Gov. Tim Kaine has released an account of his official travel since the beginning of the year, after weeks of resisting requests for the records from media and GOP opponents.
The governor, who also serves as the Democratic National Committee chairman, ventured as far afield as Morocco, Israel and Dubai over the first half of the year. He made frequent trips to the District, where the DNC headquarters is located, and visited Miami, Aspen, Colo., Detroit, Atlanta, Dallas, New York, as well as other domestic locales.
The bare-bones list sheds no light on whether the visits were in his capacity as Virginia’s chief executive or DNC chief, and is unlikely to deter Republicans in their criticisms of his travel habits. In all of the destinations listed, Kaine was accompanied by the State Police executive protection unit, according to spokesman Gordon Hickey.
“This is upfront stuff,” Hickey said.
The list “represent a combination of state work, work in his role as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and personal time,” Kaine communications director Linda Tran wrote in a memo Tuesday. Kaine’s term ends in January, and he cannot succeed himself.
The Republican Party of Virginia last month filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Kaine administration asking for his travel schedule and expenses connected to his job as Democratic party head. The Associated Press followed suit. Kaine’s office rejected the requests.
Tran wrote that Kaine would “release similar, non-prospective information on the last day of each month” until the end of his term.
