Jessica Stern, President Biden’s former Special Envoy for LGBTQ+ Rights, is under fire following the release of internal State Department emails that reveal a pattern of excessive spending, poor accountability, and staff mistreatment during taxpayer-funded international travel.
Stern, who earned a $180,000 annual salary, traveled extensively as part of her role to promote global LGBTQ+ initiatives. But behind the scenes, records show that she prioritized luxury and personal preferences—often at the expense of staff and with little regard for cost.
Among the revelations:
– Lavish Spending Requests: During a trip to Rome, Stern requested a $7,000 luxury van rental for the week. After pushback, the request was reduced to $3,000–$4,000—but still deemed inappropriate by internal staff, especially during a period of department-wide travel cuts. Officials noted her office was among the least responsive in submitting required travel expense reports, with some outstanding for over a year.
– Berating Staff Over Meals: Stern repeatedly complained to staff about airlines failing to provide her preferred vegetarian meals during flights. One email marked “urgent” centered entirely on the issue. Staff scrambled to confirm meal preferences on future trips, with some expressing frustration that such matters were being elevated to top-priority status.
– Poor Fiscal Oversight: State Department documents show Stern and a colleague racked up nearly $42,000 in travel costs over five months. Expenses included interpreters, photographers, and other non-essential services for trips to countries such as Peru, Nepal, and Hungary. Officials internally questioned whether the spending was justified and flagged multiple reports as incomplete or delayed.
– Criticism from Watchdogs: Ethics advocates have blasted the conduct as a misuse of public funds. James Fitzpatrick, Director of CASA, condemned the behavior as emblematic of a broader problem in the Biden administration—prioritizing ideological advocacy over fiscal responsibility. “While Americans are struggling with inflation and high taxes, this envoy was globe-trotting with personal photographers and demanding special treatment,” he said.
Stern has since left the State Department and returned to the nonprofit world, launching an organization to oppose Trump-era policies and teaching at Columbia University. The envoy position itself has reportedly been eliminated under President Trump’s administration.
The revelations have reignited concerns about accountability for taxpayer-funded travel within federal agencies, particularly in politically sensitive or ideologically charged roles. For critics, Stern’s conduct symbolizes an era of misplaced priorities—and one they argue the current administration is now working to reverse.
The post Biden’s LGBT Envoy Was Slammed For ‘Inappropriate’ Travel Spending, Emails Show appeared first on Real News Now.
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