From the Associated Press

Governor to pay for flight to Springfield
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The Associated Press
November 12, 2003

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich plans to use money from his campaign fund to pay for one of six flights he took on state planes last week.
Blagojevich flew back and forth between the capital and his Chicago home each of the three days that the Legislature was in its fall session.
Before leaving Thursday, he criticized lawmakers for a ``spending orgy'' after they voted to override several of the spending bills he vetoed.
But he defended his shuttling between home and office each day -- despite having an taxpayer-funded Executive Mansion for his use in Springfield -- because he wanted to see his family.
Spokeswoman Cheryle Jackson told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register that Blagojevich flew back to Chicago Nov. 4 because he had meetings with Hispanic leaders the next morning to discuss legislation to allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses.
However, Jackson said he also attended a campaign fund-raiser, which she said she assumed was for Blagojevich, the night of Nov. 4.
Therefore, he will reimburse the state for the flight with campaign funds, Jackson said. She said she did not know how much he would pay.
The newspaper reported Tuesday that the three roundtrips Blagojevich flew cost $1,806, not counting the Transportation Department's fixed costs for the planes.
The agency charged the governor's office $1,432, with the Illinois State Police paying the balance for security guards protecting Blagojevich.
Copyright (c) 2003, The Associated Press