The First Family’s Valentine’s Day apart cost the taxpayer at least $2.5m

Daily Mail – by Darren Boyle

The Obamas have spent an estimated $2.5 million after Barack and the rest of his family took separate weekend breaks.

President Obama spent Valentine’s weekend in California, where he managed to squeeze in three rounds of golf at a California course owned by Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison.

Meanwhile, his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia flew to Aspen in Colorado for a skiing trip on board a separate presidential aircraft.   

According to the White House, President Obama flew to San Francisco on Thursday afternoon where he had several events, before taking Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. He delivered a speech at a summit on cyber security before attending a round-table meeting with business leaders. His final official engagement of the weekend was a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee at the home of venture capitalist Sandy Robinson.

Guests paid $10,000 for dinner and a photograph with the president or $32,400 to co-chair the fundraiser.

While President Obama was in California, his wife was in Aspen, Colorado, where she has spent several Presidents’ Day holidays away from her husband.

President Obama used his weekly television address to wish his wife a happy Valentine’s Day.

 The trips come as it emerged Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha were reportedly jetting off to Japan in a few weeks.

The Asahi Shimbun, reported that the mother and teen daughters will visit Tokyo and Kyoto in March but without the President who was in Japan last April.

Last March, Mrs Obama and her girls visited China and have previously taken trips to Ireland and Germany.

According to figures obtained by Judicial Watch, President Obama’s VC-25A jet, better known as Air Force One, costs $228,288 per hour while it is in the air.

It is estimated that the jet, which has a cruising speed of 575mph, spent approximately 10 hours in the air during its four-day trip to the West Coast, at a cost of $2,228,000.

Previous golfing trips on Presidents’ Day cost $50,000 in hotels and a further $16,000 in car rental.

Mrs Obama’s skiing trip in 2013 cost more than $81,000 according to figures released to Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act. The earlier trip cost $13,000 in flights, $4,000 in car hire and a further $64,000 for renting an exclusive lodge.

According to USA Today, President Obama played the Porcupine Creek Golf Course in Palm Springs, owned by Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison.

The President had two days of engagements in northern California before playing three rounds of golf.

He returned to Washington on Monday.

The US Air Force has announced that the current pair of jets used to fly the president will be replaced by a pair of new Boeing 747-8 aircraft.

Mr Obama has enjoyed 219 rounds of golf since he took office, according to a website that tracks the amount he plays.

Mrs Obama’s skiing trip is the fourth time she and her daughters visited the exclusive Colorado skiing resort.

The visit was meant to be private, but visitors to the local airport spotted a private jet in presidential livery parked on the ramp.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2957072/A-expensive-getaway-Obama-family-s-separate-weekend-trips-trips-cost-2-5-million-did-Barack-spend-Valentine-s-golfing-California-Michelle-went-skiing-Colorado.html#ixzz3SDWUk9vD
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