AP: Gov. Kaine made 14 DNC trips, records show

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Kaine says DNC will repay state for security expenses - June 24, 2009

 

RICHMOND — Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine took 14 trips on Democratic National Committee business the first six months of 2009, according to information from the State Police obtained Tuesday after an Associated Press request made under Virginia’s Freedom of Information law.

The information was released shortly after Kaine’s office made public a five-page itinerary from January through last weekend showing 155 destinations outside greater Richmond.

Kaine’s list, reflecting stops as far as Casablanca and as close as Fairfax, did not distinguish between travel on state business or DNC work.

That became clear, however, from the State Police summary based on travel receipts the governor’s protective detail submitted to allow the Democratic Party to reimburse the state for $7,515 in security costs.

The summary shows three DNC trips to New York City, two to Chicago, and single visits to other cities in most every region of the continental United States, reflecting an exhausting schedule as Kaine carries out his dual duties.

It also shows that most party business trips were swings of several days. There were two four-day DNC missions and five three-day trips. Two of the multi-day sorties landed him at events in three separate states.

Kaine’s travel became an issue when Virginia Republicans began claiming he was giving his state duties short shrift to attend to Democratic business. The state GOP chairman, Pat Mullins, and several Virginia news organizations, including The AP, requested the governor’s travel records under the state’s FOI Act.

Kaine’s office rejected the GOP broad request for the records, including details on the governor’s executive protection unit, and rejected many journalists’ requests, citing an exemption to the open-records law and a state Supreme Court decision upholding it.