Rand Paul charged taxpayers for private‑jet travel, records show

newsSep 11, 202632609

Sen. Rand Paul's Senate office billed taxpayers about $17,827 to charter a private plane from Washington to Pittsburgh for six aides in the days after the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally, Politico reported. The flight, billed through New Flight Solutions Inc., accounted for well over one-sixth of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's travel budget for that half-year period. Other committee staffers took much cheaper options for the same trip: an aide to then-Chairman Gary Peters spent under $700, two of Peters' senior staffers flew commercial for under $400 each, and other top staffers paid roughly $900 and under $700. Committee spokesman Kevin Carmichael said the charter was the "most efficient and effective means" for the investigative team and complied with Senate rules. Campaign Legal Center policy director Kedric Payne said the spending "raises many questions," and a former House investigative staffer and a former Trump administration official told Politico they had never seen such use of charters, calling it "highly irregular." Records cited by the report also show Paul's Senate office repeatedly booked private charters for in-state Kentucky travel, including a $24,371 multi-city flight and another roughly $19,000 multi-stop itinerary for Paul and three staffers, while Paul has returned more than $9.2 million in unused office funds to the Treasury and his campaign committee and leadership PAC have spent more than $113,000 on private jets since 2012.

conifergirl.bsky.social

@conifergirl.bsky.social

Staff for Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), known for his public stance against reckless federal spending, cost taxpayers nearly $18,000 on a private-jet trip other lawmakers' aides made for a fraction of the price, according to a new report.

31728d ago

conifergirl.bsky.social28

Six aides working for Paul, then the top Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chartered a plane from Washington to Pittsburgh in the days following the assassination attempt

m4a1960.bsky.social10

Paul is a fraud if Kentucky would manage their politicians closely instead of their mouths like MAGATS put work requirements & legal public ethics rules on them it covers both parties ! Its a joke we have proof of why we have the problems in this country its a part of the country !

Abby D.3

The graft & corruption is so out of hand. I think most go to Washington to get rich now.

leajacobsen.bsky.social2

The same guy who went to Canada for top notch medical care he votes against US having, after his neighbor rightfully whooped his ass?

Quoting this

KQ55

''RULES FOR THEE, BUT NOT FOR ME.''

Morgan J Freeman

@mjfree.bsky.social

HYPOCRISY: Rand Paul and his staff travel by private jet with taxpayer dollars while preaching fiscal restraint, raising questions about why the charter flights were necessary for official business 🤷🏻‍♂️ https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/11/rand-paul-private-jets-01071502

18228d ago

PhonedThisIn2

How are they going to hide from voters asking why they are supporting trump hiding the Epstein files.

Paul Symmonds2

He might call himself a libertarian, but he is just as much a hypocrite as his Republican buddies.

beaute1

Rand’s PRIVATE JET can’t SHUT OFF,—it can only IDLE— (briefly, VERY briefly, & in an airplane hanger), & ONLY long enough to Secure HIS NEXT 6 YEARS Sucking the Life Blood out of his Kentucky Constituents who PAY HIM to “REPRESENT” them.

beaute1

Randall Paul: not a Real Kentuckian, not a real doctor, not a real American.

Lee West

@whodat35.bsky.social

And today’s ultimate Trump regime grifter award is a tie and goes to: RFK Jr. and Rand Paul Caught Using Taxpayer Money for Private Travel www.yahoo.com/news/politic...

1728d ago

McSpocky™

@mcspocky.com

Rand Paul, the guy who never shuts up about the debt and government waste, was just caught putting his staff on an $18k private jet on our dime... For a one hour flight. Everyone else on the committee drove or flew coach. These people... 😡 www.politico.com/news/2026/09...

2528d ago

TrumpsTaxes

@trumpstaxes.com

More Republicans hypocrisy on fiscal restraint. They love to preach about spending, deficits and debt, but when it comes time to travel from DC to Pennsylvania they are the first ones to charter a private jet on our dime. www.politico.com/news/2026/09...

1028d ago

Roz1

Rules for thee, but not for me. I guess Rand thinks he's special.

Nissim

@nissimss.bsky.social

Mr. Libertarian Rand Paul travels by private jet, See? Libertarians are full of shit, Well Except Republicans

628d ago

Sue Stone

@knittingknots.bsky.social

Outrage as Rand Paul caught charging taxpayers for private-jet travel: 'Highly irregular' - Raw Story www.rawstory.com/rand-paul-26...

829d ago

Jeff

@jammaj.bsky.social

Defense Priorities was founded by supporters of Senator Rand Paul and funded by Charles Koch, to promote Paul’s “more prudent, restrained" (and some say isolationist) approach to U.S. foreign policy. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense...

1229d ago

Lise Latulippe

@liselatulippe.bsky.social

Records reportedly show his pers-Senate office has repeatedly booked private charters4in-state KY travel, incl-a $24,371 flight touching multiple small cities in 1 trip& another costing roughly $19,000 combined4Paul &3 staffers on a separate multi-stop itinerary. www.rawstory.com/rand-paul-26...

529d ago

Amintegrity

@amintegrity.bsky.social

www.politico.com/news/2026/09... Rand Paul is the poster boy for raging republican hypocrisy and deep corruption. I wish I knew Rand Paul's neighbor that punched him out. I would like to shake is hand.

529d ago

Dave Morningstar

@davemorningstar.bsky.social

newrepublic.com/post/215338/... RFK Jr. and Rand Paul Caught Using Taxpayer Money for Private Travel ... The health secretary has been using a military plane for campaign trips, while the fiscal hawk has been chartering a private jet for his stand and himself. By Edith Olmsted @ TNR.

128d ago

Dennis Desmond

@dennisdesmond19.bsky.social

www.politico.com/news/2026/09... Don’t you just love the way these MAGAs spend our tax dollars? They tell us to be frugal, and turn around and pull stunts like this ! This party is nothing more than a gang of criminals posing as politicians.

128d ago