,235.63 $120 (American)
Dallas to San Antonio, Round-trip 8/29/05 $2,235.04 $314 (Southwest)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 11/22/99 $2,193.36 $306 (Southwest)
Houston to Laredo, One-way 10/20/06 $1,942.14 $533 (Continental)
Houston to Austin, Round-trip 10/4/99 $1,844.36 $302 (Southwest)
Dallas to Austin, Round-trip 9/30/08 $1,191.55 $306 (Southwest)