Taxpayers dole out unnecessary cash for politicians to fly downstate

Rep. Bill Mitchell

A person can fly roundtrip from Chicago to Springfield next week for a little over $200. So, why are Illinois taxpayers spending nearly five times that amount to fly politicians and bureaucrats the same route?

One of the state's four daily shuttle flights arrives at Springfield’s Abraham Lincoln Airport. The King Air 350 Turboprop seats nine passengers, but on one morning last fall, FOX 32 saw only one passenger get off the plane.

That flight from Chicago cost taxpayers more than $2400. Read more by FOX 32 News Investigative Reporter Dane Placko.