BREAKING: JW obtained docs via FOIA lawsuit w/ the Air Force detailing $134,587.81 plus $50,000 for an advance of funds for an “escort officer” for a total of $184.587.81 for Nancy Pelosi’s congressional delegation (CODEL) to Italy & Ukraine in 2015. (1/7) https://twitter.com/JudicialWatch/status/1086392867378155520

The docs show that from July 30 to Aug 6 of 2015, Pelosi took a trip to Italy & Ukraine with her husband, members of Congress, & spouses. The Italy trip included visits to the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Duomo, & viewing Da Vinci’s “Last Supper.” (2/7)

The documents uncovered by JW also show the Air Force’s negative response to a Nancy Pelosi staff request for a specific crew for Nancy Pelosi’s flight. An official noted that it “would be a disastrous precedent to set even if it were possible.” (3/7)

In response to Nancy Pelosi’s staff request for a specific crew for Nancy Pelosi’s flight, the Air Force also pointed out: “Our ARC crews have plenty to balance already with military duties and their civilian employers.” (4/7)

Judicial Watch had previously uncovered that Nancy Pelosi’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over one two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol. (5/7)

And it was Judicial Watch’s work exposing Nancy Pelosi’s travel abuses which resulted in her successor as Speaker of the House, John Boehner, declining to use Air Force luxury jets to travel to his Ohio congressional district. (6/7)

Judicial Watch President @TomFitton: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a demonstrated record of abusing the perks of office that give her access to military luxury travel paid for by taxpayers.” (7/7) https://twitter.com/JudicialWatch/status/1086393752514715649

I was on @FoxNews ten years ago talking about Air Pelosi controversy, exposed by @JudicialWatch's investigations and litigation. And now, thanks to President @RealDonaldTrump, the same issue is back in the news. Tom Fitton. https://twitter.com/TomFitton/status/1086314933049016322

*Documents Detail Nancy Pelosi’s $185,000 CODEL to Italy and Ukraine in 2015. * Tom Fitton. https://twitter.com/TomFitton/status/1086383946076688384

**Speaker Pelosi has a demonstrated record of abusing the perks of office that give her access to military luxury travel paid for by taxpayers. ** Tom Fitton. https://twitter.com/TomFitton/status/1086384484080066560

****FURLOUGHS FAIL TO GROUND OVERSEAS TRIPS BY CONGRESS. ****1995 WP article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/12/29/furloughs-fail-to-ground-overseas-trips-by-congress/3fc8c3d7-0cfc-4fb3-9a44-3b08e48d03b1/?utm_term=.a009d1bfe1c8

"...Codel waste, fraud and abuse..." Tom Fitton. https://twitter.com/TomFitton/status/1086084253018923008

Judicial Watch Uncovers New Documents Detailing Pelosi’s Use of Air Force Aircraft for Her Family in 2010. https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-uncovers-new-documents-detailing-pelosis-use-of-air-force-aircraft-for-her-family-in-2010/?utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=press%20release

As a military commander overseas I hated these CODELS as a huge waste of taxpayer dollars and my time. All that money just for them to be able to say they saw it first hand, which they almost never did - unless you count the inside of embassy conference rooms and star hotels. https://twitter.com/spraguepond/status/1086105625086517248/

Codel reforms by Pelosi herself dated 05/14/2010 https://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/codel-reforms/

This submission was linked from this v/GreatAwakening comment by @EmXPpatriot.

^{Posted automatically (#19647) by the SearchVoat.co Cross-Link Bot. You can suppress these notifications by appending a forward-slash(/) to your Voat link. More information here.}

"... it can be difficult to determine the ratio of business and pleasure during these trips..." Private Groups Spent $5.1 Million on Free Trips for Congress in 2014: The total cost is down from 2013, but the number of trips has gone up. (Sauce): https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/02/private-groups-spent-51-million-on-free-trips-for-congress-in-2014/455943/

These Codels should bother EVERY tax payer. Speaking Politics word of the week: Codel https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/Politics-Voices/2016/0705/Speaking-Politics-word-of-the-week-Codel

For official trips abroad, there is no budget, and Congress does not pay for the trips. They are paid for out of a taxpayer-financed Treasury Department account that automatically refills itself, so Congress never has to ask, "Can we afford this trip?" The legislators just announce they are going, and poof their chariot arrives. So in January, a half dozen House members flew to Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, a kind of ideas festival for economics geeks. Total cost to the taxpayers: about $125,000. Total contribution from Congressional coffers: zero. Continue reading this article: (Sauce): https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/07/20/voices-congress-travel-who-pays/29776155/

Taxpayers fund a first-class congressional foreign travel boom. (Sauce): https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/02/27/taxpayers-fund-first-class-congressional-foreign-travel-boom-overseas/98351442/

A Closer Look at Congressional Foreign Travel. (Sauce): https://www.lawfareblog.com/closer-look-congressional-foreign-travel

Op-Ed: Taxpayer Funded Congressional “Boondoggles” Are Much More Than A Vacation, A Joke, Or An Irritant.

https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/taxpayer-funded-congressional-boondoggles-are-much-more-than-a-vacation-a-joke-or-an-irritant/

Members of Congress often travel abroad on official trips for business purposes in order to meet with governmental officials and gain first-had knowledge on issues relevant to foreign policy. The task of planning, executing and escorting these Congressional delegations, or CODELs, is given to members of the Department of State at the United States embassies abroad. These CODELs do not always go as expected, whether it is a Congressman not fulfilling the official purpose of the trip or giving last-minute requests despite what was stated beforehand. Embassy officials have to be flexible and react to whatever happens during the visit; in a worst-case scenario, like the ones presented here, a bad visit could have negative effects on one’s career. Continue reading here (Sauce): https://adst.org/2014/07/more-no-tell-codels/

Are privately sponsored trips simply paid vacations? Congressional rules allow private organizations to sponsor travel only when the travel is for official business purposes. While many trips involve some fun activities, that is not supposed to be the primary purpose for the trip. Why do I see a Democratic staffer having a trip approved by a Republican? There are many cases where staffer travel is approved by a member of the opposing political party. In most instances, the staffer works for a committee that is chaired by the travel approver – while the staffer may work for committee members of their own political affiliation, it is often regarded as a common courtesy for the chairman to approve their travel. Since Republicans chaired committees for the vast majority of the timespan covered by the LegiStorm travel database (Jan. 1, 2000 – present), you will more frequently find cases where Democrat staffers have travel approved by Republican members of Congress. However, some staffers have simply changed party affiliation. These staffers may have a travel record which includes trips approved by members of both parties. I read about the Speaker of the House visiting another country. Why don't I see this trip in your database? What other kinds of travel can members of Congress and their staff go on? The LegiStorm Travel Database is currently composed of financial disclosures that are required for privately funded travel. There are several other ways for members of Congress and staff to travel which are not subject to the same disclosure requirements. They are:

Taxpayer-funded travel: Travel paid for by the taxpayer at the local, state or federal level does not require a disclosure. The most frequent use of taxpayer-funded travel likely involves travel paid for with the taxpayer-funded allowance provided to members for work-related expenditures and Congressional Delegation trips (CODELs) which are organized through the Pentagon and State Department. Campaign-funded travel: Congressional disclosures are not required for campaign-related trips paid for by political campaigns or campaign-related organizations such as the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), or a Political Action Committee (PAC). However, campaigns are required to disclose such expenditures. Foreign government-funded travel: Members and staff are allowed to accept trips paid for by a foreign government provided the travel complies with the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act (MECEA) or the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act (FGDA). Friend-funded travel: Under certain instances, members and staff may accept free travel from a personal friend for purposes not related to their official duties.

While these methods of travel do not have to be disclosed, our database shows that members and staffers will sometimes disclose these trips nonetheless. What is a CODEL? It’s short for “Congressional Delegation,” and it commonly refers to trips taken by members of Congress that are paid for by the federal government. The LegiStorm Travel Database is currently comprised of financial disclosures that are required for privately funded travel. What does it mean to be a trip "approver"? Every privately financed trip must be approved by a member of Congress. A member will approve his or her own trips, as well as the trips taken by his or her office staff. Therefore, a list of trips taken by a member is a subset of the list of trips approved by the member. Trips by committee staff are approved a bit differently. Most committee staff are under the direct control of the chairman, who is a member of the majority party. However, the ranking minority member also controls some staff. Likewise, subcommittee staffing comes from the committee budget. Therefore, many times, a trip by a committee or subcommittee staffer will be approved by the committee chairman. As a result, the chairmen are likely to have approved more trips than average members of Congress.

Cut & pasted from this site: https://www.legistorm.com/trip/faq.html#What_is_a_CODEL_

CODEL = Congressional Delegation...what does this CODEL do? Who do they work for? What was the objective and who was in the group? Digging on those aspects.

https://archive.ph/QMhJJ :

On Overseas Trips, Congress's Rules Are Often Ignored - WSJ

This has been an automated message.