The libs must be worried about Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. They sent the attack dog Associated Press out to do a hit piece about the popular Republican’s travel expenses.
Please allow us to save you some time. Just review the first three paragraphs and the last four paragraphs and ignore the nine meaningless ones in between. Here’s the AP’s opening:
When Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal gabbed with Jay Leno on “The Tonight Show” about how he adopted his first name from one of “The Brady Bunch” kids, taxpayers paid for his state trooper security detail watching from the wings.
As Jindal’s national profile in the Republican Party rises, so does the bill for the troopers’ hotels, food and transportation when the possible presidential contender heads out of state, even for campaigning.
An Associated Press review of travel records shows that providing legally mandated security on the trips has cost the state tens of thousands of dollars since Jindal took office in January 2008 — money that hasn’t been reimbursed by him or his campaign.
After nine paragraphs crammed full of innuendo that Jindal is somehow ripping off the taxpayers of Louisiana, here’s how the AP article ended:
Louisiana law requires state police protection for the governor and his family and the statute doesn’t limit the type of travel. And it is unclear whether the state could accept reimbursement from Jindal’s campaign fund for campaign-related travel expenses. Neither Jindal nor the state police have sought ethics board guidance on the subject.
Kathleen Allen, lead lawyer for the state ethics board, said the panel hasn’t ruled on whether travel costs could be reimbursed and won’t decide unless someone requests it, which no one has.
Col. Mike Edmonson, Louisiana state police superintendent appointed by Jindal, said his office makes security assignments based on Jindal’s destination, not the trip’s purpose.
Edmonson said he doesn’t know if his agency could accept reimbursement from Jindal’s campaign for travel costs for fundraising trips.
So let’s review: Jindal did nothing illegal nor unethical. The state troopers did everything the law requires of them. None of Jindal’s constituents have complained about anything. And even if they had, there’s no mechanism in place for the state to be reimbursed.
Viva Laws Vagueness!
Associated Press via CNSnews.com
