Reynolds’ Taxpayer-Funded Personal Plane Raises New Questions About Zach Lahn’s Travel to Kansas
DES MOINES – New reporting from the Des Moines Register reveals that Kim Reynolds’ $4.7 million state-owned plane — which she used for campaign travel on the taxpayers’ dime — has cost Iowans “about $1,900 an hour” to operate, and “about $93,100” in total for Reynolds’ personal flights alone.
Now, after Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn was exposed for using his private plane to travel weekly between Iowa and Kansas, Reynolds’ taxpayer-funded jetsetting is raising new questions about whether he’d stick Iowans with the bill for his own private plane travel if elected.
Lahn said he would “be in Iowa as much as humanly possible” if elected, but he has not told Iowans how often he plans to travel back to Kansas — or how much those flights would cost taxpayers. When KCCI asked how he would adjust his living situation if he’s elected, Lahn refused to give a straight answer and said the eventual arrangement is “something between my wife and I to figure out.” Lahn is now refusing to take questions from reporters and concerned Iowa citizens about where he lives and how much time he actually spends in Iowa.
Iowans deserve to know: After praising everything Reynolds has done, does Lahn plan to follow her lead by using her multi-million-dollar state plane for his personal travel? How much will Iowa taxpayers be stuck paying for Lahn’s weekly commute between Iowa and Kansas?
From Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez:
“Kansas carpetbagger Zach Lahn has spent the entirety of his campaign dodging basic questions about where he lives and how much time he would spend in Kansas while collecting a taxpayer-funded salary as governor of Iowa. Now that we know how much Kim Reynolds’ personal joyrides cost Iowans, we deserve to know if Lahn expects taxpayers to bankroll his commute from Kansas, too.”
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