July 3, 1999 (Happy July 4th!)
HILLARY RIPS OFF TAXPAYERS BIG TIME WHILE CONGRESS AND MEDIA IGNORE THE FACTS
OR "The Veil of Secrecy over Hillary's Fleecing of the American
Taxpayer"
The jet-setting, globe-trotting Hillary Clinton has created a rare breed
of arrogance in American politics; a new set of standards, for the
First Lady of the White House. She is the first First Lady to
have ever testified before a federal grand jury (Whitewater). She is
the first First Lady to have been subject to federal criminal
investigations (Travelgate, Filegate, et. al.) Now, she wants to set
another marker and become the first First Lady to run for political
office while her husband is still in office. And she believes she has
every right to conduct her campaign on the taxpayers dime.
Actually, the taxpayers may have paid as much as $17 million to $34
million, for the 66 solo trips in the last six years and another $16 million for the additional
16 trips with her impeached husband Bill. This fixation with New York was reported in the June 11th
Washington Times.
CIC DIGS INTO THE ARCHIVES AND FINDS OUT REAL COSTS
The Congressional Research Service cites a 1992 congressional committee
report that estimates presidential trips at $1 to $1.5 million each in costs to the
Air Force and the average vice-presidential trip costing the Air Force
$250,000 to $500,000. (Travel Costs of the President, VP and FL, 3-10-99).
CIC believes Hillary Clinton is using the travel budget of the White
House at least as much and as freely as the vice president. So, CIC is pricing the First Lady
trips at vice-presidential rates.
CIC ASKS FOR ACTION
CIC believes the cost of each trip to New York is $250,000 and believes
Congressmen must be called and told to vote to cut off all trips paid from the White House budget for
these illegal expenditures.
Here are some examples of fuel costs according to Andrews Air Force
base: it costs $9,000 per hour of flight/ air time, travel,
maintainence, etc. for a DC-8 which she sometimes flies, but it is much
more if it's a 747. According to the Air Force it costs $35,500 per hour
to fly a 747.
JETS AND PLANES ARE JUST THE BEGINNING
All this talk of jet fuel leaves out staff, food, hotel and other costs
like limosines, secret service and help from various other federal
agencies. . And this does not factor in her staff that travels with her,
and their hotel and food costs. So total costs would be
millions more with these added on. These costs to the fuel charges
of $34 million would bring the illegal expenditures with taxpayer
funding of Hillary Clinton's campaign for the Senate to $50 million.
Remember the White House claims $10,000 per trip.
There have been a few press stories questioning Mrs. Clinton's unethical
and illegal expenditures of tax dollars with her numerous forays to New
York state. For the most part, though, there has been little genuine
scrutiny. Part of the reason is the fact that Hillary Clinton and Bill
Clinton simply refuse to give out any details on the costs of these
trips to the few reporters who ask.
There has been a wholesale abuse of taxpayer monies for years by Hillary Clinton
because she has traveled to no other state or city as often as New York. Like Vince
Foster, Whitewater and all of the other impeachable offenses, the
Clintons simply dig in their heals and refuse to tell the truth to the public.
LAWS BEING FLOUTED BY HILLARY
There is of course the other element here of a member of the executive
branch running for Congress, which is in itself illegal under the law. Article One in the
Constitution seems to forbid a member of the executive branch from
holding a position in either House of Congress. Is Hillary flouting
laws that forbid tax dollars in a political campaign?
Is Hillary Clinton flouting federal election laws first passed and
enforced since Watergate. The fact that no one in Congress with the
oversight responsibility and no one in the news media with the job of
reporting blatant lawlessness will do anything is a sign that there
seems to be paralysis. Thats why you must act to turn the pressure up.
America can not have members of the executive branch running for
legislative office, and using their influence or threat of influence, to
silence critics. Now that Bill has shown he can with stand impeachment,
his wife is attempting again to defy the public laws too.
FREEZE THE WHITE HOUSE BANK ACCOUNTS
It is possible to find out the true costs of her adventures. Everyone is
reimbursed. And if no one talks, Congress can just yank their paychecks
and freeze the accounts at the White House until they talk.
Lets pull the veil of secrecy that was erected long ago by the Clinton
White House to prevent anyone from finding out the real amount of tax
money the First Lady spends daily --- whether in her travels or even
with her annual office budget.
And how about those shoes, spending like Imelda Marcos? On her recent
trip to Europe Hillary dropped $5,000 on 18 pairs of ritzy Bruno Magli
shoes. Was that our money?
The First Lady's office says each trip is only $10,000. It is time
for members of Congress and intelligent members of the media to ask
tougher questions. Obviously, the First Lady's figure is an inside joke
that is grossly underestimated.
Mrs. Clinton is planning on announcing her official exploratory
committee this next Tuesday. Finally, the front page of today's
Washington Post reports the White House is installing phones, fax lines
and computers to illegally help Hillary Clinton for Senator.
Perhaps there will be a rebirth on our nation's birthday, Independence Day 1999.
We as taxpayers and Americans have a right to know the truth about her
expenditures. And Congress has a duty to open an investigation into
this fleecing of America and to end the illegal use of the White House
as a headquarters for the New York Senate Seat.
The Clinton Investigative Commission (CIC) is a grass-roots organization
with over 60,000 members nationwide and has sponsored forums and news
conferences at the White House to oppose Clinton wrongdoing.
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