Uncovered itinerary reveals Rehberg abused taxpayer-funded travel

Congressman trades influence for luxuries on official ‘vacations’

Oct. 5, 2012

BILLINGS, Mont.— A newly uncovered official itinerary reveals that federal contractors and energy industry lobbyists wined and dined Congressman Dennis Rehberg during a taxpayer-funded vacation to Europe.

The full itinerary of Rehberg’s vacation, which every Montanan should see, is online HERE.

Rehberg’s trip to France and the Netherlands (aboard this Air Force jetliner) took place in early 2005, just weeks after the Congressman was appointed to the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

The official itinerary shows Rehberg was treated to lavish dinners sponsored by nuclear energy lobbyists and federal defense contractors.

Nuclear energy giant AREVA treated Rehberg to world famous wine cellars and dinner at France’s Chateau des Fines Roches.  In Amsterdam, lobbyists from the multinational nuclear energy firm URENCO treated Rehberg to the city’s finest seafood restaurant in the Grand Sofitel Hotel. Rehberg was also taken on a dinner cruise through Amsterdam’s canals by the PMA group, a DC lobbying firm later shut down in a federal corruption probe.

Two weeks after the trip, Rehberg voted for the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which gave billions in taxpayer-funded subsidies to the nuclear energy industry.

Full details of Rehberg’s 2005 “taxpayer-funded vacation” is online HERE.

The Associated Press reports that Rehberg took 15 trips to nearly three dozen countries “with little to show for it.”  Rehberg’s travel included destinations in the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Spain and even Norway.

“Dennis Rehberg is more than happy to take his pay-to-play record overseas—coming home with pockets full of special interest IOUs and empty hands for Montana,” said Montanans for Tester spokeswoman Alexandra Fetissoff. “Dennis Rehberg was out for himself enjoying lobbyist-peddled luxuries on vacations funded by all of us.”

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