Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 15, 1993 TAG: 9303150014
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
STATE REPAID FOR WILDER CAMPAIGN TRIPS
The Democratic National Committee has reimbursed the state about $13,000 to pay for Gov. Douglas Wilder's travels last fall on behalf of the Clinton-Gore presidential campaign.Wilder used the state's jet to fly to six locations to stump for Gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas and/or Sen. Al Gore of Tennessee before they won the presidential and vice presidential elections.
The governor's office was reimbursed at the $625 hourly rate the state charged state agencies then for using the airplane.
Republicans criticized the governor's flights last year and said taxpayers were, in effect, subsidizing political campaigning.
The Federal Election Commission, which regulates federal elections, requires reimbursement at the first class air fare rate, which is less than the state charge. Wilder billed the campaign committee at the higher charge.
"That's a tad less onerous, but the state rate still is subsidized," said Scott Leake, director of the state's Joint Republican Caucus.
The going charter charge for a private jet similar to the state's is $1,450 per hour - more than twice the state charge.
The state does not try to make a profit from its flights. Its rate - which went up to $655 per hour Nov. 1 - includes salaries of the pilots, fuel, maintenance and insurance, but not depreciation. Since the state bought its first plane in 1968, depreciation never has been charged, according to Kenneth E. Rowe, director of the Department of Aviation.
Del. Vance Wilkins, R-Amherst, the House minority leader, introduced a bill in the recent General Assembly session to limit the governor's use of the state plane to state business. The bill did not get out of a subcommittee.
Wilder used the state plane to fly from the Southern Governors' Association meeting in Charleston, S.C., Sept. 12 to a fund-raising event for the Clinton-Gore ticket at the Middleburg estate of heiress Pamela Harriman.
Six days later he flew to a voter registration rally in New Haven, Conn. On Sept. 27, he flew to Detroit to address several campaign events on behalf of Clinton at black churches.
Wilder flew to Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 11 to campaign for the ticket. Eleven days later he flew to Parkersburg, W.Va., to speak on Clinton's behalf at a Roosevelt-Truman dinner sponsored by the area's Democratic committee.
Wilder flew to Nashville, Tenn., to stump for the Democratic ticket on Oct. 28, then, on the last Sunday of the campaign, flew to Chicago to campaign for Clinton and for Carol Moseley Braun, the Democratic Senate candidate.
The DNC Victory Fund, a federal campaign account, reimbursed the state for all of the flights.
Wilder usually was accompanied by Paul Goldman, chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia; Glenn Davidson, his press secretary; and two bodyguards.
Keywords:
POLITICS