Quantcast

LEGAL NEWSLINE

Friday, March 29, 2024

Secret Service releases cost info on Obama's daughter's spring break trip

Barackobama2

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- A lawsuit filed against the U.S. Secret Service, in an effort to determine how much taxpayer money was spent on security for President Barack Obama's daughter's spring break trip to Mexico, has been dismissed and settled.

On Friday, a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

"Pursuant to Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 41(a)(1)(A)(ii) and a settlement agreement between the parties, Plaintiff Judicial Watch Inc. and Defendant United States Secret Service hereby stipulate to the dismissal of this action with prejudice," according to the one-page filing.

The filing comes more than a month after Judicial Watch released records detailing the government funds expended on Malia Obama's March 2012 vacation.

According to the records obtained from the Secret Service as a result of the watchdog group's Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the total cost of the trip amounted to $115,500.87.

The following is a breakdown of the costs as detailed in the documents, according to a Dec. 6 Judicial Watch news release:

* Ground transportation: $23,964.81;

* Lodging: $21,682.92;

* Airfare: $47,767.34;

* "Vouchers": $21,636.14 (not itemized); and

* Support Charges: $449.66 (travel for one from Mexico City to Oaxaca, not itemized).

Judicial Watch filed the lawsuit Sept. 20, alleging the Secret Service was not responding to its FOIA request in a timely manner. The group filed its request on April 6.

Many press outlets reported Malia Obama was accompanied by 25 agents, though the reports were quickly removed from the Internet, Judicial Watch said.

"Contrary to federal law, the Obama administration has simply ignored this basic FOIA request. I have little doubt that this stonewall is because of the embarrassment of the security costs for the spring break trip of the Obamas' daughter," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in October.

Previously, Judicial Watch obtained records that showed Michelle Obama's February ski vacation in Aspen with her two daughters included $48,950.38 in Secret Service costs.

Also, a June 2011 trip by Michelle Obama, her family and her staff to Africa cost more than $400,000 for the flight and crew, Judicial Watch said.

From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by email at jessica@legalnewsline.com.

More News