Youngkin’s unofficial out-of-state travel billed taxpayers $18,376 | State and regional news

Virginia State Police officers through August spent 18,376.93 on trips to out-of-state Governor Glenn Youngkin for illegal business — but none were trips to support Republican political candidates.

The expenses, as personal, covered travel expenses for Executive Protection Division officers for eight trips between March and August, Virginia State Police said in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. The governor reimbursed EPU expenses for their political travel.

The costs listed for security officers — reimbursed or not — do not include the officers’ salaries, state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said.

“The EPU goes wherever it goes with the buyer; that’s just the cost of doing business,” she says.

In recent years, governors have not reimbursed the State Police for EPU expenses when traveling on private business, he said.

Youngkin’s political action committee paid the executive protection department’s politically motivated travel expenses for its April trip to Texas, Geller said.

No expenses were incurred for the trip to Nebraska in July for the state Republican convention or the trip to Michigan to campaign for the Republican candidate because those were day trips and none of the usual travel expenses. She said.

When asked about presidential aspirations, Yungkin said he’s undecided, focused on Virginia and that the media is more interested in the question than he is.

He said that the criticism of the Democrats regarding his travel and political activity outside the government is partisan politics.

Youngkin said in a statement: “I have and will continue to pay for my political travel and travel related to the Executive Protection Division, not because I have to, but because it’s the right thing to do.” He also indicated that he will donate his salary of $175,000 a year.

When Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was governor, he made 14 trips as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. The committee reimbursed the state for EPU travel expenses totaling $7,515.59.

Youngkin’s trip earlier this month to campaign for former Maine Gov. Paul LePage and to Nevada to boost Joe Lombardo’s gubernatorial bid has fueled speculation that he is laying the groundwork for a 2024 presidential run. Criticism from Democratic lawmakers is that he is spending too much time on out-of-state politics.

In total, between March and August, Youngkin left the state 12 times on unofficial business, including a trip to the Bahamas, at a cost of $2,531 to the EPU, and two trips to Jackson Hole, Wyo., at a cost of $10,596 to the unit.

In addition to the eight personal trips and three political trips for which the EPU incurred expenses, there was one trip to Durham, NC, during which EPU officers did not record any travel expenses.

Youngkin went to the Bahamas to celebrate his wedding anniversary, press secretary Macaulay Porter said.

A CBS News reporter tweeted that Youngkin said he held a private retreat with GOP donors during a trip to Wyoming in August, while Porter said he took time off from family to attend a meeting hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, but not a fundraiser.