Missouri GOP: Taxpayers footed bill for Obama visit to Missouri

The Missouri Republican Party, in a news release issued moments ago, says it is looking into the use of taxpayer money to finance President Obama's trip to Missouri to raise funds for U. S. Senate candidate Robin Carnahan:

President Obama visited Missouri on Thursday to raise money for one of his ‘favorite people,’ Robin Carnahan, but Missouri taxpayers are being forced to foot much of the massive bill for the costs associated with his trip.


“Robin Carnahan charged as much as $30,000 per plate at her fundraiser with President Obama, but thanks to shameless scheduling trickery by the White House, Missourians will be forced to foot the bill for Obama’s trip. This amounts to a taxpayer bailout of Robin Carnahan’s campaign, pure and simple. And it is exactly the kind of wasteful, irresponsible government spending Missourians are sick and tired of,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. “Obama and Rubberstamp Robin both supported the failed stimulus bill, which will burden future generations with needless debt. Once again, Obama and Carnahan are living large and sticking someone else with the bill.”
This event was a political event meant to benefit Carnahan’s campaign. But the White House unapologetically exploited a loophole to shove the cost of the trip from her campaign to taxpayers.

On June 29, the Kansas City Star reported rumors that the White House was looking at adding an official event to defer the costs of Obama’s travel, which would have normally been paid by Carnahan’s campaign. From the Star: “We’re told there is some discussion of a non-political event that day so the campaign can limit how much it has to reimburse the government for Obama’s travel… But adding a non-political appearance reduces the campaign’s share.”

Several days later, on July 2, the Star’s original report was confirmed when they reported that Obama had, in fact, added an official event to the agenda: “The White House says President Barack Obama will deliver remarks on the economy Thursday in Kansas City… By holding an official event during the trip, the costs to the campaign for the presidential visit are reduced.”

The Missouri Republican Party is exploring all of its legal options to determine if laws were broken or if action is merited.