Several members and their spouses accepted cushy travel to South Korea last month at the tune of nearly $19,000 per member.
The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress spent just shy of $151,000 on six days of travel for just eight members - Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Peter Meijer (R-Mich.), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.).
The trip ran from July 5 to 11 and featured business-class flights and lodging at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, according to recent disclosures. The congressional alumni group also picked up travel expenses for their spouses, with the exception of DeGette, who traveled solo. The non-profit Korea Society also contributed to the costs.
But the trip wasn't all play and no work. From July 5 to 11, the members met with Korean officials and North Korean defectors, visited U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, and toured Hyundai and Samsung facilities. They also met with U.S. service members at the demilitarized zone, which Gonzales documented on Instagram.
