Obama's Daughters Listed as Senior Staffers on Africa Trip-Disputed!

Obama's Daughters Listed as Senior Staffers on Africa Trip-Disputed!

Summary of the eRumor:
This is forwarded email that alleges the Judicial Watch organization has obtained White House documents detailing a costly trip to Africa for First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia. The documents showed the President's daughters listed as White House Senior Staffers.

The Truth:
The report from the Judicial Watch organization is real, according to an October 4, 2011 press release found on their website.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, Judicial Watch filed a request on June 28, 2011 inquiring about transportation records, passenger manifests and mission tasking for Michelle Obama’s June 2011 trip to Africa.

The group posted their findings:

According to U.S. Department of Defense’s published hourly rates for the C-32A aircraft used for the trip, Judicial Watch calculated the total cost to American taxpayers was $424,142 for use of the aircraft (34.8 flight hours x $12,188 per hour). (The C-32 is a specially configured military version of the Boeing 757.) Other expenses – meals (off the plane), transportation, security, various services, etc. – have yet to be disclosed."

The passenger manifests confirm the presence of Obama’s daughter’s, Malia and Sasha on the trip. The two girls are listed as “Senior Staff.” The manifests also list Mrs. Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson, and niece and nephew, Leslie and Avery Robinson, as well Mrs. Obama’s makeup and hairstylist (Carl Ray and Johnny Wright).

The expense records also show $928.44 was spent for “bulk food” purchases on flight. Overall, during the trip, 192 meals were served for the 21 passengers on board.

The White House disputed the Judicial Watch report, according to an ABC article released on that same day, saying that "a number of assertions made by the group are in error."

A White House senior official told ABC that “The Obama daughters were not listed as Senior Staff – that only designates the area of the plane where they were seated."   The spokesperson added that the “Air Force categorizes the passengers by compartment on the plane.”

As for the cost of the trip the official told ABC “The number stated is misconstrued and out of context. 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.”

The White House official also told ABC that although there were five to seven official business events planned throughout the day the private safari “was designated as a private event and paid for personally.”

Posted 05/15/13

A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet:

Daughters are paid staff !!!!!!!!!!! Now isn't that just special?

THIS IS TRUE: CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF (SEE LINKS AT BOTTOM)

UNBELIEVABLE THIEVERY

Obama Daughters are Michelle's 'Senior Staffers'

Michelle was caught cheating on her expense report. What a show of arrogance!

This information was obtained by Judicial Watch March, 2012. The administration had to be sued to get this through the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.

Michelle Obama listed daughters as 'Senior Staffers' to justify her expensive African vacation and safari.

October 5, 2011, Judicial Watch said the U.S. Air Force provided a C-32 ( a Boeing 757 ), modified by the military for the purpose of flying bigwigs around the world, to fly the First Lady and her entourage to and from Africa, at a cost of $424,142. Another $928.44 was listed as 'bulk food' costs per meal for the 192 on board. Lobster isn’t cheap when you fly it around the world.

The Obama daughters were listed on the manifest as senior staff. 'This trip was as much an opportunity for the Obama family to go on a safari as it was a trip to conduct government business,' said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. 'This junket wasted tax dollars and the resources of our over-extended military. No wonder we had to sue to pry loose this information. 'The nation is suffering with the economy sputtering, the national debt soaring and Obama's economic rescue policies not only failing, but actively making things worse.

Meanwhile, the First Lady justifies an expensive trip to Africa to take a vacation and safari with her daughters by saying it's 'official business' and even going so far as to list her children as staffers. The level of arrogance and dishonesty on display here is nothing short of shocking.’

It's a true story. Check out these links and read it for yourself:

http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-documents-detailing-the-cost-to-taxpayers-for-michelle-obama-s-family-trip-to-africa/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-obtains-documents-detailing-the-cost-to-taxpayers-for-michelle-obama-s-family-trip-to-africa/

Folks, if the truth gets out, you will have to be the one to pass the info along to others. The major media outlets would NOT DARE say anything negative about the poster child for diversity and Marxism! Can you imagine what the liberal news media would say about a Republican pulling such a stunt? Out and out lying! God save the nation from this administration of the Obamanation!