Bill's Bills Cost US a Record $8M

Bill Clinton is costing taxpayers significantly more in publicly funded perks than the two other surviving former presidents, reports Politico. From 2001 through the end of this year, $8 million will be spent on Bill Clinton, compared with $5.5 million for George H. W. Bush and $4 million for Jimmy Carter during the same period. A big chunk goes to lifelong secret service protection, pension, staff and travel expenses.

Clinton has earned more than $100 million since leaving office, causing some to question his reliance on the taxpayer for $420,000 in phone bills and $3.2 million in office rent. “The benefits taxpayers shell out for their care and feeding just don’t make sense anymore,” said a spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union. (More Bill Clinton stories.)