Kansas City, Mo. (October 6, 2020) – Following a damning report from the St. Joseph News-Press Now, Missouri Democrats are calling on Governor Parson to reimburse taxpayers for his use of the state airplane as a personal shuttle to his home in Bolivar and for campaign related travel.

“Governor Parson has treated the state aircraft as a personal shuttle service, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars on the taxpayer dime,” said Missouri Democratic Party Executive Director Lauren Gepford. “He should reimburse taxpayers for his personal use of the aircraft, including every trip to his home in Bolivar since we already provide him a mansion in Jefferson City. No one elected him to have these perks and the shocking disregard for taxpayers in the midst of a budget crisis is totally unacceptable.”

According to the report from the St. Joseph newspaper, Parson has racked up more than a quarter-million dollars in taxpayer expense flying on the state aircraft. Most egregiously, he has used the aircraft at least 20 times to fly to his second home in Bolivar:

Flight records reveal Parson has been picked up or dropped off more than 20 times at the Bolivar airstrip, all while the airplane and its crew return to the hangar in Jefferson City. Bolivar is where Parson maintains a home and ranch.

In one day alone, Parson and his security detail flew from Jefferson City to Bolivar and back to Jefferson City for a one-hour trip. About four hours later, the governor took the same round-trip flight from Jefferson City to Bolivar back to Jefferson City. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the same-day double trip cost taxpayers $2,610.

In one day, Governor Parson spent more on a trip home to Bolivar than many starting teachers in the Bolivar schools make in a month. 

Shortly after ascending to the Governor’s office, Parson spent more than $9,000 in taxpayer money to fly to have lunch with President Trump:

Away from Missouri, another trip involved the governor and his entourage using the state’s plane to fly to Virginia, less than a month after he was sworn in as Missouri’s new governor. That round-trip flight was charged to the governor’s office for $9,116.80.

The governor’s office said the two-day trip involved meetings in Washington D.C, including having lunch with President Donald Trump.

This one trip cost more than five-times the monthly earnings of a minimum wage worker.

Governor Parson should be more focused on addressing the historic economic and budget crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic that is surging throughout Missouri. Instead, he’s lavishing in the taxpayer-paid luxuries that fell into his lap when he accidentally became Governor. He should reimburse the taxpayers immediately.

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Background

In addition to his at least 20 trips home to Bolivar, Governor Parson also used the state plane to travel to and from the Missouri GOP’s Lincoln Days events in Springfield – purely campaign related travel:

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N83MP/history/20200221/2030Z/KJEF/KSGF

The next morning, Parson was back at Lincoln Days activities.

In the afternoon, Parson was campaigning in Springfield with Scott Walker at Lincoln-Days

https://twitter.com/mikeparson/status/1231030929205886976?s=20

In the 8pm-hour, Parson was speaking in Kansas City to the Builders Association on the official-side:

https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1231047869337133056

At approximately 9pm he was in a downtown Kansas City coffee shop before “making the trip back to Southwest Missouri.”

https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1231052939021750272

He clearly overnighted in Bolivar and then, the next morning was back on the campaign-side at Lincoln Days events.

https://twitter.com/mikeparson/status/1231257122589069312

On Feb 7, 2020, the Governor’s Office advised visits to Joplin and Springfield.

First, the Governor did a tour in Joplin.

https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1225819192076767233?s=20

Then, the Governor and First Lady travelled to Springfield for a 3M tour.

https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1225849352855355393?s=20

Then, the Governor and First Lady attended basketball games for their grandkids in the Springfield-area

https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1225983401917845504?s=20

The state aircraft flew six legs this day, for two official events.



https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N83MP/history

It appears that the aircraft flew the Governor’s office to the two events in Joplin and Springfield then returned to Jefferson city. Either the Governor and First Lady stayed in Springfield to attend the basketball games, OR the flew back to Springfield for the basketball games. Either way, the state aircraft returned to Springfield exclusively for a personal event.