The conservative government watchdog Judicial Watch FOIAed the US Air Force for information about the June 2011 trip to Africa by First Lady Michelle Obama and Sasha and Malia Obama and today issued a press release about the trip.
The White House says a number of assertion made by the group are in error.
To wit:
The group calculated that the use of the C-32A aircraft cost taxpayers $424,142 (34.8 flight hours x $12,188 per hour).
“The number stated is misconstrued and out of context,” says a senior White House official. “The hourly rate is not the marginal cost of operating the plane — it is an accounting figure that prices in a number of fixed costs from maintaining the Air Force fleet for this kind of plane over a year. For example, it includes estimated replacement parts, depreciation, repairs, and costs that would have been incurred regardless of this flight.”
Judicial Watch says that Sasha and Malia Obama are listed as “Senior Staff.”
Not true, says the White House.
“The Obama daughters were not listed as Senior Staff – that only designates the area of the plane where they were seated,” says the official. “The Air Force categorizes the passengers by compartment on the plane.”
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politic...al-watch-wrong-about-first-ladys-africa-trip/
