Republican National Committee

Republican National Committee 310 First Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 April 25, 2012 Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro Government Accountability Office 441 G Street NW Mail Stop 4T21 Washington, DC 20548 Dear Comptroller General Dodaro: On behalf of American taxpayers, I am writing to call your attention to a case of misuse of government funds benefitting Obama for America (OFA), otherwise known as the presidents reelection campaign. Throughout his administration, but particularly in recent weeks, President Obama has been passing off campaign travel as official events, thereby allowing taxpayers, rather than his campaign, to pay for his reelection efforts. Given the recent excesses, waste, and abuse uncovered in the General Services Administration, the GAO should be particularly sensitive to misuse of taxpayer dollars. The most recent example of such misuse came yesterday in North Carolina and Colorado. President Obama traveled to the two states at taxpayer expense to deliver speeches to cheering crowds of college students, events widely reported to be equivalent to campaign rallies. Today he will hold another similar event in Iowa. Ostensibly these campaign stops were meant to support student loan legislation (which ironically President Obama didnt even take the time to vote on during his short tenure in the U.S. Senate). Please note that President Obama traveled to three states largely considered to be electoral battlegrounds to promote this legislation. One might imagine that if this were genuinely a government event he might have stopped in a non-battleground state like Texas or Vermont.

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee. www.gop.com

The same can be said of the presidents trip to Florida two weeks ago. President Obama scheduled three fundraisers in the state and added one short official event on his Buffett Tax to his itinerary, once again allowing his reelection campaign to save on fuel for Air Force One. This speech was high on class warfare, slogans, and divisive campaign-style rhetoric. It was low on substance that would benefit the populace at large. One incident of this might be an error that is easily remedied. But it is a pattern of behavior that is worsening. In fact in three and a half years, President Obama has held dozens of events that benefitted OFA on the taxpayer dime. Understandably, much of your time may be currently occupied investigating the lavish taxpayer-funded General Services Administration Vegas vacation. And assuming your office, unlike GSA, does not employ a mind reader, we felt it was necessary to file a formal complaint. We request an immediate review of this matter and a formal inquiry into whether this pattern constitutes fraud. Because this behavior shows no sign of changing, action must be taken with haste to protect the taxpayers who are being cheated by their government. Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Sincerely,

Reince Priebus Chairman, Republican National Committee

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee. www.gop.com