Judicial Watch Obtains Documents Detailing the Cost to Taxpayers for Michelle Obama’s Family Trip to Africa

Charges for the Aircraft and Crew Alone Amount to $424,142

"Lobster Isn't Cheap When You Fly It Around the World"

Judicial Watch, the organization that investigates and fights government corruption, announced today that it has obtained mission expense records and passenger manifests from the United States Air Force related to the June 21-27, 2011, trip taken by First Lady Michelle Obama, her family and her staff to South Africa and Botswana. Judicial Watch obtained the documents pursuant to an August 19, 2011, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Air Force (No. 11-1496)). Judicial Watch is investigating the purpose and itinerary of the trip as well as a breakdown of the costs to taxpayers.

On June 28, 2011, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA request seeking the mission taskings, transportation records, and passenger manifests for Michelle Obama’s Africa trip. Documents were only provided after Judicial Watch filed suit: 

Taxpayer Bill For Obama’s Hawaii Vacations: $20 Million

"Move, Moochelle, you're blocking the teleprompter"

Michelle Obama recently revealed that she and President Obama don’t give Christmas gifts to each other.  They merely say, “We’re in Hawaii,” and that’s Christmas gift enough.

But actually the present is from taxpayers, and it’s an expensive one.

The total cost to taxpayers of Obama’s vacations to Hawaii since becoming president is likely in excess of $20 million, and possibly much, much more. During a time of budget deficits that threaten the nation’s security and its future, the Obamas have chosen to  maintain a “family tradition” and vacation halfway around the world instead of finding far cheaper alternatives closer to home.

The $20 million figure is based on estimates of the cost of the four Hawaii vacations the Obamas have taken during Christmastime 2009-2012. According to a detailed breakdown by the Hawaii Reporter, the annual excursions in 2009, 2010, and 2011 cost about $4 million, much of it attributable to the expense of taking Air Force One, at an hour rate of about $180,000, on an eighteen-hour roundtrip journey to Honolulu and back.

Read more at WhiteHouseDossier.com. By Keith Koffler.

The Obama's 16 Vacations in 3 Years, Courtesy of You

Moochelle Obama skis at Buttermilk ski area on Saturday in Aspen, Colo. The first lady is spending Presidents Day weekend in Aspen with her daughters, Sasha and Malia. (AP Photo/Aspen Daily News, Chris Council)

• President’s Day 2012, Michelle and the first daughters in Aspen, Colorado to ski.

•  Christmas 2011, the first family in Hawaii for an extended vacation.

•  Summer 2011, in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., for the annual beach break.

•  June 2011, the first lady, her mother and daughters traveled to South Africa and Botswana.

•  President’s Day 2011, the first lady and first daughters travel to Vail to ski.

•  Christmas 2010, in Hawaii.

•  August 2010, the first family traveled to Panama City Beach, Fla., for some sun and fun at the beach.

•  August 2010, Obama spent the weekend alone in Chicago for his 49th birthday bash.

•  August 2010, the first lady and daughter Sasha traveled to Spain for a mother-daughter vacation.

•  August 2010, summer vacation again at Martha’s Vineyard.

•  July 2010, the first family went to Mount Desert Island, Maine.

•  May 2010, the first family had a four-day trip to Chicago.

•  March 2010, first lady and daughter spend Spring Break in New York City.

•  Christmas 2009, Hawaii again for the annual break.

•  August 2009, at Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon for a short vacation.

•  August 2009, their first summer vacation as first family at Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

President and Family on Another Multi-Million Dollar Vacation

From The Examiner

By Mark Tapscott

President Obama and his family are enjoying a delightful Christmas vacation with friends and family in the chief executive's home state of Hawaii.

Nobody questions a president's right or need to take take away from the White House, but an investigation by Hawaii Reporter has turned up some eye-opening information about the costs and other aspects of the Obama get-away.

Just consider these estimates on part of the costs of the latest Obama Hawaii trip:

Moochelle Says 'Let Them Eat Lobster'

Obamas Depleting U.S. Lobster Supply

From White House Dossier

By Keith Koffler

So how much lobster are you having during these precarious economic times? What? You’ve had to cut back? No longer ordering it stuffed with crab meat, at least?

Well, if you happen to be the President of the United States or the First Lady, your lobster consumption is continuing at a robust pace.

Yes, the economy is still getting battered. And last night, so was President Obama’s lobster.

According to ABC’s Jake Tapper, the president savored some lobster tempura at the trendy State Road Restaurant in West Tisbury on Martha’s Vineyard. Oh, just the thought of it. If he brings some back to the White House for me, I’ll write whatever he wants.

Monday night at The Sweet Life Cafe in Oak Bluffs on the Vineyard it was the lobster pasta appetizer for the president and a surf and turf entrée – the “surf” being a lobster tail – for Mrs. Obama.

And what would the vacation to Maine in July have been without a taste of everyone’s favorite crustacean. The president did it in a little less genteel fashion that time, heading over to something called Stewman’s Downtown restaurant where he was served the “Lobster Experience” dinner – just regular lobster, corn and slaw.

But the Obamas’ lobster experience is not confined to these shores. Michelle Obama was barely off the plane during her voyage early this month to the Spanish Riviera when, according to the Spanish press, she dived into a feast of sea bass tartare, strawberry gazpacho and sardines, and a main course of lobster with seaweed risotto.

Michelle enjoyed the repast so much that she was right back at it on August 14 during the Obamas’ two-day Panama City, Fla photo-op vacation. There, at the Firefly restaurant, it was more lobster for Michelle.

The Obamas were supposed to be showing support for the good people of the oil spill-stricken Gulf, eating their seafood and so forth. So the big question is, was it a Caribbean lobster or one shipped down from Maine?

And who knows what lobster delicacies the White House chef is whipping up for them in between vacations?

No wonder the Russians just started fueling the Iranian nuclear reactor at Bushehr. When President Medvedev was here, Obama took him for burgers.