Pingree’s Favorite Way to Fly

“U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a past critic of lawmakers flying on private jets, was videotaped recently by a Maine political blogger arriving at the Portland International Jetport on a private jet owned by her fiance, the billionaire financier Donald Sussman.”

“In Congress, and earlier as leader of the nonpartisan Common Cause nonprofit organization, Pingree had cited private jets as an example of how elected officials should not behave.”

“Sussman is founder and chairman of a billion-dollar investment fund called Paloma Partners, and a regular donor to Democratic political causes and candidates in Maine. Sussman and employees of his company have also contributed thousands of dollars in campaign funds to Pingree, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

“The plane is a 2007 Dassault Falcon 2000EX registered to Magic Carpet Enterprises LLC, of Westchester County, N.Y., which is owned by Sussman.”

“‘Most Americans never have and never will fly on a chartered jet, much less a fancy corporate jet complete with wet bar and leather couches,’ she said. ‘So when members of Congress constantly fly around on corporate jets and pay only the cost of a commercial ticket, it contributes to the corrosive public perception that members of Congress are more like the fat cats of Wall Street than they are like the rest of us.’”

Read more: (Rebekah Metzler, “Pingree Takes Heat for Jet Use,” The Portland Press Herald, 09/24/2010)