Chris White on October 16, 2019
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign spent nearly $1 million on private jet travel as the Democrat’s presidential campaign’s financial situation turns more dire, according to federal data.
Biden spent $923,000 on private jets during the third quarter, according to Federal Election Commission record the campaign filed Tuesday night. His travel expenses account for nearly one out of every $16 his campaign raised during the quarter.
Some of the cost was for carbon offsets, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday, citing a campaign aide. Companies, governments, and even political campaigns, buy carbon offsets to comply with caps on carbon dioxide they are allowed to emit.
Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield assured reporters Tuesday night following the report was filed that the campaign’s finances are not a problem. “The fundamental question about fundraising is do you have what you need to run your race and we do,” she said.
Still, there are questions that need answers.
Biden has $9 million in the bank, while his overall funding lags behind Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s nearly $26 million, FEC reports show. That is also substantially smaller than Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s $33.7 million, and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s $23 million.
The campaign has instead shifted his spending toward buying television ads in Iowa. Warren, a leading rival for the 2020 nomination, recently surpassed him in a key Iowa poll in September. Biden’s financials have slowly ebbed in other crucial areas too.
Biden entered the race in April as one of the contest’s biggest digital advertisers, spending $1.2 million on Facebook and Google out the gate. He ranked 16th among the Democratic presidential candidates for advertising on Facebook, spending only $32,000 leading up to the September debate.
Biden has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
