Much has been made of the $200,000-plus speaking fee former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton demands, but it turns out that isn’t the half of it. The former “dead broke” first lady also demands to be treated like royalty.
Commercial flights to and from her speaking engagements will never do–not even a first class seat. Nope, she requires at a bare minimum “a $39 million, 16-passenger Gulfstream G450” to cart her and her entourage around, according to a report Saturday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
No teensy-weensy Cessna Citation or Learjet 55 for Clinton.
The expected 2016 Democratic presidential contender is scheduled to speak at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas this fall, where her six-figure speaking fee drew criticism from the student body.
“But Clinton’s $225,000 is something of a cut-rate,” wrote Laura Myers in the Review-Journal. “Documents obtained by the newspaper show that she initially asked for $300,000 and reveal that she insists on controlling every detail of the private event, large and small, to ensure that she will be the center of attention.”
And a part of that “center of attention” includes how she and her entourage are pampered. In addition to the private jet, “She insists on staying in the ‘presidential suite’ of luxury hotels that she chooses anywhere in the world, including Las Vegas,” according to the paper, which reported:
According to a May 31, 2013 email, Clinton’s standard contract usually includes:
- Round-trip transportation on a chartered private jet “e.g., a Gulfstream 450 or larger jet,” plus round-trip business class travel for two advance staffers who will arrive up to three days in advance.
- Hotel accommodations selected by Clinton’s staff and including “a presidential suite for Secretary Clinton and up to three (3) adjoining or contiguous single rooms for her travel aides and up to two (2) additional single rooms for the advance staff.”
- A $500 travel stipend to cover out-of-pocket costs for Clinton’s lead travel aide.
- Meals and incidentals for Clinton, her travel aides and advance staff, as well as all phone charges.
- Final approval of all moderators or introducers.
Sounds like she finally got over her “dead broke” syndrome in fine fashion.
