JW Statement Regarding Rep. Boehner’s Decision to Fly Commercial Instead of Using Military Aircraft While Serving as Speaker

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton issued the following statement today regarding Rep. John Boehner’s announcement that he plans to fly commercial to and from Ohio instead of using military aircraft if he officially becomes Speaker of the House of Representatives in January:

At the heart of the corruption problem in Washington is a sense of entitlement. Politicians believe laws and rules apply to the rest of us but not to them. Rep. Boehner is sending the right signal by promising to do what most other Americans do for business travel – fly commercial.

Judicial Watch blew the whistle on Speaker Pelosi’s shocking abuse of military luxury travel. We are glad that Rep. Boehner will not follow Pelosi’s corrupt example. Rep. Boehner’s decision is wonderful news. Members of the U.S. military and taxpayers will be grateful. The next step is to curtail the use of military luxury travel for other members of Congress. In the meantime, Judicial Watch is proud to have exposed and help end this abuse of our nation’s military.

Judicial Watch first obtained documents from the Pentagon in 2009 documenting House Speaker Pelosi’s abuse of military luxury aircraft travel. These documents, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, include internal Pentagon email correspondence detailing attempts by Pentagon staff to accommodate Pelosi’s numerous requests for military escorts and military aircraft for herself and her family as well as the speaker’s 11th hour cancellations and changes.

Documents uncovered by Judicial Watch indicate the Speaker’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol. For example, purchases for one Pelosi-led congressional delegation traveling from Washington, DC, through Tel Aviv, Israel to Baghdad, Iraq May 15-20, 2008 included: Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewar’s scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and several bottles of wine.