Skip to content

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Judicial Watch, Inc. is a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, which promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Because no one
is above the law!

Donate

Judicial Watch

Press Releases

Judicial Watch Reveals Obama’s 2013 Vacations Cost Taxpayers $7,396,531

Documents Obtained by Judicial Watch Reveal Obama 2013 Vacations, Leno Show Appearance, Cost Taxpayers $7,396,531 for Flight Expenses

Obama’s eight-day 2012 – 2013 Hawaii Christmas vacation cost taxpayers $4,086, 355.20 for flights alone

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it has obtained flight expense records from the U.S. Department of the Air Force revealing that President Obama incurred $7,396,531.20 in flight expenses alone for his 2013 vacations to Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard and his trip to California to appear on the Jay Leno Show. The records came in response to Freedom of Information lawsuit filed after the stonewalling of requests filed in August 2013.

According to the Department of Air Force documents:

                      The outbound flight to Honolulu for the Obama 2012 – 2013 Christmas vacation cost taxpayers $2, 214, 393.60. The return flight to Washington was $1,871,961.60. The total price for flight expenditures alone came to $4,086, 355.20.

                      The outbound flight to California in August, 2013 for Obama to dine with high-dollar fundraiser Jeffrey Katzenberg and appear on the “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” cost taxpayers $1,209,926.40.The return flight to Washington was $935,980.80. The total price for flight expenditures alone came to $2,145,907.20.

                      The outbound flight to Martha’s Vineyard for the Obama family August vacation cost taxpayers $890,323.20. The return flight to Washington was $273,945.60. The total price for flight expenditures alone came to $1,164,268.80.

From December, 21, 2012, to January, 5, 2013, the Obama family spent their Christmas vacation in Honolulu, Hawaii, with the president briefly flying back to Washington to work on a budget deal before returning to finish out his vacation. In early August, 2013, Obama flew to California to dine privately with high-dollar fundraiser DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg in the presidential suite at the Hilton Woodland Hills Hotel and to appear for the sixth time on the Jay Leno “Tonight Show.” Also, in August 2013, the Obama family spent eight days vacationing in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, at the $7.6 million home of David Schulte, founder of the private equity firm Chilmark Partners.

“The Obamas are abusing the public trust and the taxpayers with unnecessary luxurious vacations and travel,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “These staggering costs show why these documents were covered up and we had to sue in federal court to get them.  Another transparency fail for the Obama gang.”

###

Related

New Details Emerge in Viral Squirrel’s Seizure and Death

In The News | April 23, 2025
From WIBX: According to Judicial Watch, the newly released documents confirm what many had feared: euthanasia was discussed and prepped for before the seizure ever even took place....

Judicial Watch Files FOIA for Info on ICE Plan to Find Illegal Immigrant Minors…

Corruption Chronicles | April 23, 2025
The Biden administration failed to monitor hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant minors who entered the United States through Mexico and tens of thousands simply vanished from...

NY planned to decapitate ‘Peanut’ even before the ‘squirrel raid’

In The News | April 22, 2025
From Washington Examiner: It took at least 12 New York animal cops in a four-hour “squirrel raid” to find and seize a pet squirrel and raccoon from an amateur sanctuary in a case t...