Politics

‘Middle-Class Joe’ Biden Raked In Six Figures From The Secret Service

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The Secret Service paid former Vice President Joe Biden $171,600 in rent for a guest home on his property while they were protecting him, according to purchasing orders.

“Middle-class Joe” used to refer to himself as the poorest senator, but has since raked in millions in income, according to the Washington Post. He gets up to $200,000 from book deals and speaking fees, and averaged $369 in charity donations for 10 years before 2008.

He also received $171,600 in rent from the Secret Service when he charged them to stay in his guest home while under their protection in 2010. The Secret Service paid rent because it “was a rental unit,” the Washington Times reported in 2011. The amount in rent was about $2,200, which was the same as what the previous tenant paid, an agent said according to the Washington Times.

The previous tenant was Joe Biden’s mom, according to WaPo. The Secret Service moved in shortly after she passed away.

Egregious spending of taxpayer money by the Secret Service for hotel rooms while protecting government officials is common. The Secret Service spent over $105 million protecting former President Barack Obama and his family over the course of eight years on non-essential travel, according to documents released in 2017.

Two notable charges included $2.7 million in travel costs for the Secret Service to join the Obama family on a trip to Martha’s Vineyard and $1.8 million in costs for a Hawaii Christmas vacation.

Even with making millions and charging the Secret Service rent, Biden has fallen into debt multiple times. He took out a mortgage on one of his houses in 2013, owing between $500,001 to $1 million on it, according to WaPo. He also owed up to $500,000 after taking out a line of credit the following year.