Sen. Hillary Clinton spent how much on taxpayer-funded charter flights?

Brett T. | 5:01 PM on March 16, 2015

We’re pretty sure we’ll be shocked at how much Hillary Clinton spent on taxpayer-funded charter flights when she was a senator, but we’re even more shocked not only that the documentation still exists, but that a reporter actually got his hands on it.

USA Today White House correspondent Paul Singer took a look through then-Sen. Clinton’s flight logs, and here’s what he found.

Then-Sen. Clinton spent more than $500,000 on taxpayer funded charters http://t.co/6ZwKpMpxF5

— Singer (@singernews) March 16, 2015

Hillary Clinton was Senate's top charter spender in 2006 http://t.co/6ZwKpMpxF5

— Singer (@singernews) March 16, 2015

We’ll admit, we are surprised at the amount. Just last year, Sen. Mary Landrieu was forced to apologize for some “sloppy bookkeeping” that led her to racking up just $33,700 in improperly charged flights. We’re not at all surprised, though, that Clinton led the pack in spending.

Ahead of 2008 campaign, Sen Hillary Clinton spent heavily on taxpayer-funded charters. Sen. Barack Obama spent zero. http://t.co/6ZwKpMpxF5

— Singer (@singernews) March 16, 2015

Sens. Obama and Clinton went to same '05 post-Katrina event. Taxpayer cost for her travel – $3000. For his – 0. pic.twitter.com/5vhumCW5QE

— Singer (@singernews) March 16, 2015

Yes, but the president and first lady are more than making up for that frugality now.

A spokesperson for Clinton explained that Clinton’s travel was part of “her tireless work on behalf of New York,” and “she constantly crisscrossed the state to meet with the people she represented.” Singer notes, however, that 28 of her flights took her out of state for speaking engagements.