The Democratic National Committee said Monday it plans to reimburse the federal government for First Lady Jill Biden’s flights to and from Paris to attend the federal trial of her son, Hunter Biden.
A DNC spokeswoman confirmed to CBS News that the national party plans to pay “for the First Lady’s first-class travel.” The move is similar to how the DNC and Biden’s reelection campaign split the cost of flights for President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses when they fly on government planes to a mix of official and political events.
The White House Military Office determines reimbursement rates based on cost estimates issued by the Pentagon. First Ladies typically fly smaller Boeing jets than the traditional 747 model used for presidential trips. The reimbursement rate for the flights the First Lady took could be at least $15,000 based on the Pentagon tables.
The Daily Mail first reported the reimbursement plans earlier Monday, quoting the First Lady’s office as saying: “In accordance with relevant regulations used by all governments, the government will be reimbursed the value of a first class rate for these flights to Wilmington and back to Paris.”
Multiple attempts to obtain the same statement from the First Lady’s office went unanswered Monday, and Biden’s reelection campaign referred CBS News to the DNC for comment.
It is standard practice for the DNC and Republican National Committee to reimburse government-paid flights to political events, but the First Lady’s itinerary last week was especially notable considering the international destination.
She attended the first day of jury selection last week and then spent about 24 hours over three days flying to France. attending D-Day commemoration ceremonies in Normandy and then back to her family’s hometown to sit in the Wilmington federal courthouse Friday to see granddaughter Naomi Biden testify. The First Lady was back in Paris at 6 a.m. local time on Saturday to attend a full day of events, including a welcome ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe, a tour of the art collection of the Louis Vuitton Foundation museum and a state dinner at the Élysée Palace.
First Ladies do not have the opportunity to fly commercially due to security concerns and always travel with a full Secret Service.
David Martin contributed to this report.
Ed O’Keefe
