Senator Bernie Sanders, a vocal critic of America's billionaires, has been found to be using private jets for his travels, as revealed by campaign expenditure reports.
The Vermont Independent senator, known for his "Fighting Oligarchy" tour alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, has reportedly spent a substantial sum on private jet charters in the first quarter of this year.
According to documents released by the Federal Election Commission this week, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon, Sanders' primary campaign committee, Friends of Bernie Sanders, has expended $221,723 on private jet charters. The first payment was made just before the launch of the tour in February, the documents reveal.
During the tour's recent stop in California, Sanders expressed his disdain for the economic disparity in the country. "We will not accept a rigged economy where working people struggle while billionaires become richer," Sanders declared. He advocated for an economy that benefits "working people, not just [Elon] Musk and the billionaire class."
Interestingly, Sanders, who has consistently criticized millionaires and billionaires, became a millionaire himself shortly before his 2020 presidential run. This led to a shift in his speeches, which began to target billionaires exclusively. This shift did not go unnoticed by his political opponents.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who also contested in the 2020 presidential race, ridiculed Sanders for his newfound wealth and continued advocacy for socialism. "The best known socialist in the country happens to be a millionaire with three houses," Bloomberg, whose net worth is estimated to be just under $105 billion, quipped during a 2020 debate.
The expenditure report for Friends of Bernie Sanders reveals that the organization contracted with three charter jet companies, Cirrus Aviation Services, N-Jet, and Ventura Jets. Payments to these three companies accounted for 75% of the campaign's total transportation costs for the first quarter of the year.
The campaign, which manages the oligarchy tour, also spent $63,380 on commercial airline tickets, nearly $41,000 on accommodation, and $248,245 on event production, according to the filings.
The Fighting Oligarchy tour, which kicked off on February 22 in Nebraska, has held events in several states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and California. Representative Ocasio-Cortez, who introduces Sanders at these events, was spotted flying first class to a rally in Las Vegas last month.
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