Panetta leaves big bill as he flies away
(Washington Times)
The Washington Times first asked Mr. Panetta about the trips in November 2011. At the time, he acknowledged flying home 14 times since taking over as defense secretary in July — nearly every weekend — and had no plans to curtail the trips.
Each flight home and back cost the Pentagon an estimated $32,000, andMr. Panetta is required to pay only $630 per trip — the cost of an equivalent round-trip commercial flight.
If he continued to go home nearly every weekend, the taxpayer tab for his time as defense secretary alone would top $3 million by now, and he would be required to pay back a fraction of that cost.
For security reasons, the government requires all defense secretaries to use the military equivalent of a Gulfstream jet for all travel. When he agreed to take top jobs at the CIA and the Pentagon, Mr. Panettaworked out a deal with President Obama to allow the trips back to California, a defense official said at the time.
http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/5/jet-setting-panetta-remained-bi-coastal-end-taxpay/
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