Gov. Polis’s trip to India and Nepal to talk trade Nov. 4-8 that included a stay at the Taj Mahal Tower in Mumbai ended up costing taxpayers nearly $20,000.
KDVR did all the heavy lifting to find the cost and answer some lingering questions as to why the governor didn’t turn in receipts for hotel, food or transportation.
The state did pay for Polis’s $3,600 plane ticket, reportedly an economy class ticket.
They say the rest of the costs were racked up by the governor’s aides who traveled with him.
The governor’s office gave a good spin the millionaire governor was trying to save money for taxpayers, except for that $3,600 plane ticket, but then KDVR reports this:
According to Polis’ officials, the governor had an issue with the state credit card and elected to use his own credit card to pay for his aide and his family’s hotel rooms. Polis was accompanied by his father and son on the trip.
So, Polis didn’t have any expenses because his state credit card wasn’t working?
That’s kind of a different story.
And while we don’t begrudge the governor for taking his family along on his trade mission, the taxpayers should not be on the hook for those costs.
Polis does not plan to ask for reimbursements for the expenses he claims are on his personal credit card.
But wait, there’s more.
Business and university representatives on the trade mission with Polis only paid $3,500 each to go on the trip, and that doesn’t even cover the price of the plane ticket.
Surely our governor and businesses didn’t allow foreign governments pick up the tab for hotels and food?
Representatives on the trip with Polis were from Dish Network, Akin Gump, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, Colorado Energy Office, Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, Helping Hands Consulting, Xcel Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, The Broe Group, Innop, and Solid Power.