Clintons' Caribbean Vacation Cost Taxpayers At Least $211K

     Bill and Hillary Clinton vacationed in the Dominican Republic around New Years, visiting at least two exclusive resorts, Punta Cana and the Casa de Campo. The once-and-possibly-future first couple spent the week, of course, under the watchful eye of the U.S. Secret Service, but the security required for the trip didn't come cheap. Five contracts for the Secret Service for lodging and vehicles totaled more than $211,000, not including food or transportation to and from the island for the agents on duty.
    The trip was first reported by THE WEEKLY STANDARD in April, but since that time more contracts have come to light, one as recently as June. The initial contract for hotels rooms for SS agents was $104,093, as shown in this composite screenshot of contract details:

     However, a second contract was subsequently posted, this one for $87,786.  This contract specifically mentions the hotel at Punta Cana, one of the resorts where the Clintons stayed:

     Besides the hotel contracts, there were three separate contracts for vehicles, one for $1,430, a second for $5,530, and a third for $12,560, bringing the vehicle total to $19,520. The description for each of the vehicle contracts reads "VEHICLE RENTAL FOR US SECRET SERVICE (FPOTUS/ FFLOTUS CLINTON)". Total hotel and vehicle costs came to $211,399.
     The Clintons each appeared in some photos during the trip, Mrs. Clinton at Punta Cana and Mr. Clinton at Casa de Campo:

     Mrs. Clinton reportedly discussed her decision to run for president during the Clintons' Caribbean vacation during a meal with sugar tycoons the Fanjul brothers and businessman Rolando Bunster, friends of the Clintons and participants (Alonso Fanjul and Bunster) in the Clinton Foundation’s Future of the Americas conference in New York in December 2014.


Note: A version of this post first appeared at The Weekly Standard.