FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: CREW files request about VP's NFL walk-out

FOIA News (2015-2023)Ryan MulveyComment

Mike Pence's NFL Protest Now Faces A FOIA Request for All Records On Its True Cost

Kimerly Ricci, Uproxx, Oct. 10, 2017

Following Mike Pence’s Sunday NFL protest — which saw him dramatically walk out of a Colts-49ers game over players taking a knee — many questioned details surrounding the timing, the chosen opponent, and the wording of accompanying statements and tweets (with President Trump admitting that this visit was in the works for some time). However, no one disputed that this was one expensive protest footed by taxpayers.

Initial estimates based upon publicly available details placed the bill at around $242,500, mainly based upon expenses associated with flying in Air Force 2. However, there’s still the matter of Secret Service protection, which everyone realizes doesn’t come cheap. As a result, watchdog group Citizens for Ethics (CREW) has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any and all records relating to security, flight costs, and other hidden odds and ends.

Read more here.