Orlando Weekly by Ana Cellabos News Service of Florida
July 13, 2019More than a month after Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet members wrapped up a six-day trip in Israel, the price tag of the mostly privately funded trip was revealed on Friday.
The costs for the trip, in which the governor traveled to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with a delegation of nearly 100 people, totaled $442,504, with private donors covering more than two-thirds of the bill.
Florida taxpayers, however, were hit with a tab of more than $131,000 to cover lodging, airfare and other travel costs for Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, three of her aides, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis’ chief of staff, Attorney General Ashley Moody’s general counsel, three staffers with the governor’s office and security provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
The $131,000 cost also included travel expenses for Enterprise Florida staffers, according to documents released by the state economic-development agency Friday.
