President Barack Obama takes off in Air Force One this week for a fundraising tour of California that kicks off in Los Angeles and then hits San Diego and San Jose. One report states that two events on the trip allow the use of taxpayer dollars to cover a considerable portion of trip costs.
The San Diego stop on Obama’s tour will be a lunch fundraiser at the La Jolla home of Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs. ABC 10 News reports the costs to attend at $10,000. The report also states the object of Obama’s fundraising efforts is to benefit House Democrats.
Scott Peters, a Democrat and House Representative for the 52nd district encompassing much of the San Diego area, won his seat over incumbent Republican Brian Bilbray in 2012. Bilbray had held the seat for the then-50th Congressional district from 2006 to January 2013 and the 49th Congressional district from 1995 to 2001. The 52nd Congressional district seat now held by Peters is considered a vulnerable swing district and has drawn a variety of Republican challengers.
Two events during his time on the West Coast, a Holocaust memorial event in L.A. and an energy-related event in San Jose, will “ensure that taxpayers will cover much of the cost of the president’s trip, even though it’s mostly devoted to politics,” reports the Washington Times. The report also notes that Irwin Jacobs contributed over $2 million to Obama’s re-election, the second highest of any donor.
According to the Times, tickets for the various California fundraising events range from $1,000 to $64,800 per couple.